St. Landry democrat., 1888-12-29

! do" His mother spoke truly. He was
not brave, he was not honest, but when
worsted, was cunning enough to throw
dust in the eyes of his antagonists, and
get off skin whole while they were rag
ing in the arena.
1t had been u very bad season for wa
termelons in and around Centreville.
and melons were commodity In which
Dandelion dealt. He had shackly old
cart and a mule, Jim Crow, which was
lean enough and old enough to be
turned out to grass, and during the
melon season from early morning until
late evening, the streets of Centreville
resounded with the melon-yendpr's
| cries
"Watermillions! Big ones, little ones
and 'tweens' Watermellions! red, white,
yaller, all kinds and all prices"
But this season old Jacobs melon
patch was a failure. There had been a
drought, and the patch was & Sorry
waste OF yellow vines and leaves, and
not half dozen melons ON it. Dam
delion rode out in the neighbofhood to
buy up all the melons for his trade, but
the drought had been as hard on the
farmers fields as in his own patch.
Il reckon. Dandelion, you'll not make
much by your melon trade this sea-
son." said Farmer Wharton. There
amt fifty melons to BIZ found if YOU
scour the parish from end to end. Yes,
thar is one place | passed last week,
| Where the melons is as thick as bristlcs
On hogs back. But it's tee fir for
you to buy 'em and bring 'em to town,
and L don't reckon old Grandad Jimp-
son would sell one. If that old niger
lived near town he'd make fortune
this summer off his ,nelon-patch. Do
you know he watered his vines all the
time ofthe drought"
'Grandad Jimpson, he lives mort ten
mile from town, and g awful road, u
Dandelion said, In a despairing tone.
''Just so" said the farmer laughing.
''Too fur for Jim Crows old bones, sshd
that shackly cart of yonrn. Put melons
| out of your mind, boy, and make profit
on the wa'nuts and pecans you will sell
this fall. There are enough OF them all
round here"
But Dandelion could not put the mel
ons out of his mind. He said nothing to
any one of his intentions, but rose at
the dawn of day, saddled Jim Crow,
and took the road to Grandad Jimp-
sons.
A bad road it was and seldom ira
versed, but Dandelion's keen eYes saw
it was not impossible. For nearly half
o century the old negro had lived on his
out-of-the-way farm with no neighbors,
finding its products ample for his wants,
and that Of ah elderly daughter. q
widow, who lived with him. Once d
year the pair drove in an old-fashioned
gig to Centrevitls - exchange battsr
and eggs, feathers and other farm
products, for tobacco and coffee, but
neither shovel any disposition to move
their quarters to a more thickly-settled
neighborhood.
According to the custom ST the eeht=
try, Dendeion drew up Jim Crow at
the gale, and without dismounting
called out to the old man ON the porch:
"Morain', Grataaa Jiinpsefi."
The old man Immediately rose, and
hobbled out to the gate, peering Curl
ously at the stranger
'.Mornin', jeff" he said. ''Yol is jeff
Rice, amt youp You favors him con.
siderablyT'
mo, sir, Use Dandelion, Jacob Me-
grirns's SON."
Jacobs son! deliaw HE, 1 knowed
yer dad when he wasn't knee-high ter
a duck! Light, sonny, and come in de
house."
Thus permitted, Dandelion dismount-
ed, and followed his host to the single
room the cabin contained.
''You has seen my dartef, Misty, !
reckon" Introducing the womaii, who
was carding cotton bats for an old wheel
which stood near her. "Wot did
| you come way out here fur, Dande-
lion?"
/ AS usual the boy could not tell the
truth,
"Well, coined ter see ef you could
spare us some tunnip seed"
Il reckon"
Grandad was not a free giver, in fact.
rather disposed to miserliness, but he
couldn't refuse few seeds. In burst
Of generosity he added:
"I'll gin you a half pint s9lb-ffine tun-
nip seed. and Pm I'm gwine ter cut a big
wateffmillion fur you'll jest look at dat
I fellar, rolling an enormous melon from
Under the water shelf. Saint it a whop-
| per?'
| Dandelion's heart gave an exultant
throb, but he thought to himself, "Ef
II 'mires dat million, he'll raise de
price, SO he said, quietly.