The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-10-15

make any 'jections wild your
mo, Abram; | should hope you know your
place better" said the glrl, suppressing gig
gle, with severity.
well, dcn'--ln a conclusive tone-"what
fault las you got to find o me, name o gra
clous?'
"Oh, go along, Abram," SAID the elderly la
dy. "Iou are incorrigibe. Only don't let
ne see you again in such condition"
mo, mistis. | won't mistis. But you does
mt pear to member dat can't take teaspoon
full o. anything thought Its maxim me right
down SICK"
And he departed, shaking his head over her
lack Of charity
| Feeling something of sneak, thought it
high time to emerge. | received a cordial re-
ception from Mrs. Page and her pretty grand
child, whom she had never allowed to feel the
loss Of mother. The Colonel was tall, sol
dicrly man, who tod me | looked like my
grandfather, ana insisted upon rehearsing
pages of my family history, while was long.
ing to talk to "sweet Anne" He might have
been talking still had not the patter of feet
made itself audible, and who should come
gayly into the room but Lagniappe! Making
straight for Anne, he jumped INTO her lap
That was the first thing that puppy ever did
that gave me respect for him.
"Oh, law! Oh, gracious" Annie cried,
Jumping up and spllllng him on the floor
Please excuse the little wretch" ! said,
when had thrust him out forcibly. And
have another apology to make for him." al.
ded, producing the volume of poems.
my book Why, gran'ma, you know |
have been wondering where it had gone. DO
you suppose he stole it out Of the summer
house Mr.. Camplon?"
II am afraid he did," said I. His name by
ri yhts shoull HI. Rarabbasn
"What dear, cunRlng thing he must be-"
she cried Give HIM to me; won't you,
pLedSeY
| mo, Annie, not another dog shall come in
to this house, the Colonel answered in an
aggravated tone. lone can't move at present
without tumbling over one or two. That great
brute of a st. Bernard takes pleasure in max
ing himself look like door.mat, because he
knows am near sighted.
"Oh, but this is such smart, interesting
puppy" urged Anne, giving an ecstatlc spring
upon her chair.
| MY dear Annie" said Mrs. Page, indul
gently, What will Mr. Camploh think OF
your"
II can't help it, gran ma replied Miss An
ne, blushing up to the curls on her forehead,
but laughing at the same time. Even II
should be prlm now, Mr.. Camplon would find
me out sooner or later / shock every one ;
but it is my nature, just as dogs delight TO
bark and bite Even Abram-why Ma. Cam
pion, can read disapproval IN his very back
at times"
ale must be hard to please said |, trying
not to look guilty.
"The truth isl replied Mrs. Page, "he IS an
old family servant and we endure good deal
on that account"-to me totally unnecessary
explanation.
NV acquaintance with Sweet Anne" pros
pered finely She had whole regiment OF
| first second, and tiftieth masculine cousins
who visited her IN platoons, presented her with
the latest sentimental ballads, and were never
weary of chronicllng the smallness OF her
glove and slipper. There were moments when
! | hated them. For a time came and quickly
too, when the cutoff seemed the lenght OF an
eternity, and Max's fleetest pace could not
keep step with my desire.
As for Lagnappe, he became her abject
slave, testiylng his alteration by rolling his
eyes and lollIng out an lnordinately long red
tongue when she held him IN her arms, and
addressed him as IAN old precious" and too
cute to live" His greatest breach Of decorum
was TO bite the ends OF her long braid AS IL
tossed over her shoulders, and to take rides on
the tram of her gown. Lagniappe's heart was
in the right place, that was clear But all the
world was not OF our mind.
On one occasion | found Abram leisurely
setting "figger.fo' trap among the cotton as
crossed the field, and while he worked he
sang the following plaintive ar:
"Oh, de roof is Gavin in, an de chimny's tum-
| blin' down,
An amt got long bout hyeh to remain;
While de angels watches DER me, an dis good
ole dawg o. mine,
In dc little ole lawg cabin in de lane
The idea of Abram watched over by angels
was too much for me, and | burst into ueri
4 sive laughter.
lie looked up and remarked, as he pulled
his grizzled forelock, "IIowdy, Mas Campion
| hope | see y well. Is jcs lookin' every
where fer you"
$50 1t seems" said |, with sarcasm.
He was obtuse.
Yes" SAID he, artlessly, "dat's fac. Missy
:. Anne she sent me over In big hurry VIC
sumpln-now what acds 1t she gimme? A
book-or-or-no, twas letter; an WIZARD |
mt dat ERE? Glare to mussy hope | aiu0
loss it, Won't she skin me alive"
!, This was soothing to q lovers ear
"You had better try to find H." l advised
him.
well amt atryin'? Law shucks! won
missy be rampagin? She writ an tore up, an
writ an tore up. torty-'elcven times, reckon
AZ he said this he fumbled wildly in nu
merous pockets too ragged to hold anything
up his sleeves and IN his hat, and at last pro
duced it from one of the gigantic brogans tina
. adorned his feet.
| improved the occasion by a few words
advice; but he replied, calmly hopping hi
forehead with dingy bandana
81 know'd I'd put 1t someers, only l disre
membered prezackly whar. Mighty lucky
foun' dat ERE" he added. Tell yer what
g dom like to git little Missy IN my wool; Ol
mis,is she'll do poorly good, eff y let her be
. but Missy Anne she's mrighty pernickety
| An headstrong. Don | pity de nlema
/. what marrles her She's little, but, oh, la"
G dy"
o "Abram," said |, with all the dignity coul
4 summon "be kind enough To- keep your oplI