Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-06

CHAPTER " WHO DID IT?
This speech of Aunt Valleys, which
she delivered in q plaintive monotone,
dragging her last words, negro fashion,
produced a visible effect on the party.
Cecil alone was not surprised, because
the state Of things described was precise
" his innocent notion of Arkansas. How
wise he esteemed himself to have carried
his revolver-now uncomfortably weigh
ing down his inside pocket!
But the residents took matters less
cOolly. CONSERVATION and horror were
painted on Sally's face. Col. Seyton
looked very stern, and even the stOlid
Ally puckered his mouth into an inaudi-
bic whistle Of dismay.
''Stuf, said Col. SeYton, CHEFS
fooling you'll
Aunt VALLEY rubbed a guarded and
wrinkled hand slowly down her knee,
shaking her head. Two of the tight lit
tie braids in which the negroes keep their
wool stuck ont under her turban like
! horns.
Looked LAX he wudn't be q fool
IN - she said meekly-all the same
there was a keen look thrust out of the
tail of her eye-''He ben perfessiu'
LueiHOeI al NC uLu soSih pILtouIJ "@A0u
up"
elbow many men did he say were
out?''
''I doan t rightly unnerstan' he did
see airy hisseff but dey all done come t.
his place rarin an chargin', maxim
noise like a army with bananas, he
sayd-''
"ArnY with bananas-what in the
thunder-Oh, l reckon you mean ban
ners?''
Aunt Valley revealed her full stature,
being really a tail woman when she
stood straight she answered in a very
dignitied manner, for none of US like to
be corrected in our language, "I AIM
'sponsible, sab, fo' Brer' Peat's talk
in .. Dat like he call ZEN. Sayd dey
boiler an shoot DER guns an pistils, an
in de mahnin by sun up, when he hair
ten hisseff huff t. git aOut he seen q big
notus stuck on dey all g sycamore tree q
warnin all de culled folkses t. Iehe de
kentTy fo' de week s endin. -
did you see the notce?'' said the
colonel, selecting cigar from his case
with the leisure of man whose mind is
not on his occupation.
"Naw, SIT, he sayd de done fotch hit
t. de sto' an dar he met up Wild right
smart er culled folkses fleeln frum the
wrath t. come; an dey all say IL dey
came t. DER haouse de same way, hol-
lerin wild all de power an shootin' and
dey fine de notus in de mahnin. -
who all were they?''
"Waal-Solomon, you fool mule you,
want out, does ye? Come yere right
straight, sneakin off dat way! Ye is mt
sharp nufft' cut me! Come by! You heah
me?" To Cecil s amazement the biggest
mule, quite little space down the road,
turned obediently at the word and
Gifted up to Aunt Valley; she picked
an ear of ocrn from her apron
and put il in his mouth. The other
mules eyed this interesting episode visit
fully, but did not stir. CT get 'em
right well trained up, l is dat said
Aunt Valley. "Dey all foller. at de
wud er commandment like sojers. Heah,
you Abram Linkum, you touTn nOw?'
Abram Linkum approached, received his
corn and retired in good order. The
children were more pleased than Col.
Seyton by such by-play; he impatiently
repeated his question. But the obsti-
nate old woman must have her own way.
''Cayn t be pa 'shal nohow t. desc ami
miles, she grunted; "dey got heap
mo- feeIin 9 be hurried nur folkses got.
Melodeon! Melodeon. how come ye doan'
bark t me better"
Melodeon, with positively a detected
air, like a boy caught in gross inatten-
ton, came up for his portion. Aunt
Valley patted him. Then she made
gesture toward the mules.
''Dey amt but tree er dem now -
said she, with an indescribable CULVER of
her hard face.
"What!' cried Col. Seyton, "did
II .
She nodded, clinching her fist. ''De
cot reward him. Dat de way er call
hit. Guv him my mewl fo' de rent ee
prommus me nebber hab t pay. Dat de
way allus my mudder done tell me when
POI folkses goes lawn? New mind, Sc
POI ole black niger an he greet rich
W lite man, but Use sharp huff e cut i'm
yet!'
While the negroes was speaking her re-
pressed fury worked in her until It burst
the t1imsy mask of composure. Blind to
her audience, apparently, her great eyes
glowed like live Goals, her voice swelled
into ths harshness and volume of a
mans, her bent figure Strengthened, the
corn in her skirt tumbled In yellow heap
over the ground as she swung both her
arms above her head with swift, Impas-
stoned motions, screaming: 'Ya 'as,
va 'as, "a as, my Lord, he got my Mist
Henderson, dat L done raised from a
teenty colt, de sharpes', bigges',
stronges' ur dem all. He got him puIIin'
de stalk-cutter so dirty an ga 'nted an
him. him drivin' him, hollerin' an
sw 'arin '-beatin dat good, willin mule
wild de whip. Oh, my Lawd, 1 Far
nebber quit hearin dem blows 'tWell 1
pay dat W lite I 'ief out!''
*Gaunted, thin.
Suddenly her wrath collapsed into a
groan Of pain as her features twisted and
she bent over nearly double, both hands
gripping her back.
ode mizery ketch me jes dar, eff
stan straight, - she moaned, "but 1