The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-04-12

k- Lagiin has dropped the hot coffee-pot, and the coffee is streaming all over the fioor
 Oh, May Laglia," cry "what does possess you 7"
 "Er-er-" says the handmaiden, hopping about to give herself time for re- fection, "dat ole cat, he runned unner my foois an flung me down."
 know that the accused cat is sound asleep or my bed, but what is the use in disputing May Laglin's word? SoIsend her out with the coffee-po,, and mop the brown fluid from where the young men will have to walk.
 Aun, Cindy brings in the rest of dinner, and says, threateningly, les waitll din ner's over, an see ef don't bus yo' no count head offer yo' lazy hide"
 Then she goes ou;, and am conscious of feeling most uncomfortable, for Henry is ushering in two tall gentlemen and ln- troducing MT. Wickliffe and Mir. Frank Wicklitfe.
 In spite of my extreme difiidence, am just preparing to go forward and gree, them with some cordial words of well come in imitation of Nettle, when a voice, in stage whisper, says behind my back:
 II reckon you'd better be keerful bout not ,akin' any O dem stew, Mss Lldy : 'caze nanny she say she done ;uk up de las drap."
 My halfextended hand falls to my side, and with meek little bow, sink into my char and hide my face behind .1 II I .t.. T May Laglin say next!
 When emerge, Henry is dis ussing the crops with his guests so, slightly re- lieyed, If; up my fallen head and ask if they take sugar and cream Tn iheir coffee. By miracle the cups are fa,de.. safely on the table, and for ten minutes things progress very nicely, then something hor- rible happens.
 Among the many wants our household IS an almost entire absence of glass ware and the array IS somewhat motley. The oldest guest has a sound tumbler the other, one with a crack near the bottom Hubble. ore that has been glued together, and which have commanded him no, to Ill, and Henry champagne glass, which, turned upside down and pushed against the chicken dish, is meant to pass for goblet. Taking up the water pitcher, our matchmaker dils the whole ;umbler, then stumbles around 10 the other guest. Now, we have used the glass with the small crack for four months, md 1t has always held water @l;h the greatest accommodation up 10 this unlGel:y day; bu, in raising her heavy pitcher. May i.asiia strikes the side oi 1t and di5io, aies Il Tn some way for, turning )ust at this moment for a drns. ,hc yolng man lifts 1t only haif- way io his lips, when the bottom sud denly separates from he top falls ai.h d crash to the ground. and the iee-water poaFs unmeFcitully down the young mans sleeve.
 Dar now - says May I.aglin.
 Henry hastily ln,erposes napkin and soaks up some oi the water. Mir. Frank murmurs. Very awkward of me- looks embarrassed and about to freeze.
 |" II was so careless in the servant 10 give you broken glass. l interrupt, rushing to the rescue, with more good will than truth.
 Law, Miss Lidy says May Lagin. responsibility, you set de table yo' own sci. an 'twan't no mo good gobblers'
 give her an awful look. which utterly bewilders her, and glance fearfully a, the elder Mir. Wickliffe t,he younger is too much engaged with his frozen arm to heed anything else, but surely his brother has heard1 Apparently he is deaf, fo, he IS grave as judge, and is eating his sloppy rice with evisien, relish.
 May l.aglin." says Henry, who never hears anything he IS expected to, bring another glass
 Er-Mos Henry" s,ammers the handmaided, turning 10 me in cons,er- nation.
 With feeling of desperation. l rise on preiense of handing around the bread, and, by sleight of hand movement i'll the champagne glass @ith water, and set i. by the guest, who by this time, wish was safely in the land of Canaan, then sit down rcd and nor tited. and make a feint of eating the burnttomatoes and rice on my soup- plate. Glancing up suddenly. l find ,he eldest NIT Wickliife looking al me ; he is evidently trying 10 put me a; my ease about the unfortunate tumbler, for he | asks pleasantly fl I've ever been 10 New Orleans, and on my answering in the negative. says he hopes to see me there sometime: and then kindly tries to apuse me by description of funny little thing tha, happened as they were coming from home. There Is so much humor m wha, he says. that Tubbie laughs outright and am beginning 10 feel like smiling, when Henry. who has helped the guests and Hubble so bounti- fully to stew that he has lief, none in the ! spall dish, tells May aslin to get some more. Then my thoughts fly to the kitchen. and Mir. Wicklihe might as well be eenversIng in Chinese for all under stood.
 Have some ho, stew. Mir. Wickliffe," says Henry as May Lagln stumbles In again.
 begin 70 wildly hope tha, ,he hand maiden was mistaken abou, the :" las drap" being sent in before. bu, hope IS vain, for instead Of handing the dish, she sets II down empty. and announces quite s-ha@ttttlfxs Af .st,.