The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-19

nm cookin' Jes likes not You let mo hab OF
few mo- things in de cabin; on'y or few mo
meek us mighty comf'ble,"
think Mrs Aver must have felt rs did
that TO havc Sally To the fore in regard to
work would DO 10 have host. never saw
any man or woman who gave SIcha sense oil
effectiveness. Tho very curve OF that un'
negro like nose was sort OF guarantee.
Mrs. Aver said she would take sally
"Yes'm," responded Sally promptly, "Tl
see yo' amt sorry for dem words An now,
what time shell we sot fur de weddinn Dis
ebnin bout 81 Dat'll give Jake time ter gwi
ter Ashcvillc, git or few tings and bring out
der minister lIo shin meek or soon start,
Shell we say 8, Miss Aver"
That lady laughed and assented. Sally's
face was very pleasant TO see Us she said:
an bc grateful ter yo' dc longcS' day lib,
mighty grateful. Jake sh'l be sont of n no
time
IL was true. Jake was seen going down
the mountain toward the State road for
Ashoville in less than five minutes, lio was
walking. II is not much for these people TO
walk six miles, or ten or twenty Sally had
lust walked out from the town
Having set things Ger gwine," ms she said,
she took or her white apron and her sun
bonnet. The removal of the latter showed
her thick, waving hair, with its threads Of
gray. Sho twisted q handkerchief round her
head, pinned up hor skirts and began setting
TO rights tho log cabin where she was % live.
She told Mrs. Aver she would prepare the
dinner in her own cabin and bring 1t down TO
us. Sho avcrrod she was "suro enough
cook" and the dinner, of chicken and pone,
and tomato okra soup and baked sweet pota-
toes, was served in such way us 10 prove
her words true Nothing seems TO fatigue
her She worked like "A 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
had brought bundle with her from Ashe'
vile Sho had pink cambria, the one shed
ben married in dc las time. She had KEEP it
SOS she reckoncd il would do ter b. married
in orgin; Of sho could only hev or flower pot
ter hold in her hand She believed it was or
good sign fur de bride ter hev or flower pot.
She hadn't had mono when she married Bill I"
IL turned out that by II flower pot she meant
a bouquet.
Having said this, she walked out with her
grand step and left US TO pluck the few
chrysanthcmluns there were left bloom
ing in tho little wooden box at one
Of tho 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 60 CLEAN evergreels 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 quito bowery. When Sally
cano in at dusk her yellow face glowed with
10y "a sho looked about. She flung up her
hands and gazed again, her magnificent figure
full in the glare from the hearth
Master Kingr sho exclaimed II never
was SO outdoneln
She said Master King" at intervals in the
next fow minutes and often smiled TO herself.
AS the dusk decpened and the mountains en-
circling us grew blacker she became anxious
about JAKE. She said he wor SIGH or onusul
trilin' niger he might hev got da minister
an den los him, some way. She wished she
had gone herself, only Jake neverd cleaned
urp dc cabin.
She retired to her prospective dwelling
soon after o'clock, and when she reappeared
sho was in tho pink cambria. II anything
could have made her look like a common yell
ow woman this would have done 50. But
her noble physique dominated even over the
tlwdry iiuery AS Amabel remarked, Jake's
could not be other than kind OF
Semiramis or Boadicea, or that sort Of a
person, you know"
AS tho clock licked on and no Jake APP
pearcd, wo became quite nervous with anxiety
rs wo waited with tho bride in the green be-
ieckcd room. Sally still insisted that Jake
had probably once secured the minister, but
had afterward lost him" She seemed to
think that minister might be lost something
like II thimblo or u jack knife
When it lacked but quarter to even Mr..
Aver could not pretend to read his paper any
more Ton minutes later and Sally was
quito rigid in her gay gown, sitting in the
back of tho room. When the twins were not
running into the house TO announce that they
had been listening and couldn't hear naw-
thin, they wero dashing out 60 listen. Once
/ went to the stoop. There was not sound,
save tho mysterious mountain sounds. There
was faint glow behind Busbee, showing
where the moon was
Ristus was standing on the stoop. He had
been invited to remain and witness the ccre-
mony. Oo Pink's baby was asleep on our
bed. Ho expressed great sympathy for Sal
~ He said it must be jist awful ter be mar
rit, but it must he awfuller ter think yer
gwine ter bo marrit, and then not he narrit
arfter all. lIo offered to 30 out looking for
Jake.
Sally had como 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 all well content
that Jake should bo left to her
After this timo seemed TO fly, 1t became Q
o'clock very soon. Mr.. Aver kept piling the
wood on the fire, and tho flames made the
green lcstoons look very lovely, bat what
was their lOveiness but mockcryf Wa were
part of II bridal party, with missing groom.
We almost felt ms II we We're portions Of an
illustrated sensational story. Involuntarily
| began to make headings for chapters-l
composed some extremely good headings.
Tho clock struck 10 ! asked Mr. Aver In
a whisper what he thought was tho matter.
llo said he thought the matter was that Jake
had got drunk in Asheville and would not he
able to get out Of that city before the next
day He further said that sometimes Jake
took glass aud If be took one he always
took II great many mora.
At II O'Clock Sally rose and went ont with