The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-15

do is to git his bed an burn it around a
black oak. II it was a white man, you'd,
have to pick a white oak. I'll do my part
June" Ia
For several days JUNG pondcsed over pr.
Cottonss suggestion. Sametirges he was
skeptical, and thep aghin he feasoned it
through I'd its logical Conclusion. 1t was
useless to deny that a gdpd many hams"
in different forms had Been seen on CARO-
way. dunc'ssgranny could remove wafts
by incarnation. Again, how came Yam
cey Smiths horses TO die unless they were
''cunjarcdf'' by and by ho somewhat
drifted into watching the little cabin on
Stony creek at such times as he expected
its owner to be away. He wondered If DR..
Cotton, who had disappeared, would re-
member to do his part. 1t seemed to him
probable that DR.. Cotton had already
worked tho spell, and that it only remain
ed for him to do the fimsy thing that per-
tanned to mere matter.
One afternoon while watching the cabin
he saw the fisherman drive up an OK cart,
and loading in his fish start for Salisbury.
After the cart had jolted off down the
rocky road June's mind was made up. He
pried out the staple, to which was attach
ed the paddock in which Catfish reposed
SO much confidence, and entered the cabin.
The floor was strewn with trumpery,
through which there were avenues hardly
wide enough for free passage. A little
fire still smoldered on the hearth, close
beside which sat a skillet and a black COT
feepot with an ~improvised spout. A wide
shelf served the purpose of a dining table,
and just above a sumptuous pile of corn.
dodgers hung Catfish's banjo. The bed
stead was another shel1ike affair made OF
rough plank.
Everything that might be thought to
minister to Catfsh's physical repose June,
after replacing the lock and staple, carried
off into the woods to a previously selected
spot. There was a piece Of fish net, which
had apparently served as a pillow. To
June, a mere novice in incarnation, 1t
seemed essential to leave nothing on
which the negro could rest a chance for
escape, and so the fish net was taken
along. He constructed a girdle of dry
leaves and sticks around the base of the
black oak, and when he had fired it Cat
fish's ravishcd couch WAS added piece by
piece. When the last article was consum-
ed and the fire had died away, June sat
and pondered. The black oak tree, with
it's charred belt, seemed suddenly to have
taken on a startling appearance. Some
how he had not thought CT that. II
some one should see the tree? 1t was deep
in the woods, but he knew that no locali-
ty was safe from exploration, and if it
should be seen what reason could anybody
assign for such an N spectaclef
1t would certainly become known and
would become the subject of talk and Gu
rious speculation.
Suddenly he became very much fright
ened. It dawned upon him that he had
stolen and destroyed the negro's property,
and the real motive, if it should become
known, was equivalent to murder. When
the old man died-of this result he all at
once felt sure-could he be hung for his
murder? With q frightened look all
around he plunged deeper into the wood.
1t was II O'Clock at night when Catfish
Jones arrived in the vicinity of his home.
The steer suddenly veered into the open
space usually allotted to him on such &C
casions and made direct for a little cone
of fodder. The old darby, realizing at
once the peril of his store of rough, feed,
jumped. from the cart and headed the steer
off.
"Whoa, dar! You des wait, can't you?
You eat a man out O. house an home an
den bawl fob mo-"
The old man unhitched the steer from
the cart, tied him in his place and then,
as if to parade his mastery, made him
wait awhile before he gave him his moder-
ate allowance of fodder. Then he took a
package of bacon and some smaller arti-
cles from the cart, unlocked the door and
went into the cabin. He walked unerr-
ingly to the place where the bed should
be and dropped the packages. To his great
amazement they fell on the floor.
Law me, y he exclaimed, ''dey must be
somepin dc matter wi my head. I never
miss dat bed befo'."
He put his hand in a crevice in the
jamb, and bringing forth a match lighted
it. AS his eyes sought the place where
the bed had stood he was transfixed with
establishment. 1t was beyond his compre-
hension, and when he had made a blaze OF
light wood in the fireplace his mystifca
ton even increased. Everything but the
bed was in its usual place. An indescrib-
able feeling "crope up his back, as he
afterward phrascd it. He was taken with
a sudden panic and boltcd through the
door, not to return till tho next morning.
There was something plaintive in the
W6dh SOlCC uii6tV etNOhO pAO "a AO0SO
hold late that night.
''Pap!'
Before the old man could answer it was
repeated with somewhat holder intona-
tion.
"Oh, pap!"
The old man after awhile appeared at
the door.
HAS anybody been inquirin for me
lately, pap?"
mo. Why don't you conn along in an
go to bed?"
II amt sleepy, pap. Don't feel like it.
Feel kind O. poly. Pap, I think I'll leave.
1 think I better hit the grit"
whats the matter, June?"
"Nothin. I'm just gittin tired o. some
folks around here. I'm goin ter Uncle
Bills an try it awhile-or, pap, l don't
know where I'll go. You needn't say
where I'm gone. Eff you'd jist the same,
pap, pay me $50, an you keep the colt"
Before sunrise the next morning June
had his few affairs adjusted, and the old
man watched him as he shouldered his
small bundle and disappeared down the
road. If he felt any special regret or any
misgiyings as to the cause of June's go
ing, he gave no sign.-Chicago RECORD
BOARD of FIRE COMMISSIONERS
OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS.
Continued.
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