St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-09-18

ef5Gfs5t " ~ 3 " s59 AhLuIdI-nOEh uUTSS
tradeE5 lifted up his
voice unto me and spoke with fear and
trenblin.
Andy's horse was standin hitched to
the rack in front of our house before
sunrise that mornin and me and him
had struggled down there under the
hill, where the old spring bubbled up
and the wild flowers lifted their bright
and hammered bosoms to the sun.
The Onlyest Moonlight Ride.
You have already took your seat
with pen in hand, as it were, and writ
up the roarin big meetin which Blew
Scroggins brung on with the widder,
Dolly Mayfeld, and them three love let
ters down at old Sweet Water that Sum
day evenin," Andy went on, GROWN
pale and trembly. "But in regards to
that onlyest moonlight buggy ride
which me and the widder took-I do
hope and trust and pray you will sing
the song soft and low. Mind you now,
there amt blame thing touchin that
moonlight buggy ride which am sorry
about and would ruther take hack.
And what little you and Bley know
about it-all that the people around
Sweet Water have heard or said or
thought or now think they know
would never make me lose marry lick of
sleep nor miss a meal of victuals.
'But, Rufe Sanders, women are tre-
mendius jealous things. Poor as am
with the long dry drouth on hand
and nothin but hard times ahead-I
wouldn't have the news of that moon
light buggy ride reported back in full
here in the Rocky Creek settlement
for the best young mule in the country.
Don't sing that song any atail scarcely,
Rufe, il you can keep from it--but at
any rates, sing it soft and low"
I could shet one eye and see that my
fellow servant and side partner was in
peck of trouble and so bad ratified till
he didn't hardly know his own name
for certain. But told him that went
posely to hear the news and spread
il abroad. That was meat and bread
and plain business with me. I had writ
up Blev Scroggins and the gay and
81 .rgeous widder, them magnolious love
IL ters and the stormy session of the
committee which they brung on, and /
didn't raley see how could leave out
the moonlight buggy ride and save my
self.
And yet still that want all. Andy
Lucas is my friend in feeble, general
way. I have no doubts but what he
thinks more of me than any hvin man
person in the round discovered world
exceptin Andy Lucas. But with him, in
trade, horse is a horse and man
is man. If he didn't swap the socks
often his own dear father and brother
it would be from the fact that he never
got good chance, and dadblame him
he has Jest naturally burnt me up in
a trade more than oncst. 1t was now my
time of year to fbring the gifted grand
son of old Hiram Lucas down to rock
bottom, and he couldn't do q conti-a
mental thing but stand still and swal-
low the medicine. had the delegates
by q whalin big majority. had the
under holt and the dead lock. 1t was
Charlie at the rat hole and Katy by the
door. So I could only look up through
the trees and smile and shake my head.
With that Andy come and laid his
long bony arm on my shoulder and
said his prayers like little man.
:; The Horse Traders Prayer.
"You can tell everything you know
and giHe out all the scandalatious re-
ports you ever heard coneernin me up
to the time we went down 10 the Sweet
Water meetin, and if 1 live long enough
I will weep great gobs of grief when
you die and plant some flowers on your
grave toskeepfin mind them golden, hap
by, days. which me and you have spent
together. But if you love me like !
love you, Rufus, ruther think you will
leave cut that fannop moonig htshuggy
ride or sing the song mighty soft and
low. If you had any kind and tender
regards left for the widders and the
orphants I raley don't believe You
would sing that song at all. II you had
married one of these little speart-mo-
fioned women, with black and flashy
eyes, I know most hellatious well you
wouldn't. For women are tremendous
jealous things, Rufus. S. !. .
'0ncst upon q time me and you were
dirty little shirt-waist boys together,
Rufe;n and with that by gracious
could see the salt water back up into
Andy's seyes. Many and many's the
day that we have.ranged the woods and
fields together, and stole watermelons,
ols.. maybe slipped off to the mill pond
snd went In swimnnin me and you to-
gether.. We haye built futter mills in
thessarne old spring branch, made frog
hauses and cutsnnanlersets in the same
sandBeds, and went to school together
to the same schoolhouse. and fell in love |
with the same girls, and courted and
carried on, and missed our lessons and !
took our lickins. me and you together.
Many and many's the clost place
have pulled yon through, Many and |
zeany's the bad and scandalatious |
scrape have caught you in and never
made q newpaper outen my mouth to
spread the news abroad
1Remember these little things, Ru- /
fug. Remember likewise. also. that this