The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-12-15


Andy Lucas and Blew Scroggins and
land it every clatter as safe and easy as
piclsin it up in the big road. But if you
take Blew out of the game l will match
Andy agin any livin man on the top
side of this green earth. Whensomer
there is any fun and deviiment goin on
in the settlement you can bet your SUM-
day boots that either Blew Scroggins or
Andy Lucas is right there in it, and the
other one is more than probable to be
somewhere around in good hearing dis
lance.
Where the Girl Come In.
So at any rates, years and years ago,
whilst Blew and Andy was both younger
in age and devilment even than what
they are now, they put up game on
julie Majors that made him the COM
mon talk and laughin stock OF the
whole entire settlement.
About that time man by the name
of Hank Willis moved in with his family,
and along with the rest he had a mon
strous likely looking young daughter,
which the same they called her Sweetie
for short. Then naturally of course it
soon come to pass that all the various
and sundry youngsters in the settle
ment went to cutting the pigeon wing
around Miss Sweetie at high and reg
lar lick But it looks like julie Majors
sorter got the bulge on the rest of the
gang, and you could catch him hanging
around there most any time-every
Sunday the Lord sent and three or four
nights in the week for good measure.
Well, now as to julie Majors, he was
about the same thing then that he is
now. He had plenty of sense but he
never would let it out and put it in use.
He was good, but good for nothing in
particlar as poor as forty church mice
in one pack, and as lazy as a rainy day
in the summer time. But julie was
great big, stroppiu fine lookin young
ster, and somehow or somehow else he
had managed SO as to git the bulge on
the rest of the boys with regards to
Miss Sweetie.
Now old man Hank Willis, the father
of Miss Sweetie, was peddler by trade.
He peddled tin and crock mostly, and
went around through the country
drivin big dun colored mule name
Kit to little one-horse wagon painted
red. AT last one day when old man
Hank come home and found ont that
julie Majors had been hangin around
the place SO reglar and constant till him
and Miss Sweetie had got marryin into
their heads, he proceeded to raise hail
Columbia and whole lot of it. To be
certainly he knowed that julie Majors
want no manner account, cause every
body for miles around knowed that
everybody exceptin Miss Sweetie-and
/ reckon no doubts she thought he was
the most dearest and smartest thing
that ever travelled on two legs. You
know how it is with these young folks
along about the time of year for matin
season to come in.
And as things went on from bad to
worse and more of it, at last one day
old man Hank got down his old mnsket
and poured in handful of buckshot
and give it out to Miss Sweetie that if
ever that trihin, lazy, lowdown, good
for nothin julie Majors darkened his
door any more he would shoot the Twin
day lights outen him, dadburn him.
Naturally of course after that julie
Nabors made himself blame sight
more seldom and scarcer around the
Willis place. He had got the news
from Miss Sweetie, and from then
henceforwards he didn't go visitin
around there any to speak of exceptin
when old man Hank was off on one of
his peddlin trips and he got word from
the girl to that extent.
Andy Sets the Pegs.
One Saturday evenin along in the
dead of winter had went over to the
Cross Roads, and on my return back
home l run up with Andy Lucas and
Blew Scroggins The weather was
monstrous wet and cold and bad 1t
had been rainin and sleetin and snowin
off and on for ten days past, and every
thing was suowbound and frozc up
tight as a wedge. Whereas, under
them circumstances it want no ways
surprisin to find Blew and Andy heeled
with two quarts, more or less, of corn
whisky-''White ink" as Andy were
wont to call it.
1.-THE settlement is too burned in
fernal duh to suit my taste, says Andy
as we rode on towards home ''Nothin
to do and nothin to see and notlrin goin
only golleys don't see how / can
stand it much longer. lam plum hongry
and thirstin for some fun, and fun /
must have. It's as cold as iugins out
of doors, but yet still don't see how
some people can stay forever and eter-
nally shut up in their houses with moth
in to pass off the time. 1t may suit
some folks, but it is too dadburn same
full and unanimous like for Andy Lucas.
have got something up for tonight,
boys-somethin that mought maybe
pan out a little general amusement for
about three of us providin if we will
play the game right keerful. Blew, you
and Rufe come over to my house soon
as you can after supper, and bring along
full set of wagin gear with heavy
trace chains and j will let you into the
game. l reckon p'raps somebody will
Lave to suffer, but fun is the mainest
thing with me now, boys, and fun / am
bound to have"
Ne and Blev didn't know what Andy
was drivin at, but he give out that he
had been laying awake three nights
hand runnin to think up somethin that
would help us pass away the time
pleasantly, and was wiliin TO wait
and see what manner of things his
schemin and plannin would bring forth.
So after supper that night Blew come
along by my house with his wagon
harness on his shoulder and 1 went on
with him over to Andys. When we got
over there we found ANDY out in The
big road in front of the gate with his
oro-hcrse wagon. which the same he
had rolled out from under the shelter.
Il win now let You all into the
game, says Andy TO me and Blew. and
II you don't want to play you can
throw down the cards and quit before
we start You see how the weather is
cold enough to freeze the tail off of .
brass monkey, and the ground froze