News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-10-07
THE OLD SETTLER.
PELEG AND THE KATYDIDs BRING HIM
OUT IN GREAT SHAPE.

The first katydids of the season were
disputing in a lively manner down in
the corn-feld by the brook. Their
rasplng notes were borne up to the open
kitchen window, and through it, and
out to the back stoop, where the Old
Settler was smoking his pipe after sup
per, and little Peleg. his grandson, was
nlbbllng at ginger snap he had
carried away from the table when his
grandm others buck was turned.
" What is it them bugs is hollering,
grandpop2" asked Peleg, shaking q
small shower of cake crumbs over the
floor of the stoop.
''Them hain't bugs, Peleg," replied
the Old Settler, Fan consekently they
hain't a hollerin'; but | know what a
boy bout your size III be hollerin' wen
his gran nanny sees them crumbs-an'
that'll be Boo-h-o-o-o-or an 'Outchr
an Boo-h-o-o-o ol ag'in in voice me-
logeouser thin boot owl, an twicet ez
penetr TIM"
"Ain't they bugs, grandpop2" said
Peleg, with his mind still on the katy
dds, and making swoop at the cake
crumbs with his foot, as if to brush
them away, but plastering them fiat and
pasty on the floor instead
6 No, they hain't bugs, " replied Pc
legs grandfather. 'They'm ms ec's,
Peleg: They'm a night singin', chaw-
up-corn- blades sort O. grasshopper.
They'm greener thin them apples th't
you an Bill Simmons sneaked out'n OF
Banty Rouzer's orchid t'other day. an
witch if ye do it agin it wun't be me
ez'll set up all night, b'gosh, an plug
hotdrops inter We. An they've got
voice, them insec's hez, like wheelbar'
th't hain't ben creased sence year ago
last Fourth o. July; an wat they
MARBLES, gol durn em, is Frost in-six-
weeks! Frost-in-six-weeksr An that's
Jlst agointer ketch some o. my late gar
den truck right be,wixt wind an water,
an knock it ez wuthless ez coon meat
Frost in six weeksl If | had the
maxim o. katydids I'd fetch 'em along
bout Dec. 10, b'gosh, an then they
could Il for frost in six weeks, or frost
in three days, or frost in twenty-six
. minutes, jist ez they blame pleased. an
be burned to emp
$50 them is katydids, hay?'' said
little Peleg. "Oh, then / know what
it is they're hollerin'. 'Ka-ty-did -
says one of 'em Then another one
jaws back an says, Ka-ty-didnt! y
Then one away over somewheres else
hollers out Katy broke the -bottlel'
'Jee-whizz Peleg!" exclaimed the
old settler, taking his pipe out of his
mouth and looking around with much
concern. Did she, thought Broke
it, hayl Who wa, Katy, Peleg An
w'at'd she break the bottle fur Ihope
tn want nothin in 1t that'd a ben
handy to hev around in case O. collie or
snake bites; was tn, Peleg l''
Peleg could give his grandfather no
information on these points, much to
the old gentleman's disappointment.
The mysterious Katy's unaccountable
breakage of glassware seemed to worry
the Old Settler, for he muttered several
times, as if in troubled thought "Broke
the bottle, did she l wonder if tn
were anything split th't d "a tasted
good to me2" BY and by he knocked the
ashes out of his pipe, and, rising from
his chair, peercd in at the kitchen door,
and looked out around the yard.
"Do ye see anything O. yer gram
nanny, Peleg?" he asked.
g She's gone to Miss Ketchum's to
borrow some emptyin's to set bread
with, " said Peleg.
The Old Settler put on his bat.
''If she She happen to come in fore
] git back, Peleg," he said, tell her |
stepped down to the Post Office, will ye,
sonny?"
Peleg said he would, and the Old
Settler went away as if he were in a
hurry. Somehow or other he forgot
that he was going to the Post Office,
and took the road that led to the tavern.
The Squire and one or two OF the boys
were there when he entered.
CD evenin', Major" said the
Squire.
The Old Settler glanced with some
anxiety back of the bar. Whether OF
not he had had his fears that Katy had
been running amuck among certain
glassware there, his glance seemed to
ease his mind. Every bottle was in Its
place intact, and the Old Settler sat
down, plainly relieved.
sG'd evening"" he said, distributing
a bland smile equally between the boys
and the Squire 81 thort th't mebby
l mowt run agin candidat3 or two
over here t'-night, an says to M'riar
list afore / lett hum th't | guessed I'd
drop over an see wat the prospects was
fur Shurf. an she says she wisht
would, ez she's kinder anxious bout the
state o. the kentry herself. Ben any
candidates in latelyl"