Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-09-09


have another apology to make for him."
added, producing the volume Of poems.
my book Why, gran'ma, you know
have been wondering where il had gone. Do
you suppose he stole it out of the simmer
house, Mr.. CampionY"
81 am afraid he did," said l. His name
by rights should be Barabbas."
"What dear cunning thing he must be !"
she cried. give him to me won't you,
please ?"
''No, Anne not another dog shall come
into this house." the colonel answered in an
aggravated tone. "Ono can't move at pres.
ent without tumbliug over one or two. That
great brute OF a st. Bernard takes pleasure
in making himself look like a door mat, be-
cause he knows l am near-sighted"
"Oh, but this is such a smart interesting
puppy" urged Anne, giving an ecstatic spring
upon her chair.
my dear Anne" said Mrs. Page indul-
gently, "what will Mr.. Campion think of
you ?"
81 can't help it, gran'ma," replied Miss
Anne, blushing up to the curls on her fore
head, but laughing at the same time even
II should be prim now, Mr.. Campion would
find me out sooner or later. l shock every
one but it is my nature, just as dogs delight
TO bark and bite. Even Abram-why, Mr..
Campon, ! can read disapproval in his very
back at times"
"He must bo hard to please, said 1, try
ing not TO look guilty.
"The truth is" replied Mrs. Page, 'he is
an old family servant, and we endure good
deal on that account"-to me a totally un-
necessary explanation.
My acquaintance with 'sweet Anne pros
pered finely. She had a whole regiment of
first, second, and fftieth masculine cousins,
xuh yicitaI bor i,, t,tatonpc YNraeapfaI har
with the latest sentimental ballads and were
never weary Of chronicling the smallness Of
her glove and slipper. There were moments
when hated them. For time came, and quick
ly too, when the cut-of seemed the length of
an eternity, and Max's feeting pace could
not keep step with my desire.
As for Lagniappe, he became her abiect
slave, testfying his alteration by rolling his
eyes and lolling out an inordinately 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 deco
rum was to bite the ends of her long braid as
il tossed over her shoulders, and to take rides
on the train of her gown. Lagniappe's heart
was in the right place, that wes clear. But
all the world was not of our mind.
On one occasion found Abram leisurely set
ting ''fgger-fo" trap among the cotton as l
crossed the field, and while he worked he sang
the following plaintiff air:
oh, de roof is Gavin in, an de chimlys tumbln
down,
While de angels watches DER me, an dis good ole
dawg o. mine,
In de little ole lawg-cabin in de lane"
The idea of Abram watched over by angels
was too much for me, and burst into de-
risive laughter.
He looked up, and remarked as he pulled
his grizzled forelock, "Howdy, Mas Campion!
hope see y we'll rs jes' lookin every
where for you"
$50 it seems" said l, with sarcasm.
He was obtuse.
Yes" said he artlessly, 'dats fac.
Missy Anne she sent me ober in a big hurry
wild sumpin-now what iods it she gimme A
book-or-or-no, twas a letter n where'd
put dat air Glare to mussy hope l amt
loss it. Won't she skin me alive !"
This was soothing to lovers ear.
"You had better try to find it," 1 advised
him.
"well, amt a.tryin2 Law shucks won't
missy be rampagin? She writ an tore up,
an writ an tore up, forty-'leven times, l
reckon"
As he said this he fumbled wildly in numer-
Gus 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
that adorned his feet.
l improved the occasion by few words of
advice but he replied, calmly, mopping his
forehead with dingy bandana; 81 knowed
I'd put it some'ers, only 1 dsremembered
prezackly whar Mighty lucky l foun' dat
ere" he added. Tell you what, 1 don't
like to git little missy in my wool. Ole mistis
she'll do pooty good, ef q lei her be but
Missy Anne she's mighty pernckety. An
a.. H., -l.oA
marries her She's little, but, oh, lawdy !"
"Abram,' said l with all the dignity
could summon, ''be kind enough to keep your
opinion to yourself"
''Yes, sah-yes, sah-yes, sah-sartainly,
sab" responded Abram, obligngly but he
did not seem to be crushed TO earth.
The note was merely an invitation to "a lit
tie dance" at The Oaks but to me it proved
a momentous occasion, for before 1 left the
house, sweet Anne Page was my promised
wife
From that time worked with greater
viii than ever, inspired by happiness.
Meanwhile Lagniappe grew apace, not losing
a jot of his impudence and trickiness with his
increased growth.
Spring was drawing near, and as it had
been a hard winter, trouble was expected
from the breaking-up above Colonel Pages
house was situated on slope, so felt tolera-
bly, sure OF Anne's safety; but she, on the
contrary, was certain that she should awake
some day to find me swept away by a flood.
Although laughed at her fears, kept sharp
eye on the levee.
One afternoon / was making tour of in
spection, and l felt generally out of sorts. In
the first place, l had not been able to find my
mud boots, and naturally their disappearance
was laid at Lagniappes door, although his
innocent and cheerful countenance as he frisk-
ed about Max's heels should have disarmed
suspicion. q must remark here that Jacinthy
blamed Lagniappe for every loss, from the
fIying-pan to her Sunday bonnet In the
second place, the whole day had been filed
with stinging rain, and a chill, damp air
that went to ones bones, until Just before
sunset, when the west broke up into ragged
clouds, from which streamed garish yellow
glow. A clump of willows beside the turbid
bayou was half obscured in a cloud of fog.
Max's hoofs made a sucking sound in the
heavy soil, and left spongy marks behind
them.
Lagniappe was ranging few feet ahead of
me, when, just as had crossed the "branch,"
he startled up covey of partridges right un-
der Max's nose.
Well, that was the only shabby trick Max
ever served me. "But twas enough, it suf-
feed, as the fellow in the play says, for he
pitched me of against a tree, and then made
tracks for home. was conscious of grind
ing pain in my left leg, and when 1 tried to
get on my feet, found that useful member
was-broken.
"This is the deuce of an idea, l said
Lagniappe was walking round and round
me curiously, and as looked at him an in
spiration seized me. With some trouble l
took pencil and a scrap of paper from my
pocket, and scrawled a few lines upon it.
Then called the dog coaxingly, and showed
him the slip, pointing in the direction of The
Oaks, which was not more than a mile away.
He seemed to understand, for he grabbed the
paper but he had not gone far before he
tore it up, and ran back 10 me. l coaxed,
commanded, threatened in vain. He looked
roguish, and wagged his comical tail. Then
lifted up my voice. and woke the echoes but
there was no answering shout. l fired my
pistol several times, but no one came.