Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-24

| oposum affectionately.
| ''Bless ye, br'er 'possum, ain t
nuthin mean baut you, 20 make them
taters taste nearly baut's goods you.
My, my, my, my, I seen the time when
got afore a right good cooked 'possum
ct so much | nearly made founder. -
Ally interrupted: Essay, Cobbs, look
over yonder; there IS fire in the woods. 4"
| Cobbs looked; he pursed his lips and
| frowned. FThar had oughter be cot
| ton plcker's house tharabouts, - said he,
musingIy; F tain t much good haouse,
| but hate t. have are property er the
cunnel's burn daown while he IS gone. [
| do SO. Less git glimpse er it,
Abandoning the coon or 'possum that
Henri had found-poor dog, he was
dancing about tall tree ''barking his
head off they struck through the wood
| until they reached an Intellectual sort of
clearing, in one corner of which stood q
ruined cabin There was no window
but all the chinks and the doorway, to
which no door pertained any longer
leaked rudy glow.
Yet IN a second Cobbs motioned the
| others back, whispering: "Hush, tain t
no fire; someone IS inside. Come on slow
an quiet like an see.
When they were within a few rods of
the house Cobbs ran ahead.
He would not let Ally or the others
| accompany him. But in a moment he
| motioned for them to come on, at the
same time placing his fingers on his lips
to caution them to be silent.
Cecil began to be excited. Slowly
they crept up to the house.
In obedience to gesture from Cobbs,
1
door.
The next moment a little ragged shape
uncoiled itself out of a heap before the
fire and stood up straight in the glow,
staring at them, with scared, wild eyes.
"Larry!'' cried Sally.
Larry, indeed it was; and his relief
(when he discovered their IDENTIFY was
no less than their surprise.
1t appeared that he had sprained his
ankle in the race through the woods.
Nothing better could be done than to
hide himself for the night in whatever
shelter he could find.
''When it come sun-up I lowed t. git
over t. the big haouse an see Ally - ne
mumbled.
"ATyI" thought Cis. "he calls him
Ally, and Ally doesn It care.
But Ally would have been surprised at
any other mode of address.
What was Dawsey mad at you for?"
said he.
"'Cause he went off the other night
an lit the lamp said Larry; ''I got
skeered up bein left by my lone.''
Cobbs chuckled. "Ah, he been aout,
did he? When, yistiddy?'
"Naw sir, day before Yistiddy night. -
fWhar did he go?''
"I dunno,' said Larry, looking
scared.
No questioning drew out any further
information.
ing the air with vociferous yelps.
''I'n go back and kill the coon, - said
Sally in the most matter-of-f way,
"please lend me your gun, Cousin Co.
Gil. -
"No, let me, Sis, - said Ally: indeed,
he was running across the wood before
they could answer.
Cobbs and Sally and Cecil all looked at
Larry. What should they do with him?
He had subsidized INTO his usual limp de jec-
ton and evidently regarded his fate as
entirely shuffled off his own hands into
theirs.
Finally Sally, who had been knitting
her brows over her anxiety spoke.
"Cobbs, " said she, 'swe have got to
take him somewhere. -
"Toby shore, Missy said Cobbs.
elf we keep him at our house Dawsey
will get him.
''Toby shore, Missy, 4" said Cobbs.
"Besides" -Sally's csretsking little
frown deepened-''it may make trouble
about papa, you know. -
toby shore. Missy" Cobbs agreed
with greater emphasis.
He turned on Larry, "Well, Bud,
whar was ys lowin St. go you'seff
hay?''
Larry fumbled with his miserable hat
and said he ben lowin' t. see Ally.
81 mout take him in with me, =" said
Cobbs cycling the ragged and squalid
shape with dubious xpression-Cobbs
was tidy man.
"But you could't hide him - said
Sally. ''No, Cobbs; III tell you what
wen do. Wen take him to Aunt VAL
ley's. She can hide him. And she will,
too. :"
''I ben amin to ak Ally if I hadn't
bes' go t. Aunt Valleys, " said Larry,
meekly.
"CaYn' It tote ye thar t'night, - said
Cobbs, aye got t. wait an go before
sun up.
There was q little more discussion in
which, to Ceci1's amusement, Larry was
not considered at all. II was decided
that Cobbs should take the boy home
with him. Cobbs lived alone. There
could be no one to spy on his visitor, and
before the plantation was astir in the.
morning Cobbs could have Larry safely
slowed in a wagon bed, out Of sight.
When Ally appeared the plan was ex-
planned TO him.
He readily agreed.
Thereupon the little company took up
its homeward march, Henri, very loath,
accompanying them, and bowling ocoa-
sionslly over his disappointment.
Sally walked behind Larry, who was
supported by Cobbs, being, in fact, in
capable of walking alone. He WINGED
sometimes over stumble, but did not
utter sound. Sally asked him If his
ankle hurt him. ''Oh faint a much
bad hurt, :" he said patiently, ''I don t
mind It,.
Say Larry ain u you huygrg7" ally
demanded, In his turn.
"oh, I ain much hangry;::' said
Larry. ''I don It mind it. -
Sally was not satisfied: "'Did you
=