Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1888-02-18


tick'lery anxious to come"
''Should hev' thou't she'd wanted to
get acquainted with the young folks, "
said Mrs Tackaberry.
Mrs. Perkins SIN led and smoothed
down the flOunces of her dress. She'll
get acquainted before long, guess" said
| She, calmly.
"Not very young, Is'pose'" said Miss
Tackaberry.
"About SIXTEEN" answe:e Mrs. Per-
kins, with suppressed triumph.
''Well, | never." sal Miss Tacka-
berry: "She mnst,ajsngit awful dull
"Not so very, !" ftwIatsd Mrs. Perkins.
Been here long,"
"a week.
"Mc and sister Typhosa II call to-
morrow" said Miss 'rackaberry. II
was always one to believe in sociability." ="
But here Mrs Par. ons feebIy an
nounced that 'supper WAS ready" and in
the blind rush that ensucd, Mrs. Perkins
and Miss Tackaberry got separa;cl
! AT the ''Dona.ion ra~ty' everybody
ate as much as they possibly could, and
nearly everybody put something in his
or her pockets for the chidren at home.
Gallons of scalding tea and lukewarm
coffee vanished; tons of indigestible cake
/ disappeared rs if by magic; monster
dishes of sticky preserves were ever and
anon renewed; relays Of hot Biscuits
arrived every five minutes from the
stove ovens; and still tie cry was "more -
] But the meal was, luckily for Mrs.
. Parsons's eauanimity, drawing to close,
when Joel Fullerton, hand ,one,
swarthy- -browcd young giant, popped
his head in at the door and looked
around.
Deacon Perkins's folks here?" said
he.
That's me-" said Mr.. Perkins. with
his mouth full of bis uit and honey.
"Old horse amt got loose, has he?
tied him close TO the p
"No, it amt the horse" said roal.
"Jest step out here. wmt to speak to
you a minute.
Mrs. Perkins uttered shrill little
shrek.
IL knowed it." said she-'T knowed
it perfectly well. Somethin's happened.
The new Alderney COW is lamed, or else
( the house is took on fire, and the insur-
ance run out only yesterday
"Somelhing's happened" said Joel,
with an anxious look, "though / don't
rightly know how nor what. Mother
she Just came across lots to your house
! 10 get the receipt for maxim soft soap, and
although she could see your niece a-set-
= tin by the fire, she couldn't make her
! hear, though she knocked fit to rattle
! the side of the old house down. And
don't be scared-she, sort o. thinkln'
i Miss Chatty's in fit or hurt or su'thin'
90 she sent me down here on Speckleback,
I while she stayed by the door to sort O.
keep guard. "
! ''Jerusalemr muttered Mr.. Perkins,
/ fumbling to unite the horse. "Why
didn't you kick in the door, or smash
the window -panes, or su'thin'"
"As for the door, l tried my level
best" said JOEL" but them timbers
would stand an earthquake. And
mother she wouldn't let me break the
window, for fear the fyin' glass should
/ hurt your niece"
"Git in, mother" said Perkins, hoa-se-
ly. Quick. There amt no time TO
lose! | dunno what on airth | shall say
Ito Brother SClayton, down in York, If
anything has happened to the gal that
all he's got in the world"
/ 81 knowed' It'll was SIRE on'tn'
.shriHytwailed poor Mrs Perkins, rocking:
herself back and forth: .'She's been
murderedyby sldhsshot !, by: sQne o.
them H,iser,ble creetes s. got loose from
DHkfown Jail. We never oughter a
left her there alone"
,.Qoa't mother, don'tp said Perkins,
family, ducking his head as if her words
i.were|a shower Of hailstoncs. "r'raps
things amt so very bad arter all. P'raps
she's asleep"
/ rNot very likely" said Joel, trotting
alongside of the w Igon on Speckle- back.
a stout fonr-yrI odd colt. Nobody
( could ha' 81 1T much with mother hol-
ierir'a and rapp:n' on the glass like mad,
and me a-kickin' at the door so that the
very clock tumbled o fthe shelf" :.
"if you ketch hold o. my arm that
wav. mother said poor Perkins, de-
spairingly, Il can't drive yard furder. "
/ Even in that solitary and thinly pco-
pled neighborhood a little group had
: Already collected around the windows ol
| Deacon Perkins's house, peering through
the tangle of tall lilac bushes and dense.
I p;owing cinnamon roses to get a glimpse
into the. tiny-paned easements, and g
! line of ciuiriously minded people had fol
lowed from the Catfield parssanage, under
the vague impression theaeS 6mething
was wrong at Asa Perkins's place"
! .'Just look for YOURSELF" sad Joe
Fullerton.
al can'ty muttered Perkins, passing
his hand across his forel cad, as if there
was some unwonted pressure there
",;et me a screw-d driver, something,
outen the back shed. I'll get in here, oI
I'll know the reason whyw
, .'Father." squeaked his wife; 'thert
amt no need or-nb screw-driver. The
buttery windows wide open, with
nothin' but few meshes o. mosquito
nettin' over it. You can scramble ir
there as easy as not, and open the from
door from inside"
The suggestion was instantly carried
out. and in a moment, as 1t were, the
crowd was inside the door, staring in g
terrified way at the figure wrapped il
sb,wJs. which had fallen to one side in
the cd 70 king-chair, with its fact
ayertei.\ :, No one had courage to steT
forward and solve the mystery. There
was a second of appalling suspense
when suddenly tbs back door was flung
omen. and in rushed Chatty Clayton her
self with bright eyes, cheeks flushed
lilo twin roses. and her apron full o.