San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-08-23

Old Maid No. 2.
Charley shakes his head mega.
lively and slowly stammers, "Am
dom to de drudstore."
"Going to the drugstore?" in
quires No. l. "Who's sick?"
"Sister Bessie sick?" chirps in
No. 2.
Another negative shake Of the
head on Charley's part and then he
turns himself loose, "sistern't sick.
I'm dittin' some paint"
"Paint at the drug store" curl
ously inquire both old maids.
SISTERS dot a dress an Pm dun
ner dit some paint for this paper"
"Let me see that paper, Charley"
says one of the Anticipated gossip
TANNERS, and Charley hands her
the note to the druggist, specifying
what kind Of dye was wanted.
"For what dress does she want
it?" asks No. l.
go, he wouldn't know that, says
No..
Charley evidently does not know,
for he stands there in silence.
You can wager whole lot that
the first time that Sister Bessie APP
peared on the street in what looked
like a new black dress, the two an
tiquated gossip TANNERS across the
way knew exactly what was what
and no fooling either.
"You want a marble Charley?"
says No. l to the precocious little
one, as he is on the verge of leav-
ing.
OF course Charley wants a mar
BILE.
"Who was that lady who called
at your house this morning ?"
queries No. 2.
"Dat was,-I don't know. Sister
tailed FER Maddie. Yes, Maddie
was 'er name," is hts slow, deliber-
ating reply.
"Maggie Redburn, | suppose"
No. 2 suggests, very readily, CIV
ing No. significant look.
"Wonder what she could have
wanted there. She remained only
a little while and went straight
back home," observed No. l. Then
turning to Charley, patient, preco-
cious Charley, she sets the pump
in motion in this fashion, "nice
marbles, aren't they? What did
Maggie say when she was with
Bessie 2"
"Imhaw he eXclaims, with an
affirmative shake of his
head, SISTERS doin to party yes
terday night, Maddie tell her to
tum. Mr.. Mum is doin' to do party
too, and sisters doin'."
"Who's that? Mr.. Mum? Who
is Mr.. Num-" both Of the petit
coated fossils anXiously inquired.
"a man." is precocious Charley's
artless answer.
"Have you seen him? How does
he look Charley"
"Ugh ~ exclaims Charley, ''he's
a dreat bid man, Mr.. Mum is"
eyes, but has he got beard
like your Uncle Joe%" asks No. l.
"What does he do? Does he
work." puts in No. 2.
"No," answers Charley indig-
nantly, "he don't work, he's a dreat
bid man."
This is getting to be trying. No. l
brushes back a few stray yellow
bangs, and No. 2 leans her
wrinkled face on the gate post and
stares at Charley in a way that
she proposes to learn all about
that new come off before long.
Meanwhile Charley prattles on
like this.
"Mr. Nuns dot bank an he's
dunner dimme a bank too an is
dunner put some money it is. Has
you dot a bankw
30, Ill tell you who it is. It's
that Richard Mum, He works in
a bank. That's who it is" says
old maid No l, to old maid No. 2,
and then to get the thing proof
positive, she asks Charley,
the color of Mr.. "Num's"
hair. Precocious Charley thinks
a while and then he an
swers dts blue, Mr.. Nuns hair
is blue. He's dot a big bank and
he's dunner dimme a bank too"
"He means red. That's who it
u.s." says No. l.
"Did you everw exclaimed No.
u.
"Now run along Charlie, and go
to the drug store. Goodby."
Charley runs along and the two
gossip TANNERS retire into the
house.
Now if you don't think that the
two old maids across the street are
not keeping up with Kessie's
courtship, and if you are under the