St. Landry democrat., 1882-06-24

nounced his intention to several OF his
confreres, boasting in an unguarded
moment that he ''warn't 'traid OF
Nanny Izzable don keer eff she is a
witch oman.n One of Nanny 1sabeFs
cronies repeated this to her, and with a
malicious chuckle she resolved to be
ready for him.
One moonlight night, about twelve
o'clock, our hero wended his way to the
cherished yet dreaded spot, and there,
just outside of the ''palin's," he poured
forth his soul in melody. He warbled
of Dinah:
Her eyes so bright, dey shines at night
When de moon am gone away
of Cindy, whose
"neck's so long an stringy,
1feared She neber de-
of Nellie, who
twas a lady,
My dark Virginia BRIDE"
of Susannah the forsaken, and Lucy the
betrayed, feeling more and more coura-
geous as the end of each song found
him still unmolested. At last "snapr'
went string, and he looked round for
a convenient place to sit down and
mend it. Close to the fence was a Sec
ton Of big pine log, and upon that he
ensconced himself. He tinkered the
string, he tuned a little, and sang a
great deal more, enjoying himself IA
mously, and feeling uncommonly
brave. At last the moon disappeared
under a cloud, the night grew chilly,
and Isham concluded to leave, with the
pleasing consciousness that Salindy Ann
must have appreciated his devotion.
He prepared to arise. but his hair
was the only portion of him that rose.
He could not move from his seat. He
wriggled and twisted, he pulled and
tugged, his eyes nearly popping out Of
his head, and his teeth chattering with
fear; iron chains could not have bound
him faster.
Lord have marcy pom metz he
calculated presently, dropping his BAN
10 and clasping his hands. .'De ole
oman done trick me sho huff dis time.
o Lordy! o Lordy!'' He dared not call
out, for fear of worse consequences; he
could not get up; he had not a spark of
courage to be kept up by whistling or
singing. The clouds grew thicker, the
night darker, the wind colder. Every
now and then the captive made an
abortive attempt to escape, or muttered
a PRAYER for deliverance, but he mainly
preserved the quiet of abect despair.
At last, accidentally turning his head
toward the cabin, he thought he saw
through the palings something white
approaching him. Yes, there it was,
and now he heard a stealthy step. Near
er and nearerit came, its outlines vague,
its proportions gigantic. 1t reached the
ing, a huge white something stretched
over the fence Immediately above his
head, and dull, horrible groan saluted
his ears.
There was shrek, wild struggle, a
rending of garments, and a sound of fly
ing feet, and the place that had known
Isham knew him no more.
Early next morning Nanny Isabel
might have been seen just outside her
garden fence picking up banjo, and
disengaging from pine log the gar
ment which had clothed the neither
limbs of Isham Coombs. She seemed to
enjoy the performance immensely, for
she chuckled as she said to herself at
intervals:
Didn't know I was a-settin' at de
windy a watchin' on him, an a-hearin'
all dat miowin' Eff he hadn't sot
down, I'd "a had him some odder way.
Alwus knowed | cud make good glue.
An den dat OF white cow-he! he! hep
and the old woman almost bent double
with delight.
"Salindy Ann" she said, re-entering
the cabin with her trophies, "you see
desc yer things? Well, deys all you
eber will see O dat fool Is am Coombs.
Salindy Ann didn't believe her; but
it was true. Isham Coombs left the
country; but before he went he gave
such a narrowing account of his night s
adventure that Salindy Ann never had
another offer till her grandmother
death, which, luckily for her prospects,
took place not very long afterward.-
Harper's Bazaar.