St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-01-28
, drinker Immediately felt on his

almost SICK or 1t. -
Smother" said Betsey, "they're all
going to wear white dresses, and the
boys'll wear white pants. The master
plays on his flute, and we got songs
learnt to sing all together. go.
Don't bother me with your eXhlbl-
tons now,' said Mrs. Lane, drawing
her eyebrows down as she strained her
sight up the woods road.
Betsev felt constrained at least to give
a sample of the music. So she sung IN
high voice:
"When shall we meet again,
Meet neer to sever!
| When shall Peace wreathe her cnaln
Round us forever
Upon which Mrs Lane turned around
and exclaimed: ,..,
"You and Paris run along a little
ways and see if you can see anything OF
him"
"rn CO., said Elihu.
81 90, said Hiram.
Elihu wore an apron over his trous-
ers, and Hiram was fuzzy-headed
youth vet in the thraldom of yellow
flannel petticoat and calico gown, with
drawing string. Their feet were bare
on the puncheon floor. ..ot#
"You needn't any of you come, )"
said Paris, setting his dinner-basket in
sideIthe door. elm going to ride
back on the load ..., , .'@
| Mrs. Lane turned to silence the
clamor which Elihu and the baby set
up; and Betsey ran after her captain.
without his leave. al. rr.5st.
They had trudged so many miles to-
eether to and from school; and knew
FIGHT we'll the necessity Of each other
companionship. Paris was not afraid
of bears in the woods, but it afforded
him satisfaction to say SO to Betsey, and
to rehearse his piece as they Went
along, to make himself.a little surer
and sicker of it, It was culled from his
Second Reader, and was about the Silent
Traveller, a bear that travelled all night
with man in stage-coach. 's-
"sThis is a very warm coat you have
on" droned Paris, emphasizing every
word t-..-,
: nPap amt comm ) said Betsey, draw
inc his attention to the fact that the road
was clear as far as they could see. Dusk
3 was sitting thick around them. One
could not be sure that a tall stump was
! not another Silent Traveller. The foil
l age looked thin yet, for no leaf was the
: broad and open hand it would be a
q month later: but loamy smells, with now
2 a tincture of pennyroyal and now
: breath of sycamore, came to their nos
: trils.
8 s.Do you think mothers scairt?" in
S quired Betsey, as they pursued the turns
of the wood-road in which their father
= wagon-wheels had left deep cuts.
: "Ho!" secuted Paris.
"But she said he ought to be home,
O ouivered Betsey, on whom the humid
d evening was not without its effect
It "Well, an amt he comin'?" sail
v Paris "Yonder's the wagon now.
r can beat you to it,
d Betsey grasped her skirts and accepted
IS the challenge.
IS The spatting of their feet in the sof
d road might have startled the farm horse
3 to faster gait than walk, for no ham
d held the lines which were wrappe
d around one of the standards, and n
father was to be discovered on the loa
h or hidden anywhere among Its knot
n and sticks, though Betsey craned ne
"a neck in such search.
NJ "Whoar' cried Paris, when this fax
,r struck him.
IL The horses stood still, and untying
a. hitching strap, Paris turned them out
9 the road and tied the near horse to
IN tree.
Betsey began to cry. Not in lou
: and HELPLESS manner, but as it the sturd
%. %, heart under her straight waist VIZ
~ startled. ~ ~
: 40 Paris, where's pap?''
II don't know" replied Paris, gu
OF vering. s'We've got to hunt him.
TO 81 know he's fell in the creek!"
rs "He could swim out. He can swi
ed In the deepest hole that ever wasp "
or GA snakes bit him! Mebby |
as chopped a tree down and it fell
e him!''
a. "Mebby he did," quavered Paris, :
ey thew ran. s. Let's look where he w
lat chopin. ''at.5.s 81
Oh When they came to the cleared plac
tn painting, the seant light showed nu y
BE- Der of stunnn-ps with glaring white to
ed in the general dimness, and piles
IA brush, and a log or two yet unsubdu
INT BY the ak. But there was no lately-fell
he tree, and no father anywhere.
gh Down the slope, cross-laced by int
u, yening limbs, they could see Mud Gre
22st Bayou, which the freshet had expand
set to q lake. Away on the other side, h
81 screened by islanded trees, was Nj
tn Creek proper, the milldam, and Milfol
nd The BAYOU had the gurgle of runni
Nj water. In some places it was swift
~ a mill-race. Whenever Mud Creek TO
ids it made this bayou broad yellow fiot
ere and loosened half the trees IN the b
be tom-land.
II tell you,'' said Paris as I'll
L - ne ST.