Wichita eagle., 1888-08-03
SAR' EMMER'S DEFEAT.

|
| These words proceeded, in violent accents,
from heap Of purple calico lying prostrats
under the currant bushes OF Mrs Crabuees
trim back yard
II low dey neber was sich a mean woman
3 ole Mis- Crabtree," pursued the voice, after
an interval Of silence Here she's went an
! picked all dem green tomats-wouldn't even
wait till dey was ripe-an' lowed she'd gis
me to skin 'em dis yer day. Picnic in
Lumm's woods, an sh'n't git to go! Owl
| owl owl"
The sufferers wool was too short and pre-
| cious to tear, so she vented herself, as was
] her won't upon the queens English instead,
and glanced vindictively at the rows OF shin
ing pals on the back porch, filed to the brim
with plump green tomatoes waiting to bs
| peeled
"Sar Emmerw called peremptory voice
from the kitchen door.
But Sar Emmer chuckled and never
stirred. "Reckon I'll be deef dis yer time"
I she muttered lizard o. hearin' an amt got
no trumpit."
Mrs. Crabtree wavered on the doorstep
| "Provokin' thingI" she complained; ''how
long does she mean to keep me here screechin'
after herl Sar' Emmer! Sar' Emmer Mum
sonl"
The currant bushes nodded with a passing
breeze, and Mrs Crabtree, her eye falling
upon them, merely speculated that they
would do better next year. Here's all these
tomaters waitin' to be peeled. and that gal
traipsin' round, the land knows wheref
'Ke-eg" jeered the currant bushes, very
audible to the common ear, but silent as the
grave to old Mrs Crabtree wont she be
mad eff don't git back time to skin emf
for Sar' Emmer had evidently made a re-
solve. "Now dat woman she's jes' went an
picked dis day for servin tomats count O de
picnic, SOS wouldn't git to go. Now amt
go'n' to let Mis- Crabtree go on dis yer way
Only las night was week was de temprunce
meetin' in de chu'ch. Ebery chile in dis yere
neighborhood went 'cep' me- De presidents
an de vices dey set in de altar, an de joiners
all down in front. lowed I'd be a joiner
myself dat night but Mis- Crabtree she set
dat number seben shoe O hers down, an
'clar'd niggers hadn't no business wi de
Christian temprunce-'lowed dey was goin'
crazy bout de subjeck-an' fetched out de
collick for me to Parn out de pray book Is
been comm to dis yer state o min rs in eber
sence dat night. Mis- Crabtree can't be
lowed to go on dis way no longer, keepin'
me out O. inn'cent 'musements, an maxim me
b'ieve dat pray books all de law an gospil"
Sar' Emmer gathered herself together, and
stood up cautiously. Old Sukey glanced
sympathetically toward her from the barn
yard, and half dozen fowls clacked their
approval Of her course; or SO, at least, Sar'
Emmer interpreted it.
81 low dis yer sprgged caliker's good
huff to go in," she assured herself, doubt
fully, recollecting the back stairs and the
perils that would attend her should she at
tempt to reach the storehouse Of her finery
Likes not she's settin' plumb up agiu dat
star door, now jawin' de cat for lettin' me
git out No; I'll hab to war dis. Hope to
goodness dat new boy fun Griffiths sto'
won't be darl" and Sar Emmer cast up her
hands coquettishly, as if exercising certain
charms which she knew how to operate, in
dependent of all accidents of raiment.
Then she walked slowly out of the yard,
and slammed the gate with a defiant click.
Wagon loads of acquaintances were al
ready on the way to Lumm's woods, making
flashes of color along the dusty road which
Sar' Emmer traversed on foot Ten buckits
O. green tomats, an she'll have to skin EN-
all herselfl" exulted the runaway Teach
her a lesson, bettern all the collicks in de
pray book. bout 'vokin' chillun to wrath"
from Grif1ith's store, arrayed in a jacket Of
red and buff flannel. with cap to match.
LAND O. lubI' thought Sar Emmer, in a
transport of admiration, "ain't be good
lookin'f Wonder if he'll hab charge O. de
len'nade bar'lF'
She drew of her apron, soled with tears
and watermelon juice, and flung it iavishly
into an adjoining field &ow that she had
fairly entered upon the path of vice and
pleasure, she might as well travel it without
limitation, she thought. She rejoiced that
in her flight she had still kept her hold upon
what she considered the climax of millinery
art; this was a hat, abandoned by Mrs. Crab
tree, and given over to Sar' Emmer, who had
trimmed it according to her own devices
and the resources of Griffith's store.
"Wish't I'd a wore dat pink an white
stripe an Mis- Crabtree's man till," she
mourned. "Dis yer hat d go well wi de
man till"
Lumm's woods, when she reached them,
were swarrning with the kind of life in
which a young person of color most delights
Gay garments and outlaws of laughter per-
colated through the trees, accompanied by
the clatter OF dishes and the odor of clans
set to roast in hot ashes.
$50 ole Mis- Crabtree's let yo' OFF fur
oncet," they congratulated her. Law,
chile, yo' ought to pitch in an Joy yo'self."
They were all interested in the refugee
lie me-" said one 'duce yo' to de new
boy fun Grifiths sto'. Mister Ricketts,, dis
yer's Miss Munson. Hope yoll joy yo'seives"
Sar' Emmer scraped her shoes in the turf
and bowed low. "Glad to make yo'r quaint
ance, Mistah Ricketts," she siupered And
ah how far were "green tomats' from her
memory!
Mr.. Ricketts, took OFF his hat with one hand
and kinked his left arm at right angles with
his heart. he was light colored, with soft
eyes, and was, as Sar' Emmer had remarked,
very comely. He invited her to walk with
him in the direction OF the ice cream benches,
and the pair were followed by admiring
eyes Sar' Emmer's alert vanity could feel
their approval sheer through the purple cal
leo and the skirt ''improvers" which she Tad
manufactured out Of the hoops OF a cider
kes.
Must like to feel as If you was settin' on
a corduroy road" Mrs. Crabtree had re-
marked, sarcastically, when Sar Emmer bad /
triumphantly exhibited this feat of her in
genuity But then Mrs Crabtree was as
unappreciative in matters OF dress as in /
those OF amusement, and Sar' EraIner pitied 1
her from the bottom OF her soul
"How ole is dat Sar' Emmer. anyhow" /
inquired spare little girl who had not been .
escorted to the ice cream benches, and who (
now stood, sharp and erect as knife. watch /
ing Sar' EInmer with vivid expression Of .
countenance ~ low she amt SO growed up
as she makes out"
'Sho. Rosy. don't yo' know gals growed
he, sha s-f- I'll o-a