The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-05-31
TIT ERR FATHERS
Il L 4I sy Grace Cooke { VOICE

Marjorie at the piano practiclnG her cx-
ercises, finished with evident relief the DAYS
task and. apparently as sort OF vocal
froiic. ran down the scale "a low rs her
deep. powerful young voice would 60, ard
sounded n half dozen notes that might
have shamed a basso.
Groat-aunt Maiorie, sitting by the win
dow. laughed; and her niece and namesaHe
whirled about upon the stool to face her.
what are you laughing at Aunt Mar
gle-me. and my trumpet tonesT"
1T made me think OF your grandmother"
answered the pretty old lady. "she had
just such a voice ard she was almost as
much ashamed Of It as somebody I know
is proud Of hers"
Aunt Margie," accused Marjorie, Il see
a story IN your eye. Don't deny itl I'm
a good girl: I've been through all my ey-
erc.scs five times: 1 deserve that story"
and bringing a hassoclz she disposed her-
self ct her aunts knee. In a comfortable
listening attitude.
"wcll." began Aunt MarEle 'things
about Barbara ere usually interesting, ana
ti- v-ay she Was to--a.4 ah1-- -eer bass
voice as we used to call It. IS amusing
enough 10 remember. There was ono iuci-
dent connected with T. too. which IS quite
a LaNfLH kal0 ana VIII TT ar itlftaAt+4At1t
barbara used 20 sing what We called
counter IN the cholr-you call It alto
now. ] thinll-and her singing voice was
much odmiced. l}Gt / remember" laughing
softly. Tttot ola Biily Gillespie. who taught
our singing school. attempted 20 get " a
quartet OF female voices, and asked her 10
take the bass. she never went back TO tho
class afterwards and she would hardly
speak 20 old BILLY whom she mot him.
cit was not mucn wonder We had tor
mcutei her TN She could not Do reasona-
bio about H. She had begun q herself
frightening any of the other girls whom
she caught out after dusk. by hiding. and
calling their uulues in a big bass voice sho
could assume.
Your Crclt-uncle Zeph was the cruelest
tease OF ull ana ho told her that she was
50 fond OF tlo boys thar she tried to talk
and sing lhs them. il was finally such q
sore subject that when we wanted her for
q Joke 70 initiate fathers sing.ng-which
she could DO perfectly-we could not Get
her 90 utter a note.
"gyhen your Grcat-uncle Jonas was or
dained minister upon hls twenty-frst
birthday. ut Harrisburg. we We're all very
much excited over a. Father ANA mother
az course intended TO De present. but We
young folks could not expect to go. Travel
WAS difficult in tho Pennsylvania noun
tslus in those days. and they would have
10 make most 81 the trip On horseback.
81 remember the day they started. It Yves
early spring. ana the roads were badly
broken Up hy q March thaw.
''rhey had sent for Aunt Betsy Sellirs
ana Uncle Silas to como and stay with ue
The 6eilns-5 used always To stay with us
when father and mother We're called away
Jhey were not related ID us. but they htd
been tenants 81 fathers and We always
called them aunt and uncle
Two OF fha hovs had oo,a 60 IAN -
Ieph and the baby brother. then eight Years
Ole We're out hunting
Mother didn't Ike TO GO. leaving Just
barbara and me IN tho house. but. a.
none Of tho others had GOT back by noon
She and father were Obliged 10 fda a,,-, l,
CT miss being in Harrisburg SUNDAY morn
ing
Barbara and cleared up and washed
the dishes. feeling rather small ana Quiet
f. the big. empty house.
Along about o'clock in the afternoon
& Air. Grcenough. who lived seven miles
teyouo us up the roud. came past and
hrousht the word that Uncle Sas and
Aunt Betty would be over-tho next davl
'Barbars and / looked pretty blank when
we heard that hy, We expected them
this m0ruing' ] said.
Wen. then. they got the word wrong
answered MI Grcenough, for thcy under
stood that they were asked 70 come to-
morrow Does Il make any great differ
enceY
oh. no.. replied Barbara, With a warn
Ing glance at me. We have our house pref
~ full as L s. We just expected them 10
help us through the work
after he lad gone she said: No need
to tell anybody that wo and the boys are
alouc here even FOR one night I'd feel as
safe as usual IL ! was sure no one know
IT, and i nodded.
Tor some time past there had been a
good deal ~ excitement IN our neirhbor-
hood over tho work Of an armed band Of
cesperadoos. who attacked isolated houses.
robbCd them, and even, IN some cases. kill
81 the occupants and fired the buildings.
'''rhe mountainous reelons Of the state
wore the stronEholds OF such bands long
after tie more accessible portion had
been brought under sway Of law and or
der.
In our neighborhood. however. We had
en- added terror. So much knowledge of
tho location OF valGabies. the temporarily
unprotected state Of houses and the habits
of the families had been shown in these
attacks that 10 was suspected that some
person or persons living in our midst be-
lonrcd 10 the gangs ami gave information
'Our house would not have been con-
sidored ordinarily liable 20 attack IL was
n big square old colonial mansion. such
as you would just now think very hand