The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-01
THE OLD SAINT.
An Awful Story and Its Fruitful Re
 sult--Had to Act His Part.

An Awful Story and Its Fruitful Re-
 sult--Had to Act His Part.
 %W'y hello, chile, aint seed yer in CT long time," said old Ike, when young Mulkittle, seeing him under a tree, bounded to his side. "Whar hab yer been all dis time2'
 "Out in the country"
 "ls yer5 Wy bless yer life. Yer comes back like CT butterfly, zippin' roun'. missed yer nightly, honey. Didn't hab nobody ter talk ter, an when CT ole saint like l is ain't got CT chance ter shove out his prockermations, wy he's bad oG. tells yer. Da ain't been CT feedin' me we'll sence vessel been gone, honey"
 Haven't they2"
 No da ain't. Wy, honey, dar's pus- sons in dis town dat doan' kere whether CT ole saint starbes ter death UT keeps on CT ibin'. Cu'iest folks roun' heah eber seed in my life, an I'se gettin' powerful tired O 'em. Whut did yer see out in de country2"
 "Oh, nearly everything. Horses an cows an rode in wagon"
 "W'y, yer doan tell me sol Er haw, haw. Rid in CT wagon, CT he, he. Wall, sab, keep on dat way au' yer'll soon be CT man, sho'. Ez 1 tole yer, ain't been joyin' myself sence yer's been gone. Somehow de white folks all tuck de big head an sorter turned up dar noses at de ole saint, but neber mine. Oars one O de biggest ;edgment days CT comin' dat yer eber seed. So yer's been out in de country all dis time CT ridin' in CT wagon. Er, haw, haw. Wagon-er, he, he. Whut yer eat while yer wuz out dar !"
 ooh, had chicken an lots of water melon."
 "Whut, watermilon
 "Yes, sir"
 "Oh, go on now"
 "Yes, did"
 "Sot up dar eatin' watermi lion an neber once thought O de ole saint. Wy, sah, ain't had er watermilon dis yeah, an it's awful on CT ole saint ter do widout dat sorter pervision. doan know whut's ter bercome O me, an I'se pestered in my mine when thinks erbout it Oars CT mighty heep O sufferin' in dis heah ole worP. Wyatt yer fetch some O dem watermilons home wid yer ?"
 "We did. We brought three in the buggy"
 "Oh, go long wid yer now"
 "Yes, we did"
 Wall, Pse mighy glad ter heah it, ardough kain't git none O en. aint mean like some pussons, far likes ter sec folks joy darseives, but kaia't hep but feel sorter sad ter think dat dem watermilons is heah so close ter me an : at dc same time I aia't got no chance at lem. Did I eber tell yer bout dat awful trubble had wid CT watermilon p
 "No, sir. Tell me about it."
 "No, l doan like ter talk egbout it, honey. kain' mention it widoat great emotion in my system. I'd tell ger in CT mint, honey, but ef 1 wus,er 1 mout be tempted ter slip in de house an look behind de do' an git one O dem water milons."
 "They ain't behind the door. They are in the store-room."
 Wall I'se afraid dat mout go dar an break de lock on de do'."
 "The door ain't locked"
 The old man looked all around. " Somebody mout heah me tellin' de story an think dat wuz teilin' yer lie"
 ~There's nobody to hear you. Papa is down town an mamma an little sister is up stairs asleep"
 A brightening change came over the old mans countenance. "Wall, III tell yer, but yer mustn't git Harmed, case haster act it out. Ooe time when wuz CT young man wuz gwine Tong by CT powerful fine plantation. Lookin' ober de fence seed some monstrous water milons. Jes' CT 1 wuz erbout ter climb ober de fence ter steal one O 'em, CT ole oman she come eriong an says, 'Doan yer seal none O dem milons.' Den she 'gunter sing:
 Ho, ho Man neber knows when he mus stop.
 Ho hoI