St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-03-13
10 Busy and So Mad.

earth like snow on = trash pile.
10 Busy aad So Mad.
As we driv off towards home old
Spot riz on his hind feet two or three
times, and then it did look to me like
he would jest naturally split the earth
wide open and scorch the native air. 1t
was then nine miles home. or maybe a
little better. but old Spot bit of 30 or
10 feet ut every stride. Up hill and
down hill-over the rough places as well
as smooth ground-he went down after
his knittin like it was a race for blood
and death, and all the pullin could
do but only helt him smooth and steady
in his wild and furious pace.
Now. when l have got 10 20 some
where's in a big hurry or by my lone self.
l do love fast horse. and old Spot didn't
shake my nerves little bit. knowed.
dadblame him. that could ride as fast
as he could travel. Yet there wos one
time when didn't want to ride SO in
fernal fast. Miss Callic had told me she
would be my own and onlyest, and
promised to give me the proof on our re-
turn back home-which on that portic.
ular night the proof of the pudtlin was
to hug and kiss the girl.
But, dadburn the luck, didn't have
no chance and no time to do q blame
thing but hold that horse on the ground
and keep him in the big road. Icouldn't
spare SO much as one hand, and by
gracious I needed both eyes on my work
to keep from runnin into q smashuP.
l thought maybe after goin n few miles
at that furious lick old Spot would slow
down and give me little chance to pay
my doublebreasted regards to the most
loveliest girl in the settlement. But not
him-narry time oncst. Instid of that,
it would seem like he got fresher and
fresher. and faster and faster with every
mile he bit OF on the way towards
home. How l did wish from the bot
tom of my helrt that somebody would
come along with q lazy mule-Or even
q blind steer TINT would work in har-
ness-and make pass at me for swap.
And what was worse and still more
of it, Miss Callie she was skeered nigh
unto death. She didn't say nothin. but
stole a look at her here and there, and
bless tho heavens II she want as white
as q sheet. l was too dadblasted in
fernal busy drivin that fool horse to do
anything more than talk . little, and
the girl was too bad ratified even to talk.
She was lookin to be throwed out and
killed every minnit, and don't really
think she caught her breath more than
oncst in every two miles. Consequen-
TALLY she wouldn't even say she loved mo
she wouldn't even say she thought
more Of me than anybody else-dad-
blame it, wouldn't say nothin.
When we got to the Hickman place. I
driv up to the front gate. and whilst old
Spot was dancin and prancin and plung-
in back and forth. Miss Callie picked her
chance. jumped out Of the buggy. said
good-by in . hurry and scooted in the
house.
'svapDsA epas" and AsAs Up.
You ought not to think it, but that was
the last time ever saw Miss Callie
Hickman In the flesh. The next time
saw her she was Misses Bob Travis. and
as shy of me as three-year-old not
even bridlewise. You see l didn't 60
over to the Hickman place to renew my
acquaintance right away Immediately
the next morning. and first thing i
kncwed Bob had been over there and
braced the game oncst more. 1t would
seem like he was meek and full Of re-
pentance and 80 was she. Whereas they
swapped little spit, ~ it were, and
made up.
But will die believin that I missed
about half Of my unworthy life jest sim
ply because old Spot kept me 80 everlast-
in busy pullin and drivin and stayin in
the road that night. Soon a. possible
l pitched in and swapped that horse
on. And to be blamed square and hon.
est. I got the daylights swindled ont Of
me in the trade. But the more l thought
about the scandalous, dirty way in
which old Spot treated me that night. the
madder I got. till simply couldn't
abide with him any longer.
Fer tAs 0oea He Has DsaA
That night was tellin Aunt Nancy
Newton about the little dearbitten gray
which Andy had rid over to our house.
and then from the best Of my recollec-
tion. told her the story Of my trials
and tribulations with old Spot.
"Well, kufus. do you know that puts
me in mind Of the Widdes Casey and her
old gray mule. : put IN the dear. delight
$pl old soul.