The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-09-19

= ' y paupers to board
" We've done it sc
constant now that it's give us The
name of Eein' the poor house, an lt's
real cross to me. Won't you take
another glass?''
She was tall and plump and com
Portable looking. Her calico sleeves,
rolled high, revealed a distinct divid
ing line between the fairness of the
upper arm and the tanned skin below
Evidently she had many a time due
the potatoes for her pot with her own
stout hands. She nodded toward the
shady doorsteps.
"oet down." she urged cordially,
"You look real tuckered out. Amt
it hard work turning them franks ur
hill an down q hot day like this?"
The stranger laughed with easy
good humor. He looked up the long
dusty road, peerinS from under his
hand. 1t stretched away blank and
lonesome.looking, and he turned back
toward the pleasant, vine protected
steps relieved.
81 will sit down and rest a Bit" he
said. '"The other fellows are not in
sight. i took squirt on ahead and
left them loating under tree. You
don't mind my resting my wheel here
across your peoples? 1t won't touch
'em."
"Bless you, no! But 1 guess it'll
be new experience to the peoples.
Blslckles are scarce around here,
about as scarce as paupers are." They
sat down together. and Mrs. lothian
took up her berry-pan again. The
stranger, with his hands clasped
around ono knee, tilted back and forth
gently:
Scarce, are they, round here?" he
said. "That's good sign"
"Not for me an lothian, it amt.
Yes, they're dreadful scarce this sea.
son. Since old Uncle Elnathan died
an Mis- Parkman got married, an
Hester Ann fell heir to her uucle's
place an live stock, we've run real low
OF paupers-only her, an she don't
know she's pauper.'
Mrs. Jotham's berry redeemed finger
pointed out a slender neat little old
lady sitting in the front yard in high
backed rocking chair and knitting
something white and soft. She held
her stately little white-capped head
high and, there were indefnable tokens
of gentle refinement about her eyery-
wherein her slender fingers, her
laces at throat and wrists and the
polse OF her little shapely head. She
nodded drowsily over her knitting.
"She don't know it," Mrs. lothian
said with little laugh that had an
echo of good-hearted compassion in
it. The implied tenderness of the
laugh, and the odd contrast of it with
the bluff, uusentimental general rs.
pect sof Mrs. lothian, made the
stranger on the lower step glance up
surprised.
"she doesn't know it?' he queried.
mo. Bless you, she amt SO much
as suspicion. You see, she's only
been here short spell, since the other
Paupers went away-all except Uncle
Elnathan, an che thought he was a
hand to help lothian do the chores.
lothian. an mes kind of hired hands
too, only remove or two higher up
than poor Uncle Elnathan, she
thinks"
The stranger drew in his breath in
q subdued whistle. He shifted his
position 1t little to get a better view
of the little old gentlewoman through
the whitewashed pickets OF the front |
yard fence. She had let the knitting
slip out Of her fingers, and her head
lay over on one shoulder.
"Tell me therest Of it" the stranger
said.
Mrs. lothian dropped the last berry
into her yellow nappy and got up
clumsily.
"You wait till I get these berries
set away down sullsr," she said. "Mis'
Angeline's real particular to have me
set EN- down in the cool an in the
dark"
"Mis' Angelipe?"
v WHer." Mrs. lothian nodded across
the fence pickets. "Mis' Angeline
She was Peterson
from over Blckford way. Married
Simeon Fairbrothers's oldest son, She's
dreadful particular with me some
days"
Mrs. lothian sighed. The sigh
echoed back from her retreating form
as she took the berries into the house.
Presently she came back. She had
bowl of salt and a little wire strainer.
"She wants l should always sift the
salt" she said explanatorily. "She