The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-05
CHAPTER x.

| IL iihO uOoths iONCo q
shining mark. it is easy to comprehend
the thing which befell Mr.. Topmark' q
refulgent head. But one customer re-
warded his thrifty home coming-a
small lad, very black, very impish,
clothed only in a shirt and sunshine.
His errand was to buy 8 cents worth
of coal oil. yet he fingered good hour
in talk and left Mr.. Topmark with cold
shivers playing up and down his spine.
For Bud, the small darky, lived with
his parents upon Roscoe plantation and
was garrulously full of Aunt Phemy
and her powers. A random word here
and there let the storekeeper know that
there was belief among the blacks that
she had "laid magic" against him which
had some way recoiled on his wife's in
nocent head. No cause was assigned,
yet his own consciousness and what
should have been his conscience easily
supplied one. Year in, year out, he had
bought their crops, weighing them to
his own profit and paying for them in
merchandise 1t was in such traffic that
his pEosp, ri.y was rooted. Even if he
had dealt fairly it would have made him
rich. With long weight and scant meas
ure the store was veritable gold mine.
Yet all his riches might not avail to
save him from the enemy walking and
working in darkness. As the boy trot-
ted away Mr.. Topmark set his teeth,
muttering: dead man conjure, EN-? Ef
that ole bag | must set Teddy an
some more boys at her. They'll fix her
so she won't never hurt me ergin. Wisht
she didn't live at Roscoe, though. S'pose
Miss Rob found it out? Lord, the fool I
am erbout that gall little thought how
things would turn the night p
Something in the glass fronted letter
box nailed to one pillar of the porch
caught his eye. Topmark's was not
postoffice. The nearest one, indeed, was
five miles off, and folks who went to it
of set purpose had neighborly habit of
bringing whatever lay in wait there for
any near resident and dropping it in the
box as they rode home past the store
So Mr.. Topmark was not surprised to
see sorawled envelope inside the box,
yet when he had got it out and opened
it his hands shook eagerly as he read:
my part is DONE Now you do yours
same way. The bear with er painters
hide"
After he had read il three times he
gave long whistle; then said, half
aloud: "In thft case, my frien BAR, I
better be Gxil ter do er little scratchin
fer myself. With the ole mar an the
nnlt tba ina Il
raise er dollar on. The niggers own the
stock they work Them waz ole Aliens
mules ter the carriage terday. / do hope
she ii hear reason, but / IN mighty 'fraid |
she won t. Anyway, better have Law
yer Howell right here on the spot "
As the sun dipped and the shadows |
grew long and black across the grass he |
sat wrapped in deep thought, his eyes
hardly noting the waning of the day. !
He gave great start indeed. Then Luz
ley crept up to him, holding baby jim !
ney by the hand and with Annie tagging |
to her frock.
Its so lonesome without mother!"
she said. "Pa, come ter ask mightn't
l work on my crochet edgin?'
"Why, 10. This is Sunday, an Sun
day belongs ter the Lord" Mr.. Top
mark said, rousing himself and begin
ming to play with his brood in decent
fatherly fashion. But Luley was not to
be silenced.
Teddy says you make him work
Sundays''- she began.
Her father out short her speech. "Ted-
dy amt at fer nothin in the world but
ter lie an sell goods" he said. "Now,
Luley. you listen at me'-
The bad man will get Luley fer
workin. ! know he will" Annie inter-
rupted. She was her fathers favorite,
lar and away the prettiest of tho three,
with her big blue eyes and yellow curls
and way she had of looking ooni2ding.
~ up In the face of whomsoever she
would cajole. Now, "a she scrambled
into her fathers arms, she laid her head
against his cheek and said in her wisest
voice: "Yes, the ole bad man will git |
Luley sure. Aunt Sarah says so, an she
says she hopes he'll get Miss Rob Nc
Gregor too"
"Ho! Did she say that? / CANT be-
hO'O 'V' Duts oooiSc, UNIV Voh thihh |
OF 1t now, reckon she did," Mr.. Top |
mark said, rising and shaking himself.
Come on ter the house, children" he
went on. "An, Luley, here's the store
key. Ef nybody hollers, you open the
door an ask 'em ter wait till Teddy
comes. He CANT be long now. I've got
ter write or letter. Then-well, think
I'll ride up an see your Aunt Sarah"
The letter writing ought not to have
taken long-it was mighty brief epis.
Mr.. Topmark sat good hour,
each word and phrase of it.
cts er ticklish thing ter MANAGE" he
muttered. 81 got ter cover up my tracks.
She mus think I'm a.doin my level best
ter save tho ole man from worry, an
reckon sho won't need ter be told that
none er them jacksnipe lawyers thar in
town won't take no case fer nobody
much Of they know me an my money is
on the other side or IL. / mus think
luck is with me. It come over me this
-. ~-~.s,, M xvo druv orIope, fC,c,.o A.