The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-01-06

| done shot up Ter de niRhtI L wants III
whisky powerful bad. Sech er Misty in
de back been had all day long,
"You can get il, Aunt Phemy. Mr..
Topmarks there right now-jest went.
You better hurry an ketch him. Like
as not the man that called him didn't
want nothin much-ter ask the way err
buy cents wuth of stuff" Mrs. Top
mark said, walking to the piazza steps,
just outside of which stood a weazened
old black woman. lcaning upon crook
handled stick and holding curiously
aloof from herself big bunch of a
strange looking herb. 1t was ragged
and dropping, yet the glimmering light
showed here and there amid the tangle
| of stems knots of bloom half withsred
and of livid. reddish yellow. The bear
er of il had thin, clawlike hands and
shut, strong, yellow teeth upon the stem
of cob pipe. Setting one foot on the
middle step, she said meditatively:
az lowed ter fine Marse Ben right
yere on de po'ch wild you. Dat how
come | fetched him dis yere passed. er
truck. He say t'urro day he want or
bunch er dem swamp yarbs"--
Leave 'em with me- know he's
been wantin em. He's sure ter give
you all the ticker you want fer bringin
'em, Aunt Pbemy," Mrs. Topmark said
kindly. "YCu lay 'em right there on
the steps. I'll tell Linn ter put 'em in
the lumber house soon as ever he comes
in. He wants 'cm t,r drive away rats
We're pestered ter dtGth"-
''Say Don't talk erbout death wild
de moon jest risin an she er-dwindlin,
Aunt Pbeniy returned, with little half
shudder. But she dropped her lids low
er than ever as she went on: "I'll lay
UNI right yere on de groun, Miss Lou
Ivy, an don't you let dem li'l' children
er yourn play wild 10 pieces er um.
Dee's-dec' s bad bout maxim sores on
lii, tender hands.
As she hobbled away Mrs. Topma ark
smiled, thea sighed deeply and put her
arms above her head. 81 don't know
what is the matter with me, " she said
to herself. "Tve got the most curious
feelin, jest like l was afraid Of some
thin. do nope Mr.. Topmark Will come
back soon, but for fear he shouldn't I'd
better put the p'ison YARDS where they
can't hurt the chilGern. Oh, my. don't
they smelll' as strong half Ie,id Cdor
came to her nOstrils from the weedy
things she had taken up and was look
ing curiOusly over. 'No wonder Eats
don't like the fluff. 1t ~ akos ne sick.
But I'll Pat il in place before it loses
strength.
Still holding the herbs, she got Ian
tern, lighted it and went toward de-
tached building in the yard. Some little
time later she came back with only the
lantern. She set it down heavily an6 al
most dropped into her chair, calling to
the black nursemaid as sho did it:
"Ca'line, you tend ter the child orn.
I'm goin ter stay in tho air till feel
better. "
Someway she did not feel bel ter.
The herbs had been bound together with
q long, thready cat brier. Fer hands
had got more than one prick from the
thorns. Each of the wounds began to
throb and send darting pains thrC ugh
her. Her sight dulled. At lart she saw
only flaming circles before her eyes.
She tried to cry aloud, but could only
moan thiokly, though she heard With
preternatural Clearness through the open
window oyerht ad Ga line singing her
flock asleep with:
"Birdeye lady, sooner in de nornini
Birdeye lady, sooner in do mornin
Birdeye lady, don't you try toi1ssop mel
I'm gwice erHny when tits sun up 10 do
moininl"
The sound became blurred. like the
light. In vain the listener tried to rise.
Her feet were leaden, her hands weigh
ed so she had no motion in them, yet
there were fine twitches flying moment
ly through and through them. With a
last glimmer of consciousness she clilch-
ed them upon the chair arms and tried
to lift herself to a standing posture.
Cold sweat ran from her face. but there
was fire in each vein, Blind. sti1ed.
deathly faint, she could only propel her.
self far enough from her seat to fall
gasping, twitching heap upon the floor
beside it.
Aunt Phemy hobbled off muttering
under her breath. As she passed through
the trim, green painted gate in the
white fence she half turned aud looked
back at the woman she had left. She
even halted as though she would go
back, bnt after a second shook her head
and hobbled ON, muttering more vigor-
ously than ever. "Wait, Phemy." she
said half aloud as she came near the
store. Don't you 90 bulgin in dar.
Mabhy you amt wanted. Time fer you
ter 60 in when dem whut is in comes
out :"
With that she moved to seat herself
i)on remnant log Of the wood pile
some five feet from the door. But before
she was down she caught sound that
drew her irresistibly to the small win
dow around the corner. II was open as
TO sash, but had thick wooden shutters,
now tightly barred. A minute Aunt
Phemy listened beneath IT, then gave q
smothered snort and hobbled back TO
the door, outside which she stopped to
say TO herself. KNOCK. Phemy. Ef
dec kills you fer IL, you better had find
ont Of dat ole Misg Annis or her ghost
IN dar talkin wild Ben Topmark."
Then she gave laundering rap.
When the door was set cautiously ajar.
she thrust her foot within and pushed
ID wide, saying with a sniff;
'Tain't des nobody but me. Teddy
Barton. You needn't ter be 'fraid. Why,
de laWsy Marso Bani How cone won