The times., 1897-03-21
Old Charles
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abruptly where the old man stood leaning
on his cane.
well, Charles, how are you?''
"Ebenn' sab. Poly, poly, sah.' Old
Charles lifted his antediluvian hat and
waited expectantly.
Il say, Charles, did 20 get those clothes
"Whut clo'cs, Marse John?"
why the coat and vest and trousers you
asked me for
The articles in question had mysteriously
disappeared at the time Of the move, and
the young man had accused his wife of
giving them away or trading them to the
old clothes man without even looking IN
the pockets and removing those valuable
papers be had particularly requested her
to be so careful of. Just like woman!''
he had said, diSgustedly. Them 1t suddenly
occurred to him that old Charles had asked
for them, and that he, the young man, had
replied TEL my wife to give them TO
you but be sure and tell her to Wake all the
papers out of the pockets" Strange TO
say, she had heard nothing whatever about
the matter until it was discovered that the
clothes were missing.
Old Charles face was a study. Slowly
he scratched his head, and said, hesitat-
iugly, "Whut, cote en- YES en- pants?
doan recomember nothin' tall bout hit,
Marse John"
"Well, Charles said the young mans
wife, they were hanging in the closet
the day you helped me pack up, and now
we can't find them anywhere"
Look here, Charlie, don't play pos
sum; you know you've got them"
"Fo' Gaud, Marse John, ain / done
tole yo Ise e ot er boy on my hans whut's
SICK en- ain doin' lick er wuk, an ain
/ done sez, 'Marse John, youse got some
ole clos hangin' up dar. Anything youBe
gwine ter tho way, yo moUght's well
tho in my direction, an ain yo' done
seZ 'yo can hab um|
~ don't remember 1t.
''Why, Marse John, ain done got dat
boy on nah hans? Aim he jes yo size?
Ain / done sez, 'dar's cote Jes' fit im,'
en- ain yo sez, 'Yo can hab de cote?'
Den 1 say, 'Yo thoughts well tho in de
ves',' en- yo sez, take de yes, den l
say, 'whut yo gwine do wild de pants,
Marse JOhn?' an yo' sez, 'Yo can hab de
pants en-.
"'Go and tell my wife to give them to
you, eh, Charies?"
II ain hayr va say nothin' tall bout
dat, deed l ainl Whut l gwine lie fur?
Vas, sah l tux de close jes like you tole
me tub Ain l done got dat boy on my
hans? Ain he jes nigh bout tall ez you
is? Why, doan you know Mars Teams
Humphrey? Libes down hayr in de 'risto-
crat part OF town. l done wuk foh him
twenty-six yeah, dat l did, twenty six
yeah, sahl Dars whar gifts all my cotes
an veses and pants from, vas sah, eli over
cotes, sah.'
'He seems to be your tailor the young
man says, smiling.
"Yas, sab! An shirts en- ties Oh shoes.
lie gimme dis VERY suit | got on, sab. -
The suit was in the last stages OF
decomposition.
'.Yas, sab; a n when l wants n dollar
bill goes dar en- gifts it, yas, sab. What
/ gwine lie foh? Vas, done TUX de clio es,
case I done lay uIn side fur fear you'd
forgit an leab urn dar, an when the t'ings
was moved an you didn' carry um wild
yo'. | knowed yo'd lef um foh me. Vas
sahr' triumphantly, Il doan' tell no lies,
case / hopes to go to heaben wen | dies
Wen all meet ddr sum- day, but Wen all
be sperrits den"
Yes, Charles, but you won't want coats
and vests aud pants there you'll be clothed
n spirituality said the young mans aunt.
"Marm?''
You will wear spiritual clothes, not
the kind you wear here" ex planned the
aunt.
"Yas, marm we woan' need no pants,
RI n xt-bi 70 rf,hD a
de bridal gyarment, an de golden shoes.
on! Lord, yas, dat's whut de sperrits
wars!"
Not your kind, Charles. they come bot
tied said the young man.
bottled sperrits, sab? Bottled sper-
rits?"
Yes; the kind you've Just been taking
you won't find that kind Of 'sperrits in
heaven"
Mars John. how bout dat sacermental
| wine? Aim dat bottled? Ain you gwine
ter git none o. dat dar? Sides, has ter
take whisky-hit's de doctors orders. Wen
I want no mo 'en a boy, he say, Charles
all yo' young boys use tobaccy an drink
whisky an yo' woan ketch no ceases =
wy, didn' Mars jeans Humphreys Iii
gal hab de smallpox? WOuldn' no body
| go nigh um but me. One mawnin' | went
| dar, en- l ketch holt de bell, en- snatch it
| back; ain nobody come tub de doah; so
| ketch holt de bell an snatch it back ergin.
| Bme by de doah open jes crack, en-
| somebody poke B cents thoo for to git
| er loaf wv bread. I goes an gifts hit en-
| cum back an fine de doah shet fas'. So
| | des taken ketch der bell an snatch it
| back, jes' so. Den de dOah open jes wide
| 'nough to put de bread in, en- / see Miss
| Lilies face lookin white and scarf. She
| asy. Charles, go rOun' thoo de chuch yarC
| tdey lib right mex de chuchl an git over de
| fence en- cut de wood, en- pile it up at de
| kitchen doah, an den yo' go.' Wild dat
| she shet de doah quick. Lord mussy,
seZ I, 'dey's sompin' wrong in dar.' SO
| goes roun' thoo de chuch yard en- gifts over
| de fence en- cuts de wood en- piles it at de
| back doah and den goes, but sez dal
| sholy is sompin mighty wrong in dar
| Fust ting next mawnin / cum back eT
| can git in, so l ketch holt de bell ar
| snatch it back, blimi Miss Lilly she poke
de fl cents thoo de doah TO git de brade
| with. I goes roun tub de sto' en- de
cemman whut keep de sto', he say, Look
heah. Charlie, dey tell me youse got Ok
smallpox down to yo' bosses I say, =
| doan know nothin tai, bout dat, but del
| sboly is sompin' mighty wrong dar' Wher
gifts back, sho nough, I look en- see dey