Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-06-19
JASPER PRICES CORNER LOT.
NJ =. I. BARBOUR.

NJ :. I. HARBOUR.
'Iise done Wild you, Jasper Pricei
r yss !. sah. I''s done vid you for good an
a woman's voice rose, loud and shrill,
from : little tumblo-down cabin by =
GeorEia roadside.
Evidently the person addressed had
no response to make. for after Z little
silence. the woman's voice rose again.
Il jes' wants you to pack up your
traps an cl'Ar out. Jasper Pricel An
doAn't ron nebbsh show your face heah
no mo- long o. ron lib and breavet /
mean ID xackly what l says, an I
doan' want to lin you heah wen I comes
back from de spring.
j moment later 8 abort, solidly built,
elderly black woman came out Of the
cabin. holding : tin pail in zach hand,
and hurried away toward . little spring,
n . ravine some distance from the
house.
Her face wa both wrathful and tear
ful, and she had . worn, tired look. A
tapping, old calico sunbonnet, dropping
about her face, added 70 her detected
appearance.
A few minutes after she had left the
house, : black man, not much taller
than the woman, but stouter and
slightly gray, came out Of the cabin and
walked slowly, and with IN evident At
tempt ct dignity, down the dusty road.
In one hand he carried . small bundle
tied up ID ) faded red cotton handker-
chiel, and In the other q cane, c~uriously
carved. Of . piece IT gnarled wood. A
CREAM cotton bag was on his back, and
within u couldlbe seen the outlines Of .
violin.
+ was jasper Price. who had at lest
been stung to take this well-deserved
rebuke from his wife in earnest
jasper had been born with q con.
stitational tendency toward slothful.
ness, which his will-power was quite too
weAk to overcome.
His wife, on the other hand, was =
vary industrious and energetic woman.
She worked early and late, providing
BY far the greater part OF the support
Of their large family Of children. She
had provided for her husbands wants
- we'll. until her patience Ind been
quite exhausted by several weeks Of
needless idlensss on Jasper's part.
There had becn = most vigorous out
pouring Of wrath. ending with this COM
Mand TO sCl'ar out for good aud ALL"
but she did mot suppose that he
would take her 1t her word and go.
@Dar amt no sich good luck for me
- dat. she said. when she returned to
the cabin and found that Jasper was
not there. Hell be back bout supper
time. Maybe he'll lay out ontel he
gifts uncommon hungry; but he'll come
homo den, sho' 'nough. / 'clar' ii !
Amt : mind nebber to gin him anudder
bite TO eat!"
She had no opportudity to refuse him
food. He did not come back TO ask for
il He did not come back ct all; days,
weeks and months passed without .
word OF tioings from Jasper from any
quArtcr.
His wife, kindly 1t heart, though
oyerworked and worried, began to re-
proach herself. She discovered in her
memory traits Of excellence in her hus-
bands character for which she had
never before given him credit.
II reckon ! wa too hash wild i'm"
she said. @He come I'm . lazy family
his daddy befo' i'm wa too lazy for TO
draw his bref. an some tink he died on
dat count. ! reckon Jasper's ~no-count-
ness ~ bawn in i'm, an / done druv
i'm way Tor what he couldn't helpis
She found excuses 70 talk about him.
He waa mighty willin' an 'bligin'
bout some tings,' ahe told . neiglbor.
He'd ten de baby by do hour. He'd
allus cary home dc washin' ! done for de
ladies In dc town, an my, couldn't he
play do fiddle beautiful Oar amt no.
body round heah dat could bring GU,
Moncymusk' an DE Swanee kibber
an Git out'n de way, Ole Dan Tuckah
like Jasper Price could. l does miss
his fiddle A-iiggitin' away out on de
| po'ch oh 8 summer ebenin,.s
For months after Jasper's departure
from home . stout, trayel-stained black
man. slightly gray, walked slowly and
YEARLY up the trail leading to . new
and promising Rocky Mountain mining
camp.
He carried . little bundle tied mp in
Aragged red cotton handkerchief. The
outlines Of : violin could be traced
within . green cotton bag on his back,
md he gave his name, ct the mouth Of
, ahaft whore he stopped to get . drink
Of Nater, - Jasper Price.
Well. old pardner." said the man
Who gave him the drink Of water, you
look - i you'd walked all the way from
Georgia.
-You done struck pretty close to de
trewf, sah,. said Jasrer, ruefully. Else
walked many weary miles oh de way,
| m I'd ~ done walked do hull oh IL al