The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-09-21
hut before I could make any kind Of

ernuther one NV them bars down he'll
do a little flirtin' hisself. He'druther
cut a few capers on them Their flowers,
err weeds / call 'em, then to punch
his nanny when the milk won't
come fast ernuff."
why, papa, how you talk"
The old man snickered. Used ter
call me dad said he, "till l sent
her ter err big-big-oh, n NV them
big she schools in Memphis, an now
it's papa. Look here, Zudie, ez Their
amt nobody else on the place to do
IL, you better shuttle round and git
mp n bite ter eat, fur now that it's
sot in IL looks like this rain mout be
goin' Ter stay with us some little
time
protested that / didn't care for
any thing To eat, but in a moment
the girl had vanished.
"Mebbe you think she kain'tcOok,"
said the old man, "but | jest wanter
tell you that she ken. Gals amt
raised like they wuz before the war.
Then n gal that could cook a good
tttcAi vi tlQuAlo AL iht GU, u -
amt thater way now"
After a while the girl came in and
announced that the meal was ready.
"Thar's soap an water eff you
wanter wash" said the old man. l
went to u washstund and in attempt
ing to take up a piece of soap over
turned the dish. Instantly the fol-
lowing inscription caught my glance:
John Norton, July 4, 1863" It
was the shell of the terrapin that l
had found under the sullen brow of
Vieksburg twenty-three years before.
Itook up the shell, andpointingt to the
inscription explained its origin. The
girl, who stood in the doorway,
gazed with Frightening eyes upon me,
and when | had concluded she said:
II have also a little story to tell.
But come and let us sit down to the
table"
When the girl hadpoured the coffee
and while, it seemed TO me, a shade OF
tender recollection was passing over
her lace, she turned to me withan at
tentiOn charming because it vas un-
divided, and thus began her story:
when | was n little girl about ten
years of age / was playing in the
yard one day, when l found a terra
pin crawling throughthe grass. The
lettering on its back, though | could
hardly spell out the inscription, at
once claimed my interest, and l
brought the terrapin into the house.
Mother read the inscription and ex-
planned it to me-. Papa wanted me
to throw the lazy thing over the
fence, but l insisted upon making a
pet of it. | kept it in a box and fed
il every day. After awhile we let it
stay out in the room, and though
this may seem Incredible, it soon
learned TO answer, in a sort of play
full way, when we called it by your
name. We kept it nearly five years,
and it would have doubtless been
alive tO-day-for you know terrapins
never die of old age-had it not been
for Il cruel tragedy.
"One day the terrapin was crawl
inc about the room III great enjoy
ment of its after break stroll. The
eat was lying On the hearth asleep.
The Fourth as we often termed our
pet, had made friends with every
thing on the place and often played
with the cat, but on this day pussy
was mOrose with a recurrence of all
the meanness she had inherited, and
when the terrapin approached her
she quickly seized its head with her
claws, and then before We could DO
anything she chewed its head off.
Papa-or dad, as he was them" she
added, with a trembling light in her
eyes-'had become sOmuch attached
to the terrapin that in revenge lie
shot the cat. A few days afterwards
I fonud poor 'Fourth's' shell on tie
washstand in place of a cracked sau-
GER that we had used for a soap dish.
My story is ended"
We sat for more than an hour and
speculated upon the many and de-
viOus miles the terrapin had crawled
since / had made its acquaintance.
When | took my leave, which | did
when the rain had ceased falling |
promised to call again at the house
of Mr.. Craig flor such was his name),
but | hardly think that the promise
was necessary, for Zudie's beautiful
face went back to town with me. l
was kept so busy that l did not see
my friends again until more than a
month had passed. Then l called
and spent an all too brief, but to me
a thrilling, season. My visits be-
came more freGuent-they could not
become fewer. Winter came and we
walked beneath the leafless trees. We
sat by the roaring log fire and saw
the old man doing in a corner. Well,
we areto bemarried ON the 4th ofnext
July. The terrapin shell, orna-
mented with silver and gold, shall be
a wedding present to my wite.-Opie
p. Read in Evening Lamp.