Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-02-08
Shell we say s, Miss Ayers'

That lady laughed and aSsented. Sally's
face was very pleasant to see as she said:
''Ill be grateful ter yo' de longes' day I lib,
mighty grateful. Jake sh'll be sont off n no
time"
1t was true. Jake was seen going down
the mountain toward the State road for
Asheville in less than five minutes. He was
walking. 1t is not much for these people to
walk six miles, or ten or twenty. Sally had
just walked out from The town.
Having set things ser gwine," as she said,
she took off her white apron and her sun
bonnet. The removal of the latter showed
her thick, waving hair, with its threads Of
gray. She twisted handkerchief round her
head, pinned up her skirts and began setting
to rights the log cabin where she was to live.
She told Mrs. Aver she would prepare the
dinner in her own cabin and bring it down to
us. She averred she was "sure enough
cook" and the dinner Of chicken and pone,
and tomato okra soup and baked sweet pota-
toes, was served in such way as to prove
her words true. Nothing seems to fatigue
her. She worked like lion, only believe
lions do not work. She strobe around, and
made things kinder whiz," the twins said.
Just before shutdown she came to Mrs.
Aver and said she believed all was ready. She
ielu VI u WIN UST 1TOIn kASIle-
vile. She had pink cambria, the one "she'd
ben married in de las time. She had KEEP it
SOS she reckoned it would do ter be married
in ergin; eff she could on'y hev er flower pot
ter hold III her hand. She believed it was er
good sign fur de bride ter hev er Tower pot.
She hadn't had none when she married Bill
1t turned out that by flower pot she meant
bouquet.
HAVING sold fh;c no M ,,,Sx =,
grand step and left us to pluck the few
chrysanthemums there were left bloom
ing in the little wooden box at one
of the windows The sight of these
had probably suggested her bouquet to
her. have never yet seen any member of
the colored race who was backward about
begging for what was wanted The twins
were sent out to CLEAN evergree,s from the
mountain side; Ristus and the baby came,
and klstus helped festoon this greenery until
it seemed that we were anticipating Christ
mas. We were quite bowery. When Sally
came in at dusk her yellow face glowed with
joy as she looked about. She flung up her
hands and gazed again, her magnificent figure
full in the glare from the hearth.
master Kings" she exclaimed. II never
was so outdone!n
She said Master King" at intervals in the
next few minutes and often smiled to herself
AS the dusk deepened and the mountains en-
circling us grew blacler she became anxious
about Jake She said be wor SIGH err onusul
trifin' niger he might hev got de minister
an den los him, some way. She wished she
had gone herself, only Jake never'd cleaned
urp de cabin.
She retired to her prospective dwelling
soon after o'clock, and when she reappeared
she was in the pink cambria. If anything
could have made her look like common yell
ow woman this would have done So But
her noble physique dominated even over the
tawdry finery. AS Amabel remarked, Jakes
betrothed could not be other than q kind of
SemiranliS or Boadicea, or ''that sort of a
person, you know"
As the clock licked on and no Jake ap-
peared, we became quite nervous with anxiety
as we waited with the bride in the green be-
decked room. Sally still insisted that Jake
had probably once secured the minister, but
had afterward ''lost him" She seemed to
think that u minister might be lost something
like thimble or jack knife.
When it lacked but quarter to even Mr.
Aver could not pretend to read his paper any
more. Ten minutes later and Sally was
quite rigid in her gay gown, sitting in the
back Of the room. When the twins were not
running into the house to announce that they
had been listening ard couldn't hear nav
thin, they were >b-3iang Ut listen Once
went to the stoop. vs uog IL sound,
save the mysterious eoo4-st24I SQUADS. There
was t. faint glow behind Bustae, showiag
s1S4c-e +l'a- moon Was
Ristus was stal aug u; he stooF. He had
been invited TO reula14. sn@ yeiCgUss z4ie- 1aes-
mony. Ole Pink's baby was A4eer on our
bed. lie expressed great sympathy IL. Sal
ly. He said it must be jist awful ter be mar
rit, but it must be awfuller ter think yer
gwine ter be marrit, and then not be marrit
arfter all. He offered to go out looking for
Jake.
Sally had come to the door and overheard
this last remark. She said we might leave
Jake to her. There was that in her voice
and manner that made us oil well content
that Jake should be left to her.
After this time seemed to fly. 1t became
o'clock very soon. Mr.. Aver kept piling the
wood on the fire, and the flames made the
green festoons look very lovely; but what
was their loneliness but mockery? We were
part Of a bridal party, with missing groom.
We almost felt as if we were portions Of an
illustrated sensational story. Involuntarily
I began to make headings for chapters-I
composed some extremely good headings.
The clock struck 10. asked Mr.. Aver in
a whisper what he thought was the matter.
He said he thought the matter was that Jake
had got drunk in Asheville and would not be
able to get out Of that city before the next
day. He further said that sometimes Jake
took glass, and il he took one he always
took great many more.
AT II o'clock Sally rose and went out with
out speaking. Ristus took the baby and de-
parted in the moonlight for the howell where
he lived.
In few minutes Sally returned in her old
dress. She had a large, thick comforter in
her arms. She asked permission to wrap it
bout her an lay on our floor.
So we all retired. The dogs were evidently
greatly confused that, after all this prepare
ton, nothing had happened. York Tri-
bune.