The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-12-08
"Well, this will be the death OF me, and
then Helen can have another laugh"

then Helen can have another laugh"
"Kah-ah"
tom. oh, Tom let's go back" said l.
"Kah-ah"
"Oh we cannot stand it any longer"
cried both of us
"kah-ahm
Salie said; Look at those people in the
carriage laughing. am mortified to
death.n
TON, we are going to return"
"Oh, nov said Helen, trying to assume
sympathetic expression. al am sure his
lungs will give out soon. and he'll be forced
to stop"
"Kah,ahw
"Oh, Helen," replied Sallle, rather sarcas.
tically, hell answer you, too"
We drew near the village Our mule had
made no sound for Il minute or two.
tom is right" said Sallie, cheertully, wip-
ing her eyes and trying to look bright' "he
is going To behave now"
But, oh, horrorsl as we reached the main
part of the village, "Kah-ah!" came out
louder than ever before.
Some men on the porch nudged each other,
and one little boy called out Kentucky
Piano." Then, more "kah-ahsl' in rapid
succession, and the men from the stores and
backrooms rushed out, and, when they saw
who it was withdrew suddenly as if ashamed
of themselves or of us.
Now, we had passed the place that Tom
prophesied would be a quletus to our untir-
ing Singing Bird" and | proposed going
back again
"Oh, nor Sallie said; II can never so
throuph the town again.
Helen suggested that we should exchange
buggies She was sure we did not whip him
enough but with Tom to Jerk him. and
her to whip him, they would get along ia
mously.
We gladly-ohl so gladly-accepted her
offer The buggies we drawn up side 10y side
as we were talking, and verify thought the
mule must have suspected something, for tho
pony was near him, and he kept looking very
knowing and did not bray once.
Just as we were making our arrangements
to exchange buggies, negro man emerged
from turn of the road, and inquired with
interest if anything had happened. He
proved TO be Toms acquaintance, and the
man from whom he had hired the pony and
our much des!,ised mule.
What's de matter, sahl' he asked.
Matter enough. Your long cared mule
has brayed every step of the way, and nearly
driven US crazy"
wasn't de pony benin, marsterf
eyes,
Oats de trouble You shorely didn't try
TO dribe wild ole jolly in de foremost Why,
he's de mos msurbul critter you ever see if
de pony git out OBJ his sight Twas dis way
de pony was leetle an young when we fust
got him, and jolly he seemed to think it his
july to puttect him, and he always KEEP an
eye on him eber since, an when de pony got
big enough to wuck he had to he in front or
Jolly'd keep upa mighty racket. Well, Welt
you shouldn't neber tried to Grihe wild de
pony benin Why, when we haui, de hay
We has to hitch de pony TO de cutter an Jolly
to de binder"
And this was the solution. Jolly's bray.
ings were tho lamentations Of affection.
The humor and sympathy of the others
were both excited. They were intensely in
terested while listening to the negros story
of the mules attachment, Who could utter
a syllable of reproach after thisl How much
interest they felt in the kind loving mule
capable Of being so unhappy when his pro-
tege was out of sight.
Sallie sighed with regret that she cherished
such harsh feelings and had laid the whip SO
numerically upon his back. Even Helen
uvowed that she would ncvermore see "A mule
without sentiment of respect for such con-
stancy.
My own emotions were varied. l felt
keenly the responsibility for the days pleas
ure on the girls account, and it had been
considerably marred already Visions still
foated before my eyes of the faces seen from
the store galleries; Sallie's speech, ION, |
am mortified to DEATH" still rang In my ears,
mingled with the deafening sounds from our
mule NY sense of self respect and vanity
was too deeply wounded to recover soon. |
took small share in the careSSes given and
apologies expressed to % pony's "puttecter,"
for my pride, of such long standing, w not
to be suddenly uprooted by short and pa
thetic mule story
1t was with difficulty that kept back my
tears; could think OF no comfort. Even
mother, who was always my refuge in time
Of trouble, could not, felt sure, appreciate
the situation knew that the finale, as ex-
planned by the old negro, would appeal to
her sympathies SO did not allude to it, but
let Tom give the particulars
Endowed by nature with disposition like
mine, it was hard to recover from the morti-
fication; but the rest of the family, who
thought more lightly Of it all than did, had
discernment enough to understand my feel
ipgs, and always forboro to make any allu-
sion to our picnic excursion. &C. NJ" i'll
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