Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-09-24
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.
The Story OF Servant Girl who Away
Kept Her Word.

N"'s W " SrrNhht ulrl Who AlWayA
Kept Her Word.
us she good, faithful girl?" asked
the woman.
say answered the man, you Just
wait till call my wife. This business
is sort of in her department more'n
mine I'll call her down and you and
she can talk the matter over"
Then the man stepped out into the
hall and shouted: Maria! Maria"
Whats the matter now?" answered
back woman's voice.
Say, Maria, you just come down and
tell this lady what you know about
Julia. She wants to know if Julia is
faithful"
Down came Maria so quickly that it
seemed as though she must have slid
down the balustrade. But, of course,
she hadn't she was too old for that,
sixty years old If she was day. She
jumped into the middle of things, as the
old Romans used to say, straight off.
Faithful Well, there isn't no faith
fuller house girl in Brooklyn" That is
the way that she began.
And it wasn't her fault that she left
here, neither; I'm bound to say that"
continued Maria. at was all my faxlt,
every bit of it, and know you'll say so
when you hear the story. But then
perhaps you don't care to hear the story.
May be you are in an awful hurry to
get home"
"Oh, no." answered the caller. 81
should like very much to hear the story.
I'm sure that it will interest me-"
"All right" said Maria, apparently
very much pleased "I'll tell you the
whole business. It's cat story. I'm
cat hater am. didn't use to be,
but of late years we've had so many of
'em in our back yard that I've been
forced to hate 'em and to make war on
'em. | reckon I've killed hundred cats
Inside of year; haven't |, Aaron?"
well, yes / should think so, Maria,
all of that" answered the man. You're
some on cat killing, Maria, they's no
use sayin' that you amt"
W ~ ihNbhOi vi NY OWI,
Maria. II put the cat in box and
chloroform him to death, and then |
throw his carcass in the ask barrel. |
sent out all of half barrel of cats one
morning. 1t scared the ashman so that
he almost tainted.
"Well, here the other day caught a
big yellow fellow that had been howl
ing and yawling about in my back yard
for over year. He was monster cat
and he had voice on him like a steam
cats. The minute caught him yelled
for Julia to come out and help me put
him into the box, We had to work, |
tell you. but finally we did it. Then !
put the big soapstone on top of the box
that l generally use to hold it down.
But, Lordy mercy! the stone didn't
amount to anything. Inever saw a cat
thrash round so in all my life.
"Look here, Julia, said /, you'll
have to sit on the box till / can give
him little chloroform to quiet him.
"'All right, ma'am, said Julia, and
down she sat.
81 ran into the house for the chloro.
form and do you know | couldn't find a
drop? 1t was all gone. So stepped
to the window and called out: Julia
you will have to sit there awhile till
can go to the druggists and get some
chloroform."
"'All right, ma'am, said Julia.
Promise me, Julia, said l, thai
you won't get off the box till come
back
C. You know very well, Julia an
swered, in sort of grieved way
that l won't get off the box till yor
come back When l say I'll not do {
thing, generally doesn't do it.
81 didn't stop to say any more, but
put on my bonnet and shawl and started
for the druggists / hadn't gone foul
feet from the house when met Mis-
Bartlett, an old friend of mine, anC
perhaps you won't believe it, but it's
fact just the same, forgot what wa
out on the street for, entirely forgot it
ALWAYS was an a5sent-minded creature
wasn't |, Aaron?"
Eyes, Maria, you always was littl
given that way"
miss Bartlett told me-" resumed
Maria, that she was going up tow
shopping, and asked me to go aloni
with her, and Invent. Then asked he
to take lunch with me in a restaurant
and she accepted the Invitation. w,
had real nice lunci-chicilen soup
lobster salad, ice cream and coffee.
Won't you have something more,
asked Miss Bartlett.
"'Oh, no, she said, Il couldn't
$50 called for the check, and whel
the man gave it to me pu my hand in
to my pocket for my purse. The frs
thing / touched was the chloroforr
bottle. Then | thought of Julia a
home sitting ON the cat box. knew
that she hadn't stirred, for she ha
promised that she would stick till
should get back. And l had actual
been gone four hours
''Of course hurried home. When
got there was forced to ring the door
bell for had left my key in the house
But, though rang a dozen times, nc
body came. All at once it occurred t
me that Julia couldn't sit on the ca
box and answer the bell call too, an
then / decided to go into neighbor
ward and climb the fence between hi
yard and our back yard, and did it.
tore my petticoat awfully, though, bC
fore got through with the operation
81 had to turn corner of the hous
before / could reach the place where
had left Julia, but that was quiclSl
done, and then l stood in her presence
She gave me look that made me tur
cold all over, but she said nothing unit
the cat had been killed and deposited
the ash barrel. Then she told me tina
she should leave me in the morning
and she did leave me, and | think sh
did just right, and if l ever can say
good word for her ] shall certainly d
it.