The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-11-24

Cottonwood, catelpa and pecan-trees,
sometimes covered with wild grape-vines,
and sometimes adorned with scarlet
trumpet-fowers grew by the way-side and
late berries, black and sweet and lucious,
| dropped from their thorny vines almos. be
meath the wheels of the wagon.
Mr.. Jackson's praises were voluble, but
Uncle Moses assured him that these things
were as nothing compared with the giant
| hickory and beech trees upon his home
stead.
"You don't say so, Mistah Bosley
wish't ef 1t wouldn't be a-intrujin' too much
that you'd take me fo' bo'dah You see
| spects to be in desc parts week or two
| anyhow, rs my business is impohtant and
can't be hurs;od. 1 is pension agent
a-woyain' up de claims OBJ POI culled mer
who was in de wah, and has nebber been
paid yet fo' suff'rin' and dyin' fo' dey coun
try. Eff my membry is correc, Gubenoi
| Oglesby tole me you is disqualified fo' pen
| sion, Brudder Bosleyl" said Mr.. Jackson, in
| quiringly.
Uncle Moses hesitated for a moment, but
the love of money was deep in his soul
well, / KANT zactiy say as l was
wounded, but pears like my rheumatis
wouldn't IA been so bad fo' the las five year
| of hadn't a-driv that rashun wagon in de
| army" he said tho desire for pension
| stronger than his conscience.
"How long you done draw that team, Mistah
| Bosleyl' said Mr.. jackson. with an official
| air. "Be keerful, nowl Remember you is
jest the same as on yo' oaf, and wants de
| whole troof and muffin but de troof, ease
is one OBJ de gubernment officers, and has
| took my oaf to do my duty"
Uncle Moses was a little frightened at
this solemn assertion, and answered, truth
fully: "Well, you sec, wasn't really neber
soldier at ALL but 1 was Jest hired to drive
u wagon from Villa Ridge to Cairo, when
Col. Wallace was dere with his three-months
men; but it war awful rainy day, and
dest nearly coughed my inards out"
"Ob co'se, den do guberment owes you a
pension, Mistah Bosley, and is glad is heah
to see dats you gifts it. But befo' we goes
any furder with dis business, let me come
straight to de pint, and AK you ef you won't
boa'd me- is able to pay well, and since
Use got 'quainted with you and Mis- Bosley,
pears like couldn't feel satisfied boardin'
nowhars else" Uncle Moses looked at his
wife, and waited until she gave little
affirmative nod before he answered: "We's
dest POI folks, Mr.. Jackson, and has POI
livin', but ef you kin put up with our grub,
we'll take you"
81 is ever so much obleeged to you, I'm
sho, Mr.. Boslev, but dereis one thing done
forgot to AK about. Does you hold family
wushup reglar, and does you say grace at
de tablet Case l couldn't be satisfied less'n
you did"
Moses assured him that those religious
services were never omitted, and inwardly
set Mr.. Jackson still higher in his estima-
tion.
81 b'leeves in bein' strict in business mat
ters, so what mout yo' charges be, Mr.
Bosley" was the next inquiry.
The two old people considered together in
an undertone for moment, both deciding
that since the agent was so wealthy, they
might as well charge large price.
1--WE thinks about four dollahs a week
would kiver expenses" said Moses.
Again Mr.. Jackson's generous spirit re-
volted against the smallness of the amount.
~ couldn't allow you to rob yo'selves dat
away, nohow. De guberment allows me
two dollahs a day for boa'd, and rs not
goin' to be dishones' enough to pay you
only four dollahs week, and keep de res
myself. l only axed you fo' fear it mout be
mo- dan two dollahs day." he said.
Visions of more tive-cent lawns and a new
hat for herself began to dance in Aunt
Bettie's brain as she listened, and Uncle
Moses thought Of 'dem shoats he done been
wantin' to buy for sech long time from
Brudder Jake Bowlegs," and whose posses
sion now seemed almost certainty with
both pension and board money.
Then Mr.. jackson entered into elaborate
explanations of his plans of procedure in
the pension-wor1, and engaged Uncle Moses,
at a salary of two dollars a day, to go around
the neighborhood and introduce him, dis
playing at the same time volumnous
array of documents bearing so many red
seals and gilt eagles on their surfaces that
Uncle Moses was deeply impressed with Mr.
Jackson's Importance.
Meantime Aunt Bette was fussing and
worrying inwardly; she was so afraid
Alviry would not be 'fiXed up'' when they
got home, and cudgeling her brain for
plan to avoid having her daughter appear at
disadvantage before this fascinating
stranger. So she muttered few words in
her husbands ear, and accordingly when
they reached their corn-fleld, through which
there was short cut home, she declared
she was too tired to ride another minute
longer, and climbed out of the wagon, de-
clining the company of the gallant pension
agent as politely as it was offered.
Aunt Bette came as near running then as
her superabundance of flesh would allow,
and reached the cabin very warm and al
most breathless.
"Alviry you Alviry! whar is you'" she
called, excitedly, the moment she got in
hearing distance of the house.
"Halloa, nanny here is" said lank,
lean girl of about seventeen years. with big
bare feet and straight bony legs that were
but sparsely covered with her scanty blue
cotton dress. ''Land sakes, nanny what's
the matter. You look all beat out and
Where's pappyl Did them horses run away
and kill you both?" the girl said excitedly.
mo, no. Run, chile, run, and put on yo'
white dress and yo' shoes and stockings
Dar's o gram rich man comm home with
yo' pappy in the wagon. What has you been
doin' to yo'self to look so oneryl"
Don't look no wuss than usual, I reck-
on" said the girl, sullenly. ''Is been a-dig-
GIN taters, as pappy told me; and you
know you'd scolded me if I'd affixed up to
go into the tater patch"
swell, never min, honey, dest run and
dress as quick as ever you can. There
comes the wagon up the lane now," said the
mother, in honeyed accents, anxious to have
Alviry good-humored upon Mr.. Jackson's
arrival.
The young lady walked away slowly, evi-
dently much more anxious about the ap-
pearance of the grand gentleman than her
own; and it was only by dint of threats and
that her mother finally hustled
her up the ladder into the loft used as her
bedroom before Mr.. Jackson's elegant figure