The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-08-11
THE REVENGERS.

"Popp
"Yes'm."
Take that big basket with the broken
bale, an dig me bout peck O. pota-
toes. Look lively now. Don't stand
there staring at me like dumb thing.
Fly around"
''Yes'm."
Pop, thick little fellow, black as
the ace of spades, seized the basket Miss
Faithful Sharpe designated with her lean
fore finger, and started out
In the garden, Andy Miss Faithfuls
nephew, and the cause of much of her
tribulatlon, was engaged in wedding.
lie averaged one weed a minute. At
that rate it would take about three
months of constant work to clear the
beds. But Andy didn't care. He
hated work, and it wouldn't have dis
tressed him if the garden had remained
unweeded from the beginning to the end
OF the year. His aunt's example, and
her many maxims, and long lectures on
the nobility of honest toll never had any
peroeptible effect upon him.
What are you going to do, Pop ?" he
asked as his co-sufferer, who viewed
things pretty much as "Mars Andy " did,
emerged from the house.
"Goin' to dig taters."
Digging potatoes had always been
hateful work in Andys eyes before. But
now it did not strike him so. Anything
was better than wedding.
Say, Pop, II, dig the potatoes, if
you'll weed some"
Pop shook his head.
Cant, Mars Andy" he answered.
"Ole Missus, she tole me I'd got to 90
and get desc we're taters my own self. an
not stop foolin' roun' with nobody. She
says she spec Mars Andy gwine to ak me
TO weed, an so she tole me not to stop
nohow"
This was deliveredvery glibly, for Pop
hated wedding as much as Andy did, and
never found any difficulty in framing an
excuse.
80, pshaw," said Andy, who did not
think OF doubling Pops veracity, know
ing as he did his aunt's opinion of his
industry, "That's the way she always
talks, She don't mean nothin'. Give
me the basket"
"ldasn't, MarsAndy," and Pop chung
with a well-simulated SILVER of fear to
the broken bail. g Ole Missus, she'd
take an tar de head square of'n me,
deed she would"
"Shei Now you know you're gassin',
Pop. There amt as much fight in her
as she makes ont. But go long. I be-
lieYe I'd druther weed anyhow" said
Andy, making the best of the inevitable.
:" only know one thing you're that
mean a Jew wouldn't buy you"
Pop proceeded TO the potato patch
with a heavy heart. Andy's last words
cut deep. He wondered how he could
make peace, and turned out the contents
of his pockets, thinking he might find
something to propitiate the friend whose
friendship was so dear to him. But
nothing appeared of sufficient value 10
serve as peace offering-an alligator's
tooth, u rattlesnake's rattle, a big cone,
piece of string, the core of turnip, a
glass button, and piece of rusty iron.
For none of these things would Andy
care. He had plenty like them; only
better.
Two boys, in close conversation, came
to the rail fence, taking the road which
led to the river, half a mile of. Pop
priclSed up his ears on hearing some
thing one of them said, and ran to re.
peat it to Andy, forgetting, in his ex-
citement all about their recent differ.
ence.
ct say, Mars Andy, now's our chance.
We can get chen wild dat Bob Harris
and Tim Waters for stealin' our clo'es
when we was in swimmin' las Sat'day.
Deys gone down now to go in deir-
selves" nevs.a
GOOD luck cried Andy. "I didn't
believe we'd Get chance for revenge so
soon. You get through your potatoes,
Pop, and let's be off. Well show 'em
that stealin' clothes is trick we can
play at too"
Pop wasn't ten minutes digging the
potatoes Then he walked softly around
to the kitchen window, which was open,
for the weather was very warm, and sue
ceeded In setting the basket on the deal
without attracting the attention of argus
eyed Miss Faithful A little later, when
she went to the door to see how the bows
wedding progressed, neither of the boys
were e. be seen, and she screamed their
names until she was hoarse. without
eliciting any reply save from the echorng
pine woods
The boys proceeded with great eau
ton as they neared the river. In the
middle of it lay small island, almost
cvergrown with bushes, which afforded
a capital screen. On the otherside of this
island from where the boys were, the
water was very deep, but nearest to
them it was so shallow that they could
wade across with ease and perfect safety.
Very careful to make no noise, they
hunted around among the bushes until
they found two piles Of clothes. Hastily
picking them up, thew ran off with them
inst rs a shout was raised by some one
in the deep water.
"You know how it feels to have your
clothes carried off, now, sung out Andy.
as he and Pop waded back to the shore
in greaf haste. You'll let ours alone
the next time we 60 in reckon"
They did not stop to hear the answer