The Red Cloud chief., 1889-11-22

The swinging melody was SO catching
that Uncle Nose forgot his grim resolution
for the moment and beat time with his
down-trOdden slipper. At the chorus his
musical soul could not resist taking his pipe
from his mouth and joining with q hearty
bass, while M'randy, pleased that things
seemed TO be so amica5ly settled, added her
second. This was such a success that when
the verse was finished they repeated it by
common consent, Laws Jane ending in a
shrill IVA ah!'' of triumph at the happy
ending of her little ruse. Uncle Nose So
bered at once, remembering his duty.
sLaws Jane, whar you been!' he asked,
s~ternly.
..Whar I been!' replied Laws Jane, inno-
gently. "Why, 1 been to Mis- Whites fer de
garding seed. ida been home afore. honey
pa, only 1 stopped to pick desc yer berries
fer ye."
| Considering that the blackberries must
have taken about fifteen minutes to pick,
and that Laws Jane had been gone fully
two hours, his was a very flimsy excuse,
but Uncle Nose secretly loved and Was
proud of his Laws Jane-which fact
Laws Jane knew as well as he did and this
little token of her thoughtfuiness for him
more than half turned his anger at once.
:.Wal," he said, less s~ternly, ''whar's dc
garding seed!'
At this Laws James smiling face grew
very blank. She touchdown at the ground
and up at the sky and finally at Uncle Nose,
whose wrath was gradually gathering. Il
Il dom forgot it" she faltered at last.
Here M'randy, seeing danger imminent,
charged to the rescue. She seized the de-
lin9uent by the arm and marched her off
hurriedly. "You shiftless piece!" she
cried, shaking the arm she held. "You go
st,aightaway upstairs and 60 to bed. Yo'
dom forgit yer w name mex! Neg time
yo' catch it, suahr'
Laws Jane disappeared up the crooked
stairs with alacrity and M'randy returned
to her work. Uncle Nose went on putting
his pipe outside on the doorstep as if moth
ing had happened. Indeed, such occurrences
were SO frequent that they had lost their
power to disturb. Both knew perfectly
that Laws Jane would swing herself out of
the window and into the tree that grew
close by it, and that they would see no more
of her till supper time, when she would ap-
pear with q penitent face and all would 20
on as before.
To-day, however, some hidden force,
were at work in Uncle Moses breast.
.sM'randy," he said, solemnly, after a long
silence. wal, inc MOsev' inquired
M'randy, pleasantly, coming to the door
with q dish in her hand. .'M'randy, de mex
time dat chile fergit herself Use gwine
warm her mem'ry. She's got ter be bruk
of it. An dom you interfere wild par,ernel
justiss de mex time, M'randy." Perhaps
the same forces had been at work in
M'randy's breast, too, for after q moments
silence she only replied, thoughtfully:
''Wa!, Unc' Nose, p'raps yO' better. She's
done grew pow'ful fergitful." Laws Jane.
half out OF the window above, heard the
conversation, and whistled softly to herself:
'tGolly! Dat mean business dis time, sure.
Dis darkey better look out fer herse'fw
Then her mouth widcned into a grin and
she shook her head half dolefully: Il has
got q pow'ful poo mem'ry!' she thought.
as she disappeared in The field behind the
house.
For several DAYS Laws Jane was on her
good behavior. She did not run of to fill
the water pail down at the spring and for
get TO come back for hours afterward; she
had wiped the dishes carefully, and had
not dropped q saucer, and today she was
bending her back with apparent willing
ness, pulling the weeds out Of the little
garden. M'randy looked out of the window
several times, and found each time with re-
newed satisfaction that she had not yet run
away and left the wedding to take care Of
itself.
At last she called claws Janet" Laws
Jane was just Strengthening her aching
back and mutterirg dlsgustedly to herself:
Nv amt me to weed de old garding wen de