The Opelousas courier., 1897-10-02
NJ M=~
:

= HlmSelf, anu he tried to think back
Z the sentences of his last sermon abo,
J gossips and meddlcrs.
II don't think Isald anything whie
she coald, by any possibility apply
: herself. Miss Briggs-Miss Briggs,
A say"
He waited a minute or so for a IT
ply, which did not come; then l
sighed and walked on.
"These single sisters are perhaps
trihesdificult to manage" said he
"But doubtless experience will smoot]
my pathway in time"
EAnd, naturally enough, the Re,
4r. SweetIands stepped in at siste:
P~ackenham's to ask her how sh
Thought he could possibly have of
Tended Miss Betsey Briggs.
And just as he was detailing il
Mrs. Packcnham's puzzled ears tn
tale Of his perplexity, a stout elderly
man, with q sea-faring aspect, raped
at the door with a knobby stick.
"Ahoy. there!" said captain Giles
Gilliloe. Il hope l amt intrudin',
but these is all strange waters to me.
I've inst hailed a neighborin' craft.
Betsey Briggs by name, and she don'r
lower no signals. P'raps I've sighted
the wrong coast q
"Miss Briggs lives at the next
house, Mrs. Packenham said. ,''That's
true enough"
"1'm her cousin" said captain Giles
Gilllloe. "She has invited me to
moor my craft in these parts for
awhile, but I amt used to heaye an
Choir along side o'them as don't speak
to me civil. And I hope I've made
my log-book clear"
II really can't account for it" said
Mrs. Packenham, with a troubled ex-
preston of countenance. "Set down,
cap'n Gilliloe, I've often heard her
speak of You, and I'm sure she wouldn't
intend any incivility. Set down and
have a chat with Mr.. Sweetlands, our
minister. and I'll step over to Betsey's
at once and see what all this means"
The sun had gone down in the GRIM
son blaze which belongs only to July
skies--a soft, purpling twilight was
brooding over the swamp meadow,
and the orange lilies glowed mysti-
cally in the apple orchard, as Mrs.
Packenham hurried toward the old
Briggs homestead, whose chimney
stack rose out of a wilderness of tall
lilac bushes. There, sure enough, WA
Miss Betsey in the vegetable garden,
her sunbonnet Tapping in the evening
breeze, but just as Mrs. Packenham
laid her hand ON the latch of the
gate, Bowse, farmer Ponds big
red bull, knocked his horns against a
weak spot in the adjacent pasture fence
and came laundering into the inclos.
IRE with his tail in the air, his huge
head lowered almost to the ground
md q l~ow-muttered note of defiance
oreathed through his threateni nos
rils.
Ella, me-" cried Mrs. PACK .am.
there's that brute loose again! And
q man in sight! And Betsey
with her red caliker gown on.
She'll be killed as sure as the world.
)h, dear, oh, dear!"
AS the reflection eddied through
'er mind, the animal made an infuri-
ted charge toward the figure darby
against the hedge OF silver
reen pea-vines, uttering q savage
elbow as he rushed past, and Mrs.
'ackenham hurried, screaming, down j
1e hill. I
"Abram! Mr.. S%weetlands! Cap'n t
F'lliloe!" she shouted. "Help !help! @
n, why don't somebody come? Far Z
'er Ponds Bowse has knocked poor c
etsey Briggs down into the pea-vine s
ad Is a-gorin' her awful! Help !help! a
clip! She'll be killed as sure as the c
orld! Help! help!" p
just as she burst into the door at {
'e end of the kitchen, the opposite 1
opened, and in walked-Betsey. 1
riggs herself, cool, calm and COM o
'sed, with a veil folded neatly over G.
II ~dove-colored silk hat, and a tray e:
ing bag in her hand. +,
Mrs. Packenham sat down and be- n
n to laugh and cry Historically
RS. sweetlands opened his pale blue
es like watery moons; the squire
'red; Captain Gilliloe held out his E
0 brown hands and waved q fore. AZ
stle welcome. st
Miss Betsey looked around in gentle A
re-
"Dear mel" said she. "What il Il,
, matter? What is everybody look. ne
!, at me so for? How dye do, @,
1sin Giles? Why don't you go on it
the house? I thought you was til