Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-06-06

'em together tight, and l says to 'em:
No, jaws, you want it too serwigous,
and so let il go. It's the only safet-
est way to them that has nat'ral
strong likin' for the article. I'm not
a-denyin' that this very minute, sech is
the egzitement on my mind, that /
wants one mother, and that strenuous;
but I'm too old to begin to break my
rule at this time o. day in my life. God
bless you, Gastusl You make 'em as
good as l ever want to taste; but far
you well, Gustus."
He bestowed kind look of farewell
upon the decanter, then, resolutely
closing his jaws, came out, went for
his horse, and rode away.
CHAPTER XIV.
The most welcome of the few per-
Carruthers was Rachels Yet he sell
dom went there except when Owen was
down with his rheumatic spells, that
had become more frequent lately be-
cause he had been in possession of more
pocket money than was usual, and so
was in condition to resort to drinking
places other than the big Indian"
Suspecting where such supplies came
from, Rachels ruminated upon them.
His 1ntiring kindness to the wayward
cripple, not counting those of other
kinds, had given rise to much gratitude
In the mother. Her chief income was
from a two-thousand-dollar state bond
bearing eight per cent. interest. Her
black woman, Sally, besides home
work, did washing and other outside
Jobs, for which the neighbors paid
more than liberal prices. Then she
raised more vegetables and got from
the cow more milk than the family
needed, and the surplus was easily dis
posed of The cottage was on the
street south of the Capitol square. IL
had a ground floor, on which were
the kitchen and Sally's bedchamber
Above this were two rooms, a small
parlor and another serving for both
eating and sleeping. To these one as
cended by steps leading from and
along the street, fronting on a narrow
portico, on which mother and son
sometimes sat of summer evenings
From a corner of the rear room q fight
of winding stairs led up to the attic
where Owen slept. The place was
kept scrupulously neat, even the back
yard and the garden, wherein, besides
vegetables, were fruit-trees and grape
vines. Last of the few slaves once be-
longing there, Sally was devoted to her
mistress and alwaysready to apologize
for Owens shortcomings. Whenever
he was late returning home at night,
she persuaded his mother to bed,
and, comfortably nodding the while,
awaited him. On his return, she let
him in softly, had something hot in the
kitchen ready If he desired it, cautioned
him against disturbing the sleeper,
and, after he had been disposed of,
went to bed and slept like baby.
Awakened at cock-crowing, she rose
with alacrity, made her fire, and had
breakfast ready the minute 1t was
wanted.
When OWENS rheumatism was upon
him a couch in his mothers chamber
was laid, which he accepted with more
or less complaining during his confne-
ment. Between mother and son had
grown at last an understanding that
prevented domestic strife. The latter's
irregularities were never commented
upon there, except between Mrs. Car
ruthers and Sally, whose excuses and
palliations were, under Heaven, the
best consolation to the mother.
Mistress" Sally said, many, many
times, "when Marse Owen come home,
er he are fotcb home top-heavy by
Marse Gus Rachels, 1t amt bercause he
des wanted to git so; it's bercause he's
'ficted and can't hep II, en- dat ain so
mighty of'n. Now, you know yourself
1t ain, en- you earn deny it. It mostly
when he git money from dat Mis- Vile
Am'son; dat when it mostly air."
"Yes, and ! wish the poor boy had
never seen him"
"Ah, well, my miss, de Lordll per-
wide; de Scriptur say dat"
One night, after Owen had been in
bed near a week, Rachels came in. A
visit from him always gratihed the
widow and was flattering to Owen. He
demanded and got fresh coverlet, and
so disposed himself as to appear be-
coming object OF sympathy. The visit
or, well understanding his soft, feeble
words of greeting, after shaking hands
passed on to the fireplace, where his
mother was sitting, took a chair and
chatted with her about several matters
in the town. In little while he said:
"Missis Carruthers, everybody seems
to have their opinion about the way
old man Amerson left his property,
and thought I'd ask what you thought
of it."
"Why, Mr.. Rachels, / do think It's
the very outrageousest and the mean
est will that ever heard of anybody's
making, be they respectable or disre
spectacle"
But, mar cried Owen, as IL impatient
at another of her oft-repeated ex-
pressions in the matter, you won't
consider that the law of the land let's
everybody do what they blame please
with their property when they've done
with il themselves"
$50 I've heard you say often, my son,
and been told SO by other people. But
1 can't help from having my opinion
that It Is a pity for a man to give
almighty nigh every bit of his property
to one child, and him not a-deserving
of 1t nigh as much as the other that's
cut down to what in comparison is n
little scrap"
"You are perfectly right, Missis
said Rachels, turning a
look of mild rebulte towards the
couch. "Such as that is pity, and
gently it's founded on some sort OF
some'res; and it's another
pity that devilment can't always be
found out. People all over the county
is disgusted with such treatment Of
Cullen Anderson, who was worth moro
than n cow-psn of the sort of Vile,
and him now dead, but leaving
widow and child-Owen, and he
turned directly towards him, "you
ought to know something about that
will business. You was one of the
Eyes, Gus, was. As for the old
man Amerson not being In his sound
senses, there weren't any sort of doubt
about that"
Nobody denies that but tho ques-
ton is how come he to mako such q
will, and the question is what he done
with 1t afterwards. Did you know
what was in It when you signed it2"
"That / didn't, no more than Billy |
Lilly and old man Flint, not one
grain"
"Din't you never hear the old man
and Wiley talk anything about it3"
"Wen now, Gus" removing the coy
,rlet from off his breast, there's such |