The Opelousas courier., 1894-02-24

ing his hands at the sink. Jean Car.
son, his niece, was ringing clothes out
of the bluing water.
"What is it now?" she asked, look
ing straight at him, with a keen twin
kle in her big, brown, heavyzfringed
eyes. Her cheeks were as pink as
wild roses. cts his new thrashing
machine, amt it? Wal, I have heard
twas a regular daisy!"
Jean edisapproved of slang, but a
Kansas ranch is a favorable place for
the cultivation of it.
II don't know nothing about his
thrashing machine. What I know is,
I knew Andrew Wilkerson, when I was
livin' in the south part O. Indiany,
twenty years ago, and I amt going TO
have nothing at all to do with q man
that was celebrated all over the coun-
try for being a cheating, lying, on
principled, no-account scalawag!"
"Well," said Jean. squeezing out a
~tablecloth, you've ben saying that,
pappy, ever since they moved here,
and I hain't even disputed you"
He was all the 'tpappy'' she had
ever known.
II won't neighbor with 'em!"
"Wal, You needn't. Only. seems to
me you have these spells Of swearing
You won't have nothing to do with
him just when. he's got something new,
or ben elected town trustee, or raised
an extra big crop of something, Ibe-
live it rifles you to think he's getting
along SO good" a mischievious dimple
developing itself at the corner Of her
ripe mouth. 81 really believe, pap
py :"
MI. Hinckly ratified the wash basin.
He could never scold Jean, however
great her gay impertinence. But he
spoke with sternness.
sIdon't want nothin' to do with 'em. "
he repeated. "Ner I don't want you
to have! There's a young Teller in the
family; I've seen him once or twice.
/ wouldn't have you have no truck
with him, ner know him, not fer all I
got in the w~orld--not the son of q
nan like Andrew Wilkerson. Blood
tells. If you aver see him, to any OF
the corn-huskings er merry-makings,
you give him the solid-goby. Now, /
mean it'll"
you've ben saying that foe thir-
teen months, too, pappy," said Jean,
laughing.
But her laugh was odd. She faced
her uncle bravely. but her cheeks had
lost their pinkness suddenly, and her
breath came for a moment in little
gasps.
Mr.. Hinckley wore spectacles, and
was not particularly observant, any
how.
When Jean carried a baskeful OF
clothes out to the line, he gazed after
her, proudly and securely.
"The smartest gal in the country
and the handsomest! he reflected,
with commendable moderation. TITS
got to be q fine Teller that gifts her away
from tpappyl'"
Mr.. Hinckley had TO drive to the
village that afternoon, to try and scare
up a decenter hired man than Hi
Adams, whose laziness appeared to be
Q positive disease.
He was thinking absorbedly Of many
things as he drove along--Andrew
Wilkerson's heinous failings being for
the moment wholly ont Of his mind.
Eli, therel" q teamster shouted.
s'Turn out, can't your"
Turn out yourself, Seth Simpson,"
said Mr.. Hinckley.
They were old friends, and they
grinned at each other.
But Mr.. Hinckley's three-year-old
t.colt" had no liking for the great
empty hay rack upon the rude seat OF
which Seth Simpson sat. She reared
quickly and violently.
"You fool of q horsel" said her
driver good-humoredly. Keep in the
rondl"
He jerked her back, but she jumped
again.
MI. Hinckley was bending forward,
with q strong grasp upon the lines. and
one Of the ~protruding poles Of the rack
struck him forcibly on the forehead.
The lines fell from his hands, and he
felt Of his head in : daze of pain and
alarm, and fell forward just q Seth
Simpson reached and caught him.