The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-06-16

triumph
"T'n Jest fetch Mis- Crabtree long"
schemed Rosy. IAN make dat chile so 'shamed
o herself she can't stan up COMM to a
picnic thout askin' her missusl OATS
pretty howdyl Yes, sirl III fetch Mis-
Crabtree right up to whar dat gals a-settin'
on do ice cream benches, an I'll yell out SOS
Grifi1th's boy kin heah: You. Sar' Emmer!
Heah comes ole Mis- Crabtree wi de switch
after you ell Better gitr" And here Rosy
doubled herself together in paroxysm Of
joyous anticipation My won't dat wool o
hers come down. al won't dem skyrt prov
ers scrunch all up to nothinl allus did
hate dat chile eber sence she come out in dat
red Jersey, wi de loops hitched on behindV
And at this Rosy brought up, breathless,
at Mrs, Crabtree's gate, and lifted the latch
with eager fingers. Mrs. Crabtree was look.
ing out of the window with fretful expires.
sion of countehance
Mrs. Crabtree raped imperiously on the
window with an ear trumpet from which
doated black ribbon that looked somehow
unlike any other ribbon in the universe
Rosy obeyed the familiar summons, aglow
with happiness.
Here, you, Rosy" snapped Mrs. Crabtree,
"wheres that wicked gal that ought to be
here this minute peeliu' tomatersl Seen her
on the roadl Been to your house, has sheF
Rosy shook her head slowly; the treat be-
fore her was too appetizing to be hurried
over
Didn't yo' have no one to help yo' skin yo'
tomat's, Mis- Crabtreer she screamed, COM
passionately, into the trumpet. "Why, OATS
a shame, when so many folks is jes ,joyin'
deysilves thout thinkin' bout DER work.
Yo' say Sar' Emmers gone outf'
"Where did you see herr she demanded.
Rosy drew a long breath and then, expend
ing all Of her lungs and venom together,
shouted into the trumpet; "Shes up to
Lumm's woods, carryin' ON high wi de boy
fun Griffith's sto'; settin' on de ice cream
benches, an hirtin' dem skyrt 'provers roun'
like she was de 'Pisc'pal preachers wife!
She's got you alls shoppin' bag, too an'-oh,
law, Mis- Crabtree! yo' better hurry up an
ketch dat chile fore she gets any furder on
de road to structionl"
Fetch ME my sunshade, child she gasped,
"and my Leggurn hat. Corner-shelf-closet
of settin' room To think l should be beat
by that mink"
Rosy, returning with the hat and sunshads,
adjusted them tenderly, and took the out
ragged mistress by the hand. an go with
yo', Mis- Crabtree," she said "Ill see yo
safe dar"
Mrs. Crabtree sailed majestlcally out Of
the door. Retribution always overlook such
sinners as Sar' Emmer, and she and Rosy
would be retribution. They marched along
the road in silence, Mrs. Crabtree too angry
and Rosy too happy to speak.
"Hear 'emF' asked the latter at last, as they
neared the woods, and Sar' Emmer's voice
hoated recklessly out above the others
But, unhappily, Mrs. Crabtree never heard
anything, so that Rosy missed this phase Of
the entertainment. Presently, however, they
came within sight Of the jewellers, and there,
swinging her heels in anything but "growed
up" fashion, sat Sar' Emmer on the top Of an
inverted barrel, She had quite little court
about her, as Rosy observed, and the "boy
FUN Griiliths sto'" was partially eclipsed by
later corners from the settlement known as
Cat Swamp
"Shl stopr' muttered Rosy, her whole soul
impressed with the dramatic possibilities Of
the situation. She and Mrs. Crabtree were
coming up from behind. The victim sat with
her back to them, the skirt improvers spread
in careful semicircle outside of the barrel.
Clytemnestra could not have felt unlike
Rosy, poised on tiptoe, with a restraining
hand on Mrs. Crabtree's thread gloved fin
gers Sar' Emmer had disposed Of her ice
cream, and was now discussing a plate Of
clans, which she held in her left hand, her
little finger curled outward. A bouquet, ad-
miringly bestowed, lay in her lap, and gave
all arrogant kink, so Rosy thought, to every
thread of her drawn up hair. She wore q
collar Of the cardinal linen then in vogue,
and which had been an object Of envy to
Rosy ever since its advent a week before
This, the latter determined, should be the
point Of attack, and she instructed Mrs
Crabtree accordingly in pantomine First
she drew off the thread gloves from the old
lady's hands, then she took the sunshade,
and pointed the crook cautiously in the di-
rection Of Sar' Emmer's collar; then she
made claws Of her own slim hands, and
showed Mrs. Crabtree how the thing was to
be accomplished. 1t would not do to shout
the details Of this strategem into the trum-
pet, and Mrs. Crabtree silently submitted to
her instructions, recognizing Rosy's acute
ness, and trusting herself to the latter's su-
perior grasp Of the situation.
eWdiioWcu ltiSt
clam with relish, was handing back her
plate, saying: mo mo- at present, Mistah
Ricketts," when Rosy uttered an unearthly
shrek of snow, Mis- Crabtreel" and Sar'
Emmer felt herself seized from the rear as by
an avenging spirit and whirled into the face
Of her accusing mistress.
Rosy capered with delight.
"Oh, you minxP quavered Mrs. Crabtree
"Law, Mis- Crabtree Wizard you come
fumP faltered Sar Emmer, with a rush
Of "collicks" and 'green tomats" to her
memory Law, Mis- Crabtree" But
words were not SO ready with Sar' Emmer
as they had been at home in the currant
bushes
Mrs Crabtree was the first to recover her.
self "Where's that shoppin bag you STOLE
like q criminal thiefT she demanded, shaking
the sunshade in Sar Emmer's face, which
was gray with terror. Throw away that
flower bokay, and come straight along
home with mel Judgment day comm and
you fyin' in the face of It'll"
She turned to Rosy "You've done tho
work Of missioner this day, and | amt
above rewardin' you. Here's cent You're
q good little niger, as I've always heard tell
of you"
Rosy, with the elation and satisfaction Of
nf bar he