The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-17


in the logs over Tobyofkee Creek. an
the branches. An at school when the
boys teased her an pulled her hair an
hid her dinner bucket, sorter tuck up
for her; an the worst fight i ever had
was erbout Cooney Gender.
well. so It went on year in an out,
then Pa died an the old home was sold
for his debts. An then Ma died. All
| had left. gentlemen. was erbout sixty
acres on Tobyofliee and thirty up in
Coldneck deestric'; an not er acre
cleared. But | went TO work. / cut
down trees an made er clearin, an /
hired er mule an planted er little crop.
Cotton fetched big price that year, an
] bought the mule outright. An then
er feiler come erlong with er travellin'
sawmill an let him saw on halves ter
get lumber ter. build my house. Hitwas
lust er two-room house. but hit war
mine an was the proudes'l bought
ernother mule on credit an the new lam
paid for hit too an lef' me money be-
sides. An then 1 put on ernother room.
"Well all this time / was tryin' TO
keep comp'ny with Cooney gentlemen
Il say tryin' cause her folks didn'
think much of me. My family war'nt
much. an Cooney's was good blood an
er little stuck up. An Cooney-well
Cooney had done growed TO be the pret-
tiest an sweetest in all the Warrior dis
trict, as you know, an they had done
made her er teacher, for she was smart
as she was pretty. An she was good;
too good for me. To this day l don't
understand it. Cooney say hit was be-
cause / was honest an cr man all over;
that was the excuse she gave for lovin'
me. But do know that when she said
yes two things happened; kissed her,
and there was a riot in Cooney's family.
Cooney's Ma was the last to come roun'
and don't think she ever did quite come
roun' for she warn't at the wedding, but
so help me God, never bore her no i'll
will. IL must have been hard to give
Cooney up.
II will never forget the day. gentle
men, she come into that little home. Ii
was like bein' born agin. l was that
happy / made the po'est crop ever
made in my life; but bless you the whole
place changed; little vines come up an
made er shade on the po'ch, an flowers
growed about the yard in places that
look like they had been waitin' for
flowers always. An the little fixins on
the bureau and windows, an white
stuff hangin' TO the mantle pieces-well.
I never knowed what hit was 10 live be-
fore.
Then at last went TO work. II was
four mules then an me in debt for two,
an some rented land; but no man who
had Cooney could honestly catl himself
in debt. / worked day in an out, rain
or shine, hot or cold, an i struck hit
right. Cooney was SEWN for two an
sewin' on little white things for an
other. and we were the happiest. One
day / come home TO dark TO find
Cooney was gone TO her neighbors. /
slipped in on her an thar she was er
sewin' on er sewin' machine an proud
Of the work as l was of the first land /
ever laid off. Hit was hard TO pull her
away. Well, L didn't say nothin'; L
thought an KEEP hit all to myself. /
went to town that fall with my cotton
an when had done paid my draft at the
warehouse, | had seventy dollars left.
What did | DO with it?--what do you
reckon / did with it?" The aquiline
face took on positively beautiful smile.
The speaker leaned over the rail an
talked confidentially TO the jury.
"Well here's what l did gentlemen;
/ went 10 whar that one-arm old soldier
stays what keeps sewin' machines an
the tax books, an planled down sixty
OF my pile for one of them. An then I
went home an set the thing in the set
tin'-room while Cooney was gettin' sup
per; an / let her eat, but / couldn't
hardly swaller was SO full Of that ma
chine"
He laughed aloud at this point an
several OF the jury joined him. The
Court smiled and lifted a law book in
front of his face.
"When / took her in thar an turned
mp the light, Cooney like ter tainted.
My wife don't have ter sew on no bor-
Ts-sZ1H<zsEk71