The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-08-02

curly head in. ''Oh. / just want to tell
you; / know 1 ought not to attempt; but
Sally has been telling me about her sis
ter Eliza, and it would be such good
plot, dear"
Come in and tell it Sue. am just
at my wits end"
oh! l can't You must hear Sally"
My sweet little helpmeet seated herself
on the edge of chair. and said:
"You know how love TO hear Sally
talk in her soft, negro voice. and as
she was clearing the table / expressed
my surprise at her having paid S25 for
seal plush wrap"
Well. Miss Sue," said she, fixing
her Large eyes upon me and grasping
the silver spoons and forks in one
hand, it's the first thing new I've
bought for myself in over three years.
'ceptin' workin' dresses like this.
Don't you think l deserved it?'
''She is so pretty. SO plump. with such
soft, wavy hair; her eyes are beautiful,
George, and her teeth so white"
How is that, Sally?'
"I had to use it for my family. Miss
Sue; you see they needed it. Liza was
SICK long time, then my father died,
an what with one thing an other. the
$500 I'd put in the bank all went; then
had to go in debt to Miss Jarvis, an
until / come up here l was hard at
work all the time to pay it of. l jes'
got it paid fore left Kentucky
"'Sit down and tell me about Eliza,
| said; for thought at once, George,
that the material might be good for
you; besides. she always spoke of Eliza
in such tender way wanted to hear
about her.
You would have liked Liza, Miss
Sue. Poor Liza!' She caught her
breath, and the tears filed her dark
eyes. Liza was younger than me. she
was jes' full OF life an singin' all the
time. We us'd to love to get her at
our ironin' table; she us'd to work
long side O. me- Why. Miss Sue. her
face was ies' like a mornin'-glory.
Every one us'd to be in good spirits
when Liza I'D come singin' through the
yard an poke her laughin' face in the
winder at us, fore she came round to
the door-but my! how sick she'd been.
You wouldn't never thought it to seen
her them
"'Was she prettier than you. Sally?'
/ didn't mind asking bit, for every
one thought Sally the prettiest mulatto
in town.
She looked at the spoons and forks,
and answered, bashfully: i was ugly
side o Liza
"'How old was Liza?
LILA was only eighteen then; twas
after she was married.
You don't mean she was married
them
Yes. ma'am she was. We'd all
known Joe since he was baby; we'd
been raised together. A rich woman
had adopted him-rich for colored
folks, l mean. She had greenhouse,
and right smart sum of money in the
bank. When Joe come foolin' round
Liza l didn't want her to have nothin'
to do with him. cause We all knowed
he was fast, he lived too high. He
was handsome. an Liza was young; an
you know how it's, Miss Sue, you might
as well talk to the wind as to a girl that
thinks she's in love. Miss Jarvis, that's
Joe's aunt who'd adopted him. she gave
them big wedding. All the first col
ored folks in Redville came, an arter-
wards Liza and Joe went off for a trip
an came back in few weeks to live in
Redville. While they was on their
wedding trip went to work in Louis
Vile My sister Annie was married an
lived there One day when went in
to see her she looked that scared, and
had letter tucked in her dress. | be-
gan to talk bout Liza, but she wouldn't
talk about her nohOw; an so says:
Where's that letter from, you jes' now
hid in your dress" After awhile she
gave it to me, an o Miss Sue. it would
a broke your heart to read that letter.
Seems like Liza never could a wrote
it
".She'd been married over q year
then. She wouldn't write to me cause
| d been so down on her marryin' Joe.
Miss Sue. Liza wrote that Letter a-lyin'
on the floor. Joe had sold the bed
from under her. There wasn't thing
in the house to eat. Every stitch of the
clothin' but the rags Liza wore. he had
sold. Shed buried her little three
weeks-old baby the day before. She
was just dyin.'
Sally gulped down a sob. and the
tears welled over her lids and down her
cheeks.
".lf you could "a seen her when
got there! l wouldn't have known her.
an she jes' turned her pltiful eyes to me
an says: Sally. you amt mad at me,
IS you?' l ies' took her in my arms
and cried over her. She was so thin
rou could see the bones comm through.
There she lay in her rags, with the
cold wind stirrin' along the floor, and
not morsel of food had passed her
lips for over two days.
ii oe come in by and by half drunk,
but he was sober enough to know what
said to him. / was that angry felt
ilya ~ Of % l.