Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-20
wagon. What Ia. you been dom, to yO,selr to look

| a. Don iook no wuss than usual, reckon said
| pappy told me; and you know you'd a. scolded me
IL Ia a,nxed up 70 go into the later patch"
QUICK a. 1 eysa H n money aest run and dress as
up the lane now" said the mother, In honeyed ac-
cents, anxious TO have Alviry good-humored upon
| The young lady walked away slowly evidently
much more anxious about the appearance OF the
g grand gentleman Than her own, and II was only by
dlnt OF threats and pefsuasions that her mother
nnaly hustled her up the ladder into the loft used
As her bedroom before Mr.. Jacksons elegant figure
appeared at toe doorway. and his fluent tongue
was expressing hopes that Sister BOsley was not
fatlgued after her long walk through the 'cawn-
held"
Being a devout church-member could not pre-
| vent Mrs Bosley from occasionally doing little
mild lying SO she said; 'No. indeed; she always
much more coolin' and restin'," the Precipitation
pouring In streams down her face as she talked
water, aud carried gourd fun 10 her guest who
was comfortably seated in the only rocking air
on the porch: All at once, with wen;Ieigned anx-
could De. "Alyiry! AIvi-ree! spects the Guile Is
asleep In her bedroom she said, going to the
pair OF legs In bright red stockings appeared on the
| nrst round, and Alviry backed slowly down the
ladder, anxiously guarding her striy starched
| Mrs. Dosley looked at her approvingly, giving
the yellow rlooon around her neck more cOquet-
fish tie and picking lew chicken feathers out Of
her hair.
| Then an introduction followed, in which Alviry
/
| nne sunday clothes, and Mr.. jackson was the per-
sonlncation OF selI-compiaeency and galantry.
| Yet somehow. in spite OF his line manners and
| fattering words, Aivtry felt instantaneous an
tipathy Tor him, expressing her dislike In language
more rorcible than elegant TO her mother IN pri-
| vate interview afterward.
| 'You n b0er did haD no sense Alviry Bosley
You doesn't know gemmen when you sees him, -
her mother said, Indignantly. II spects yo' head
| um SO Iuil 90 dat emery niger, Glen shores dat
| you Is plumb bum and def TO cherry body else /
kin tell you right now, dough, gal dat ef dat ar
| coon comes playin de banjo and singin' around
here OBJ ebenins ike squinch-owl while Mr.. jack
| my name Is Bette BoSey."
al don't keer ef you is done TUX up wifi dis fine
darky; he dest puts me in de min OBJ ole slippery
black SNAKE" Alyiry retorted, spiritedly.
"See here, now, gal, isn't CIV Inc to take none OBJ
yo' sass speshly after de 1ne dress and nat done
buyed you to-day. l amt so sho I'll let you hab
dem nohow, thoutn you behave yo'self like a lady,
This dreadful threat had the desired effect for
Alylry's whole soul had revelled In an ecsJacy OF
lawn. or looked in the ten by twelve mirror where
she saw reflected her own head with Its little
wlSps OF wool braided up on white Irvine strings
anu surmounted by the gorgeous hat bedecked
In her widest dreams she had never aspired to
sucn nnery, and the Dare thought OF giving 1t up
made no more critical or disparaging remarks
band out at the corn-crio a little later 81 don't
| know what done got in dat fool gals head, dat
she's so sot asin sech a fine, ,ligious gemmen as
| Mr.. Jackson" she SAID, anxiously. zone ting GER
/ tain, has made up my min she's got TO marry
him er he wants her, so you kin Jest let dat Glenn
| shores know dat his room am better dan his COM
pany mex time he comes aroun, An, ole man.
ives got TO nab pullet TO- supper aud some Ob
Dem roasen-years, and you'll nab TO git dem case
Accordingly Uncle Moses meekly Obeyed orders
not forgetting 10 send poor Glenn Shores OF 0wir
nea In ms year" that night, as Aunt Bette had
A week, two weeks, went swiftly by, and the
pension business fourished, MIR. Jacksons glib
tongue convincing nearly every colored man he
met that he was entitled 10 big pension no effort
on their part being required excepting to pay MIN
Ior getting the necessary papers made out and
sent 10 Washington. In this way quite an amount
OF money, varying In sums OF from to ten dol
lars. found It's way into Mr. Jackson's pockets,
even Uncle Moses contributing two dollars. Mr..
