Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05
"BUT 1 Do KNOW HER FATE" SAID THE PARSON.

tcler'ble fair days sense little May Mere
dith dropped out of it, but the sun amt
never shone on it quite the same-to my
notion.
wonder where she is?" said McMonigle.
MY opinion is she's dead. an that her
mother knows it. L wouldn't be surprised
eff the devil that enticed her away has
killed her. Onc't a Teller like that gifts a
girl into a crowded city and gifts tired of
her there's a dozen ways of gittin shet of
her"
Yes. a hundred Of 'em. It's done every
oay. / don't Doubt
'See that stove how she splits smoke.
East wind j. make her spit any day-seems
to gag her
Vas" said McMonigle, chucklng softly
as he leaned forward and began poking the
fire. ''she hates east wind, but she likes
me. Don't you, old girl? See her grow red
in the face while 1 chuck her under the
chin
Look out you don't chuck out coal Of
fire on kitty with your fcolin'," said old
man Taylor. ard then he added:
she does blush in the face, don't she?
An see her wink III der her isinglasS spec
tacles when she's 1irted with
That stove is a well-behaved old lady,
eE'larIy gifts religion, an shouts whenever
the winds from the right quarter-an L
won't have her spoke of with disrespect,
said the doctor.
EFF she could tell all she's heard sittin'
there summer an winter, / reckon it'd
make a book-an' a interestin' one. too.
i
summer an birds Matched; an Rowton
tells me he's got dCminCker hen thet's
eE'larly watched for the fires to go out
last two seasons so she can lay in her. An
din't you never hear about Phil Toland
hidin' a whisky bottle in her one day last
summer and smashin' a whole sittin' O.
eggs? The hen she squawked out at him,
an all but skeered him to death. He
thought he had 'tackt O. the tremens,
shore-an' of adult variety"
PITY 1t hadn't a skerrt him into temper
ance," remarked the man opposite.
Did sober him up for purity nigh two
weeks Rowton he saw 1t all, an he give
the fellers the wink, an when Pete hollered
he asst him what the matter. an of
CO'se Pete he pointed TO the hen that was
kitin' through the sto'e that minute,
squawkin' for dear life, an all bedaubled
over with egg. an SEE he: What sort O.
dash blanketed hens hev you got round
here, settiI.' in stoves? And Rowton he
looks round ard winks at the boys. Hen,
SEE he, what hen? Any o you fellers seen
a hen anywhere round here?'
cot co'se every Teller swo'e he hadn't saw
no hen. an Rowton he went up to Pete and
he seq, SEE he: Pete says he, you better
go home an lay down. You amt WE'LL
well. sir. Pete wasn't seen on the streets
for up'ardS o three weeks after that.
Vas that stove has seen sights and
heard secrets, too. L don't doubt.
They say that Niger. Prophet. used to
set down an talk to her same as af she
was person, some nights, when he'd have
her all to hsself Rowton asst him one day
" hat made him do it, and he lowed that he
could converse with anything that had the
breath of life in it. There is no accountin'
for what notions a nigger'll take"
"No. an there's no tellin' how much or
how little they know, neither. Old I'roph,'
half blind and foolish, limpin' round in the
Gods. gatherin' queer roots. and talkin' to
fisself. didn't seem to have no intelligence,
rightly speakin', an yet he has called out
prophecies that have come true-even befo'
he prophesied about May Meredith goin'
wrong
HIRE comes Brother Squires. chawin' to-
bacco like a sinner. / do love a preacher
that'u chaw tobacco.