The Press., 1891-08-27

0estEI 8WHys
 sOh! how do you know so muchY gasped Maisie. ''Oh. Eugenie. how cruel of youf' f,
 "Yes. Eugenie: dey say dat de name. said Mme. Pinchon.
 "Come along, tody: hop-he-who, hop dis way. Don wan you. Masse Moses, you is all for business. you come here: Masse Solomon. you for, Tub. Bot my toads got Bible names" she added. 'tName 'em after de wises' folks in de Bible. Hi. Solomon! hi.7 Solomon! dat's right The. smaller and greener of the toads had now perched OH her forefinger. door and lifted the free reptile to her ear. ~f# E.
 '4Whisper," she said, whisper"
 All was silent in the room, and Maisie began to feel strange thrills and tremors. A soft, silvery sound was soon heard: 1t continued for awhile, then the toad turned its queer little protruberant eyes full upon Maisie. and with one spring was in her lap. She uttered a wild
 '.Don' you be afraid of Solomon" said Mime. Pinchon ''Tech him." Maisie essayed to do so.
 "Oh, he is so coll, Mime. Pinchong" she said. "He makes me sick! Please take him away -.@ 1. -..
 "Dey isn't everybody kin tech 'em,' said the negress. recapturing Solomon and putting him into the cage. ''Now. you want to heah what he tell ney'
 "Oh, yes," said Maisie breathlessly.
 "He say de difficulty is dat you sweet heart got shine to dat Euyenie, said the old woman. "Dat Eugenie jes doin' her bes' to get him away from you. You mus watch an. take care for yousslf. She mighty hansorlle, an she sing mighty pleasant. deed she do."
 "Ah, yes," cried Maisie. ''Yes, yes. yes" and she wrung her little hands.
 .tYes, she can charm men folks dat way, like de snake charm de bird" re- piled Mime. Pinchon. -5 @
 Maisie clasped her hands. And to think" said she, '.she is my fwendr
 Friends is nowhar when beaux is de question" said the old negress. II knows. knows" as Maisie began to cry.
 "Oh, honey. honey. dis var is powerful bad, but chirk up; what you gwine carry on SO for Dey is better fish in de sea dan ever yet was cotcht. Now. don go on like dat"
 q love himg sobbed Maisie: Fl love the yewy gwound he tweads on, and have wight to do so. He is my sweet heart; he was fond of me until she came. There is no one else in the world. If were 8 belle and beauty and all the men in the city were at my feet would never look at them if Woy were there. Oh, help mel! Ishall go cwazy if lose him, Mime. Pinchonr'
 "Dah, dah; shsh," cooed the old woman, as if she were soothing baby. "DAh, don go on. All we has to do is to get dis var gal out ob de way so she don sing no mo nor look wid her eyes no mo. knows 'em; has sperience ob my own. Is ole, but I has been young. Dey is black ob dat kin all same as white. Dey was a yaller gal once No matter; l knows what knows. Yah;. what dey keer for we all? No reason we all keer for dem"
 A strange expression crossed her face. ''rs sorry for you, l is," she said: but dey is help an you shill hev it. Hi. Sol omon.. Come. Solomon" She opened the door of the cage, and the toad hopped quietly forth. She listened, she whisper ed; the little creature uttered his soft musical sounds; she restored him to his perch. ...-,.
 Solomon say dey is jes' one way" said the old woman-''jes' one way, no <>Ho %So 1ok II. Cpot vs6a6 oh her." :-r --a.
 ''Git rid of her!" gasped Maisie. ''Oh, Mms- Pinchoss. hate her so that can't help wishing her dead: but l could not kill her. should lose my soull I should burn forever and forever in the flames of hell. No, not that-not that"
 ''Show cried tho old woman. What you mean, Miss Maisies What you think ami Shoh,. dah, shoh! Murder? dou'swan de debbil to fetch me my own self. Get red ob her, say. mean ob smilins an beguilins, dem ways. Take away her pretty looks an her pretty voice. You kin. Solomon says dey is a spell-dey is ways; but will you?"
 ''Oh, that would be tewible! said Maisie. ''To part them would seem wright. but to make her ugly and make her lose her voice, oh, that is fwightful! If God did it as a judgment, why, how could be sorry? But to do it myself"
 "You hash de courage" said M1ne Pinchon, shutting her mouth tight and drawing her face into 8 thousand wrinkles. You is skeery; white folks is mosly skeery. Go long; de LOT don help dem dat don help themselves. S'pose she go, away; he foller on long as she SC pretty and sing so. Whooi Take away de pretty an he come back to you. don ask you do it; please youself, be a good Chris'en, help make her happy. No doubt you feel good sayin' you prayers at night, am thinkin' how he kiss and cuddls her."
 .Oh, could not bear it!'' Maisie shrieked, wringing her hands
 'Hir''. cried the old woman. ''Ho, you got to less you help yousef. Solomon tell me jes' how. Want to know?"
 "Yes," said Maisie. suddenly drawing herself up to her full height, "I will dc anything. She has wobbed me, wonged me. If there is spell by which l can take her beauty fwom her will do ii" /"
 ''pey is; but dem spells cost consider able. Miss Maisie," said the old neyress. X 'sDey is expansive. dar is no doubt. don know how I gib you dat spell Jess dan a. hnnerd dollars. I don'.r
 q have more than that in the savings bank, ;" said Maisie. II saved 1t before Mamma Bunny adopted me. do not care how much I give if 1 can have, Woy back. No, nor what happens to the face that lures him and the voice that dwnN1s him fwom me. Her own face was hard and set, her cheeks pale. her eyebrows drawn to- gether, her eyes cruel, and their blue seemed turned to green. She looked no longer like quaint, merry little witch, but Ike female imp Of Satan bent on cruel mischief.
 She was ready for anything, as the old woman plainly saw. anything, and a strange fellow feeling possessed the soul