Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-10-08
THE OLD SETTLER

= AAo fSe@ASAsS ~ OuO 0000Ou
were disputing in lively manner
down IN the corn field BY the brook.
Their rasping notes were borne up TO
the open Kitchen wind ow, and through
it, and out on the back stoop whore
the Old Settler was smoking his pipe
after supper, and little Peleg, his erard-
son, was nibbling at q ginger snap he
had carried away from the table when
his grandmother's back was turned.
"What Is it them bugs is hollerin9,
Eandpop?'' asked Peleg, shaking d
small shower of cake crumbs over the
floor of the stoop. 5s A
"Them hain't bugs, Peleg,'' replied
the Old, Settler, "an' consekentlY they
hain't hollerin'; but know ~1,at q
boy bout your SHE'LL be hollerin' ZEN
his gran'mammy sees them crumbs
an that'll be 'Boo-h-o-o.o-o!' an
'Outch!' an 'Boo-h-o-o-o-op ag'in a
voice melogeouser thin q boot owl, an
twicet ez penetratin'."
"Ain't they bugs, grandpop?" said
Peleg, with his mind still on the katy
dds, ana making a swoop at the cake
crumbs with his foot, as if to brush
them away, but plastering them flat
and pasty on the floor instead.
mo, they hain't bugs" replied Pc
legs grandfather. 'They' m insec's,
Peleg. 'They'm night singin', chaw-
up-corn blades sort o. grasshopper.
They'm greener thin them apples tn t
you an Bill Simmons sneaked out'n
Of Banty Rouzer's orchid t other day,
an witch it We do it agin it wun't be
me ez'll set up all night, b'gosh, an
plug hotdrops inter ye. An they've
got q voice, them insec's has, like q
wheelbar' th't hain't been creased
sepce year ago last Fourth
O. July; an wat they MARBLES,
gol durn 'em, is 'Frost-in-six-
weeks! Frost-in-six- weeks!' An that's
jiss agointer ketch some o. my late
garden truck right betwixt wind an
water, an knock it ez wuthless ez
coon meat! Frost in six weeks! If
had the maxim O. katydids I'd fetch
'em along bout December 10, b'gosh,
an then they could call for frost in
six weeks, or frost in three days, or
frost in twenty-six minutes, Jest ez
they blame pleased, an be burned to
'em.
$50 them is katydlds, hay?" said
little Peleg. ooh, then l know what
it is they're hollering. 'Ka-ty-did!'
says one of 'em. Then another one
jaws back and says, 'Ka-ty-didn'!'
Then one away over somewheres else
hollers out, .broke-the-bottle!'
"Jee-whizz, Peleg!" exclaimed the
Old Settler, taking his pipe out OF his
mouth and looking around with much
concern. "Did she, though? Broke
it, hay? Who was Katy, Peleg? An
w'at'd she break the bottle fur.
hope tn want nothin' in it that'd q
ben handy to hev around in case Of
collie or snake bites; was tn Peleg?"
Peleg could give his grandfather no
information on these points, much to
the old gentleman's disappointment
The mysterious Katy's unaccountable
breaGage Of glassware seemed to wor'
ny the Old Settler, for he muttered sew.
eral times, as if in troubled thought
"Broke the bottle, did she? wonder
If tn were anything split that'd q
, tasted good to me?" BY and by he
! knocked the ashes out OF his pipe, and
rising from his chair, peered in at the
kitchen door, and looked out around
the yard.
ado ye see anything O. your gran
NANNY, Peleg?" he asked.
"She's gone to Miss Ketchum's tc
borrow some emptyins to set bread
WITH" said Peleg.
The Old Settler put on his hat.
eff she should happen to come in
afore git back, Peleg," he said; "tel
her I've stepped down to the Post OF
lice, will We, 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 leads to the
tavern. The Squire and one or two
of the boys were there when he en-
tered. .. e,
"G'd evenin,' Major" said thu
Squire. !"
The Old Settler glanced with some
anxiety back of the bar. Whether OF
not he had his fears that Katy had
been running amuck among GER
tain glassware there, his glance
seemed to ease his mind. Every bot
tie was in it's place intact. and the
Old Settler sat down, plainly re
lieved. ~. -
"G'd evenin," he said, distributing
a bland smile equally between the boys
and the Squire. 81 thort th't mebby
Imowt run agin q candidate or two
over mere t'-ni ght, an I says to M'rial
jist afore left hum th't ] guessed I'D
drop over an see wat the prospects
was fur Shurf, an she says she wisht
I would, ez she's kinder anxious bout
the state o. the kentry herself. Ben
any candidates in lately?" ST
"Three left here not more n five min.
utes ago." said the Squire; 1.-TWO on
'em iur Shurfan one on en- fur Jedee
But ez thur three mole candidates fol
Shurf and three for ledge due yet, We
didn't none on US commit 'urselfs,
though don't think lever see induce.
ments flynn round SO fast an sc
NUMEROUS. got seven on 'em myself,
an ev'ry one on 'em had bitters and
sugar in it. Majer, it's q little onusua|
FUR yer to be behind hand ven self
sacrificin' patriots is around savin
the kentry." 5 si
"Wall, Squire" replied the old Set.
tier, somewhat sadly, I'm ainer' y
around an willin' to be argied with
! that's q fact ont I'd ~ han here II
time to consider some q them induce
ments th't was offered this evenin j
I hadn't stopped to give my littlt
| Eran'son some p'ints ii nat'ral hist'ry
| th't he orter know about. il won't
! do to let the youth 81 the kentry grow
( up in IGN rance. Squire. even II IN per