The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-15

when the birds were singing sweetest and
the mud turtles felt a throb of Joy in their
gentle bosomS, and old Jenny was the cause
of it, She had dropped into the house of
Jerusalem's parents for a social chat, and
finding no one home but his father, good old
Uncle Hypothenuse Johnson, the converse
ton rapidly drifted in the direction OF his
love affairs.
81 year your son gwinter be kicked by
Sophy Giggles, Uncle Muse. Am dat so?"
said Aunt Jenny, inquisitively.
Il dunno, dunno, Aunt Jenny" was the
reply; "but ef she merries tibet trifin',
owdacious, yeller niger, Ananiah, she's
gwinter be sorry fer hit befo' de var am
out"
''Well. Uncle Muse, dat boy Mas am q
right peart boy, an year he's got right
smart bunch OBJ cattle in do woods some
whar."
Right smart bunch oh cattlel" said Uncle
Muse contemptuously. "Sho', on'y got
three bull yearlin's an one ole cow. Look
yer, Aunt jimmy" excitedly, "lemme show
you VIA my boy JUN git when he gets mar
ried.' And the old man opened a musty
old trunk that stood in one corner of the
room, and after much delving therein, and
much hard breathing. brought out an old
stocking.
CHANGING cautiously around, even going to
the door to see if any one was approaching,
he showed Aunt Jenny its precious contents,
q goodly store of gold and silver, with some
bills. Then, carefully replacing it, he re-
sumed his seat.
''Huhl Right smart bunch OBJ cattle. ell?
Aunt jimmy" impressively, when tibet boy
oh mine gifts married, he gifts four-hun'erd
-dollars-an'- twenty-acres- OBJ good
lam"
That settled it; as Aunt Jenny on her way
home met Sophy when about half way there,
there could be but one result. That night,
by previous engagement. Ju took Miss S0phy
to a festival held at the residence of Rev.
Capsicum Grant, on the way back he got his
courage to the sticking point, told his love
and was coyly but promptly accepted. The
kiss that followed nearly made an owl tum-
bic from his perch near by. and so bewildered
him that an audaciOnS tree toad sang an air
from Norma right under his very nose.
The news of the betrothal was known all
over the neighbOrhoOd next morning. and
then the storm came.
That same morning | was sitting in my
office trying to evolve an editorial on the
beauties of carpet'bagism, when the door
thrilled beneath Il most lugubrious knock
In answer to my "come in!' behold the
losg lank figure of Ananias. His counte-
nance wore look of mingled ferocity and
melancholy.
''CaS'pen,' said he, 81 have come to you
for some disyice.'
/ showed my writing materials aside and
motioned him to chair. Then | lit cigar,
the brand particularly affect-O. P.-(other
people's) and said, Proceed
He shuffled awkwardly to the chair. took
position on the extreme edge of it, and be-
gan his mOnOdv:
"Cap'pen. has been courtin' Miss SOphy
Giggles gwine onter two year. 1 has bought
en- her lots oh candy, pinders, an sech like
truck, kerried her to festibuleS, camp meet
ins an 'scursins, an oh course | was spec
tim to ak her to marry me, but yesterday,
which was Chuseday. she went an promise
ter marry dat brack no count niger, Jerusa-
lem. don't care so much about dat, Cap
pen, but dis morning he stuck out his
tongue at me, an | nebber lows no gentle
man ter do that ter me, so | axes you what
mus do"
1t is the principal weakness of my many
weaknesses never to allow an opportunity to
pass for fun. Here was brilliant chance.
/ embraced it.
Mas l said ''you are gentleman, are
you not?'
''Yes, sah,'' said he, ga souf Car'liny gem
tleman, sab.
''Then," 1 replied. 'you must challege
him."
What is dat, sah?''
"You must send note to him, saying he
must meet you on the field of honor. In
other cords YOU must fight him."
A smile played over his gentle countenance.
lord bless you, cap'pen," said he, sen
dat note right off. l kin butt dat niger ter
pieces"
That won't do said sternly; "as gen.
tleman you must fight with gentleman's
weapon. You must challege him to fight you
with pistols"
His face turned shade paler and he hest
tated. L turned on him quickly, drew my
chair close TO him. and said impressively:
"'Nias, there is a tide in the affairs of love
sick niggers, which, taken at the flood, leads
on to marriage / know him well. He is a
terrible coward, and will run just as soon as
you present your pistol at him. Miss Sophy
will hear of it. All women despise towards.
She will kick him and YOU will carry off
the cake. will go with you, act as your
friend, and see that all goes right. viii you
leave the matter to me?'
is you sure he won't fight, cap pen%'
Certainly am. Now you 90 home. Keep
quiet l will see you through this matter,
and when you marry Miss Sophy, will dance
at the wedding"
"All right, sah." he replied. and with a
buoyant, smiling face left the office.
Half an hour afterward ! was in the sad
die and on my way to my old friend, Major
Swivels To him 1 repeated the whole affair,
and besOught him TO seek Ju and act the part
of second for that meeting. On my return
to my Office | wrote a formal challenge to Ju
in the name of Ananias and quietly awaited
results.
Ju, through his second, Major Swivels, ac-
cepted the challenge; pistols were named as
the weapons and the following Friday as the
time. Thursday afternoon the Major and
met and perfected all the details.
That night, for fear Mas might lose cour-
age and desert me- | made him sleep in my
Office, and fastened doors and windows ON
him. About o'clock the next morning
harnessed my roam mare Nelly TO the buggy,
took Mas in, and started of. The boy was
badly frightened. his teeth chartered, and |
could hardly control NV risibles.
With a careless movement of my foot
dislOdged the cover of a box in the front
part of the buggy and allowed him a glance
at its contents. These consisted of "A hand
saw, long, glittering pruning knife and an
ordinary butchers cleaver.
What's dem fer cappen? - he said.
-''They are surgical Instruments | re-
piled. you may be badly wounded, and
may have to cut off your arm or leg TO save
your life
Good gor mighty cappen' let me git
right Outen dis buggy. He kin hab dat gal if
he wants, ar sides dat l forgot to feed de
mule dis mornin'.n
Silence" said, peremptorily. ''You