The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1884-04-03

~SW HS"s eaA VA ~ w AAco'ou IN u
bunch.
II was quito plain the crazy old tub
had made up Its mind TO 20 to the bot
tom, and the beautiful pcrslstency with
which she settled TO her work would
have sent Us down with sickcning swift
ness, ONLY that Providence, remember
Ing us at the very last moment, rushed
TO our rescue In the shape Of Captain
Dan!
To say VIC adored our ncSt-door farm.
or but stability expresses the devotion
with which we assaulted the preservcr Of
our useless little lives. All. along, we
had known him simply as the man with
q beard. and bothered no more about
him. but notc.
Tin cans Of my childhood. how full 20
stopping we kept you with bait! Oh,
soft crabs, quivering like unto live poul.
tees in dlngy nets! Oh. fat, purplish
angle-worms! Oh, brown shouted clans.
We beat up cartridges from tho russell
hedges. and while lis gun was smok.
ing. hunted the stubble to bring them
To him warm and wet and dead. We
let him into the secret Of every nest and
burrow In the chafy pines. and bis
tired ourselves In the corn field fighting
marauding crows. We even extended
our love TO the old mare that had come
home from the war with him all ribs
and horsehair- and to the rusty little
fishing. smack that had helped to save
our, lives.
lie never made us feel. God bless
him! that VIC were not delightful 10
gaze upon. or that we might be less az
sressiye In the way Of teeth and nails
and heels. There was always bright
sort OF welcome in his brown freckled
face when we scarpered acros, fields or
along roads to meet him. and his WAS
always the first CHEEKY word, always,
at least, until that unlucky evening
when we met him cantering from the
village with the alarming announce
men, that Cousin Till had come.
Cousin till meant mas niece. She
was one of those big. gorgeous looking
young women body calls stunning be-
hind her back--a young woman with
lots Of bronze hair in demoralizcd
state Of puh. bang and frizzle, with
cheeks like peach blooms all pink and
waxy. and lips rs red and tempting as
mas bush Of scarlet sage.
She was rich. too. In mild sort OF
way. dressed in milk.whitc frocks and
blue ribbons for breakfast. and had a
beau. ma said, for every day in the
week. For the rest. she owned big
q. -. .,..ts.I
when there was nothing better going
ON. and always went of in n huff. She
treated us children fairly enough. con-
sidering, and all We knew or cared
about her was that she slept in mittens
to keep her hands white, carried her
trunk key with eNasperating consistency,
never tasted coffee on account OF her
complexion and wished her name wSs
Maud instead Of Matilda Il all we cared
mt least, until that unlucky evening
when Captain Dan would bulge no
nearer than the garden after which
am bound to own we hated her with a
hatred too genuine to put in print.
Bulge! he wouldn' even look toward
the house--even when we chung to his
saddle Taps and swarmrd about his
legs. and tuggcd and coaxed and scold-
ell. We could get no better satisfaction
than = playful dip Of his riding whip rs
he gave his horse the bride and slowly
rode away. That was the beginning OF
II. We rarely saw our preserycr after
that. and never once at the house-how
we hated her for IL, and how we wished
to goodness she would have the sense
TO go,
AT last, when things had become so
desperate that Captain Dan never even
scuddcd by in his fishing smack. nor
turned his old mares head into our
road-and Cousin Till kept on being
swe,t as peaches -wc held an indigna-
ton meeting on the back piazza and
vented our wrongs in speech.
"Cut her throat and bury her in the
pines" suggested John, our harmless
eldest. who was addicted to uncomiort.
ably vivid dreams.
"wy tant we put ard trabs in her
bed anil dwown her wit wope." lispcd
Aggi,. our Borgia IT six.
"Bettrr shave that head of hcrsw
advised Jim. who really gave brilliant
promise If being tirst-class villain
only he died. poor littlo lad. before he
had time to work out his vocation.
And to shave our Cousin lilly we do
cidod.
We were very jubilant at the tea-tablc
that night-so jubilant that ma moancd
at US through her bedroom door, and
papa and Cousin TIL frowncd at us
down from their end Of the table aud
when ut last she had retired early by
reason Of mas headache. and papa had
catechised us from "Who made you?"
"Wha, became OF Cain?" We, too, filed
up the crooked old stairway to the
rooms allotted To our sway.
We had cast John for the barber In
our thrilling version Of the Grape OF the
Lock" but being overwhelmed with a
conscience at the trying moment. Jim
assumed the part at the usual five min
utes' notice and doubtless would have
performed his role with perfect salts
faction but for n tableau not down in
the bill.
The harvest moon was shining like n
calcium rs we crept stealthily on our
bare tip-tocs to the door of my Cousin
Tilrs chamber. There she lay fast
asleep. like the princess in the fairy
tale. and there were we fare TO face to
face with-John was the first to spy II
"a fluffy coil Of reddish gold sprawlcd
out ON tho dresser!
When We carried Captain Dan the
scandalous news think he had wild
notion To box us for our pains. He
laughed. too--laughed till tho fishing
was spoiled. and made US promise
never to raise our hands again to harm
hair OF her head. Then papa, being
in proper mood. VIC lured him behind
the granary door and confdcd in him
as well-a confidence that led to the
horrible discovery that Cousin Till and
our Captain Dan had been something
moro than friends
Wasn't she TO blamed" asked John,
who had heard OF such goings on rs
counting involves. and liked to air his
knowledge.
"well. yes. honey. I think there's no
doubt about that; but young people
don't need to talk Of such things, SO run
and forget it."
Not talk. indeed! We talked Of moth.
ing else: and II Captain Dan ran.ed
Cousin Till. We made up our minds he
was going to have her. false .op-knot,
big farm, and sulks, too, In the bar