jackson, assured him. however, that this would
not nave been necessary, as he could have allowed
It TO go on his board BILL had he not forgotten to
Meantime he paid court to AlvIry in the most
lover-lke fashion, and though the girl cordially
hated him IN her heart, feaT OF losing her nnery
and dread OF the unmerciful COW hiding she was
sure 10 get from her nanny II she betrayed this
ieeling, made her at least passive in her attitude
When, therefore, he asked her to marry him one
evening she dared not refuse. though she cried
an night aiterward thinking OF Glenn Shores
whom she could not forget, In spite or the ricnes
Mr. jackson assured her were awaiting her as his
vile. - ~
Aunt Bette fairly overlowed with pride and
gratincation as the prospective mother-in-law OF
the wealthy pension agent, and preparations were
az T once begun MOI Ior the wedding.
were sent out all over the neighborhood Chickens
were killed, and big "pOt-ple" made; a sneep was
anS young pig roasted and its mouth
was cleaned out and filled with roasting.ears To
De boiled Tor the occasion, and mashed potatoes
completed the most substantial part OF the FEAST
Then there were apple-pies and 'watermillions..
the browning dellcacy being a big "sweet-caEe'v
such as "oie mis- used 70 have made down Sour
"A
long table, lmprovised Of boards placed upon
empty barrels, was stretched out IN the yard and
on this the Sumptuous repast was laid When All
was in readiness, the guests Assembled under the
big beech-tree by the door, and The tnterea,tn1
ready TO be made one ~ o N'0"u'
Alvlrys eyes were red from crying, but she gave
no other sign OF discOntenL while Mr. JacRsnn
was Inas contsauietory thing, sunbeam In black
Rev. hlcks Bradley was 10 perform the marrtage
ceremony, but Just as he stepped up In front of
tne waiting couple gentleman rode up 10 the
porch. Mr.. jackson glanced at hiin gave a oasn
OF terror and, with his face suddenly grown ssnp
In hue nssald not upon the order Of mis- going"
out Into the corn held, where he was lost sight Of
In moment.
"Halloa! what's that rascally darky doing awav
out here7" inquired the gentleman dimly compre
bending the situation.
Mutual explanation followed, in which it came
10 nght that the gentleman was from Chicago
that he had come TO Beech Ridge TO buy several
carloads OF watermelons, and that Mr. Jackson.
pcuSlOu agent, was q Irauu q Sneak-t thief. anQ
gambler, who had escaped from 1ail there a
month or Two before, and that he had q wife and
two or three children.
Aunt Bette put her apron to her eyes and began
TO cry. "De Root-for-nuf1n houn'! Here rs been
persecutin' my POI chile on his account and now
he's done liz out and ler her. sides there's ali
dem nne pullets killed that would "a been layiu'
In de fall and de aigs done ct up dat was 'tendn,
10 buy aprons VII befo' dat black rascal come
And whar's dat penshun-money, I'd Ike ter know
and de two dollars de ole man loaned him. and de
ooa'd-money we Was gwine TO gt?' Here Aunt
Bette soo0ed hystsricaly, then suddenly burst
out again: And here's De wedding garments
made, and de parson here, and de supper am ready:
but WAR am de bridegroom? Well have to seq
out inter de highways and de by-ways to fin' him,
de good-for-nufnn black niggerv she walled, hav-
ing vague notion that she was quoting Scrip
ture.
"As to that thars no trouble bout bridegroom.
Mis- Bosley. rs here, and rs wtliln' II Alvfry isl
said Ciem Shores, stepping up beside his dusky
sweetheart.
Alviry grinned and hung her head; but It was
not hard 10 tell that the exchange was delightful
even she had not said: "Ps mon willin! Glenn
neD0er could holp 'spisn dat ole black-snake
eoen II nanny did make me git ready to marry
him."
elem had always been q favorite of Aunt Bet
te oeIofe the willy pension agent filled her brain
Win worldly ambition; SO this arrangement was
quite satisfactory, and she wiped her eyes, con-
sraluIAuhS herself that dat snake In de grass
watch or spectacles."
some one volunteered TO go to Cairo for a mar.
rage license, and as train was due in few min
utes, and another one would return a short while
afterWaro, out little delay would be netessarv,