The Portland daily press., 1896-04-04

said so. What wonder, then, that her
mother took no account of anything
she lacked. Nanny bewailed them
quite enough for two.
"Me an Bulge-dawg, US is de onlies'
ones whar looks out fer Tony" that
good woman said. "Her nanny, she
des SO wropped up in dam dar preacher
chilluns OBJ her'n pear lex she dom
keer of po' Tony dom git two caliker
frocks in de year.
Bulge-dawg it was who sat waiting
for his mistress. AS the wagon came
abreast of him he began to caper excit-
edly, barking aloud and leaping half
his length up the tree. At Tony's whis-
tie he fixed upon her pair Of reproach-
full eyes. She laughed, but shook her
head as she said oaressingly:
"Poor Bulgyl Did he want the squir-
rel SO bad? Come along, old fellow You
ought to know it amt worth while to
tree anything when we are at work /
wanted to bring my gun ever SO bad,
but Nanny was afraid it might go off
and shoot her. Besides poor old Nance
ought not to pull an extra pound as hot
and muggy as it is.
"Dat she oughtn'," Nanny supple
mented, with another deep sigh. "Dat
one thing why I tole yo' yo' oughtn'
try dis yere dribin ter mill yo'se'f same
lex yo' wus po' white folks. Yo'
WANT gwine stir one step 'dout come
too. weighs suppin, l does'
Tony's shoulders lifted in the faint
est possible shrug. "You know how it
u.s., she said. 81 can't plow. I can
drive. The whole plantation is out of
meal and SO in the grass from all that
rainy weather we must work like Turks
to get out again. So I have come my
self in place of stopping plowman. /
amt bit sorry either. 1t is such fun
seeing the trees, the fields, the houses
and what other folks are doing. You
know you like it, too, Nanny, in spite
Of your grumbling AS for me, am a
freed bird. have not been outside our
own fences in two months, and now the
high water makes us take road
never travelled before in all my life. :"
''De good Lawd he knows I wishes
yo' nebber had er sawed hit, Nanny
said, thrusting her tongue in her cheek
II been thinkin eber sence dat man
back yander say us ha'ter come dis
way eff Marse John Ant'ny Morris, yo'
pappy up in heaben, kin see whut gwine
On down yere terday spec he try ter
git up outen de grabe fer ter stop hit. "
"Why?" Tony asked, taking firmer
grip of her rope reins. 'Do you think
he would hate SO to see his daughter
doing honest, necessary work? I hope
oh, SO devoutly-my father was not
such snob as that. Tell me, is there
any reason
Reason! Reasonp' Nanny broke
in. "Whar yo' eyes, chile? Yo' ears?
Ev'ything? Don't you unnerstan' halter
be suppin metty powerful ter set me off
on dis yere traipse wild yo'. My heart
git up in my froat ebery time dam
mules back dey ears, but yo' shain't
come long yere by yo'se'f, not eff I
knowed fer certain my ole neck gwine
git bruk fer hit. No won'er yo' amt
nebber seed dis yere road. Hit run
though de Harp Cross plantation.
When us git in sight er de house dar, 1
gwine dribe eft it gin me de heart bust,
an make yo' lay low in de wagin.
Date dar sateful ole sinner shain't hab
de sati'faction er seein yo' dat wus
borned de bes' quality in dis county do
in nigger wu'k"
"I don't mind work nor if the presi-
dent saw me at it" Tony said, sitting
very upright Nanny groaned again.
"I dom b'leeve de chile know half
whut she talkin bout" she said, as
though speaking to herself. "I know
amt nebber tole her, but sho'ly Miss
Franois"--
"Miss Francis has never told me any
thing. All know is Mr. Illways used
to bensoan the fact that she was not
friendly with the Crosses. He said it
shut him out of their elegant hospitali-
ty,'" Tony said, her lip curling a lit
tie, $50 if there is anything to tell.
! Nanny, she went ON. cs.nnw is the