San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-05-08

sho had laid down the bread knife he
had made an end to his cheese.
"Piease, kind Mistress" no said more
humbly than before. please, kind mis-
tress, couldn't you give mo morsel OF
cheese to go with my broady'
This also was Dame Barbarer fain 10
do, pnd hungrily us the fire dcvouring a
field Of ripe grain did tho varlet mako
way with his bread.
"Pleasc, good, kind mistress" }" he said,
"please, good, kind mistress, could you
not give mo very little, wee morsel OF
bread TO eat with my cheese"
And 30 cut short q story which though
It would be long In the telling was not
long In the doing, the red beggar would
contrive first to make an end to his bread
and then TO make an end to his cheese,
begging with ever increasing insistance
for more Of one and then Of the othor,
until he had managed 10 beg from Dame
Barbarer every morsel Of bread there
was In the house, and the hour Of the
good mans return already striking. And
when all was gone the impudont and un-
grateful red varlet threw back his hair
from his deep set and piercing eyes and
laughed In her face.
"Meny thanks, sweet Mistress" he
said saucily. "If the good man scold
for lack of his supper, teach him the way
I get mine, and It may servo him In
good stead IL he will but take to tho
highway and seek out some soul as char
liable us his wife"
Then II was that for almsst the only
time In her life Dame Berbarer lost her
temper.
"Get you gone!" she cried angrily. sis
1t not enough that you have eaten all the
good mans supper when he toiled all
day and you have been asleep, it is like
ly, In the sun beside some haystack, but
in return you must stay, and fout me
for my silly good nature. A pretty re
turn, good sooth, for the food Ihave given
you! Get you gone while can still keep
my honest hands off your lazy carcass.
The vagabond scrambled up from his
seat upon the doorstep. and stood look
ing into her angry face with an unpleas-
ant laugh.
"May not come In and warm myself
by the fire firstf' he asked sauoily.
"Come In and warm yourselfl" echoed
the dame angrily. "Let your supper
warm you, beggari"
And with that she pushed him of OF
the step into tho sandy walk.
MAY you be colder tho more you put
on" said the red beggar as Dame Bar
barcr closed her cottage door upon him
with push not very gentle.
The dame did not heed him or bis
words, but set to work with ell speed TO
get something ready for her husbands
supper.
"Shivery shakeryi' said Dame Bar
barer to Goodman Paul when he came.
II am very cold"
"Put more clothes on" he answered.
So be gave her his coat, and she put
that OH aud her thickest cloak, and her
hood and pair Of mittens, and two
pairs Of stockings.
''Shivery shakery! Shakery shivery!'
cried the old woman; ~ am colder than
ever"
"Put more clothes on" said Paul.
So she put on veil and her husbands
boots and his Sunday cravat and pair
of earrings and walking stick.
"Sllivery shakery! Shakery shiveryl
l shiver and shake" she cried. ~ am
colder than before"
PUT more clothes on" said her hus-
band.
So she put on blanket and bosom
pin, and necklace that she had not
worn since she was q young girl, and o
collar and her husbands watch chain.
"Shivery shakery! Shakery shivery!
shiver and shakel shake and shiver!'
she cried. "I am colder than ever"
"Put more clothes on" once more said
her husband. "Here, take my thick
waistooat."
She took the waistcoat, but in order tc
get it on 1t was necessary to take of SONG
of the many things she was already
wearing; and, as fast as she took OF tbs
things In which she was wrapped, she
began at once to get warmer, and she re-
membered the words Of the red beggar,
and how he had wished that she might
grow colder the more she put on; and
Dame Barbarer knew that spell had
been laid upon her because she had
spoken liarshly to the vagabond when he
wished to come In and warm himself by
her fire. She therefore made herself
warm by taking off her wrappings until
she had as little on as it was at all re-
spectacle TO wear, and thereafter she '
went In cold weather 30 thinly clad that I
her neighbors declared that she had lost
her wits. 6
II was well nigh year that this state
Of things continued. and one day just as ;
the sun WIS near setting, and tho dame !
was every moment expecting her hus. /,
band home from the field where he had
been at work all day, when a strange old |
came puttering along the road.
The poor old creature was bent well nigh
louble, and one could SEQ that her back
was not straight, hump standing out 7
where her shoulders were stopped over.
the old woman, indeed, was 80 bent over I
hat It was not possible to sec her face,
md Ii was only by her dress that one c
,ould have known her again. r
But il was this dress W, ,ich made Dame
3arbarer stare; for It Eas all Of faded !.
ed, tattered and stained and weather :
,eaten. and patched here and there, but
lespite the fact that It wns the dress Of ]
woman and not Of a man, there wss e
about il that brought the red o
'eggar Of the year before up 30 vividly r
o the dame that sllo began, all Of {
remble. 10 put q supper on plate for
be newcomer without even waiting 10
e asked The old red woman sat down e
n the doorstep, painting and chuckling. c
you are dresssd strangely, Dame
be said, ''for the time q year"
.ara. n -"