The times., 1897-04-04

| him, and right then and there they tore
him all TO f1inders Colonel, they didn' t
leave a piece Of that dogs hide big enough
to make a woman's glove if it had been
tanned And as if that wouldn't do them,
| they made another sally and come a I me,
tush and claw. L just clapped spurs to
the hoss and cleaned up from there. Do
you blame me, Colonel?''
"As | understand it, Simmons" re-
marked Mr Gossett. after pulling his beard
| and rejecting awhile, you didn't catch
| the nigger'
c'The nasty old buzzardl'' remarked
Mrs. Simmons, on the other side of the
door. IF was Jimmy I'd hit him wftha
Cheer"l
lao ynu think you'd "a caught him.
! Colonel, taking into account all the cir
| cumStances and things?'' inquired Mr.
Simmons, With his irritating drawl
Il didn't say l was going to catch him,
! did l?'' replied Mr.. Gossett. Il didn' I say
he couldn't get away from my dogs, ddl?"
''Supposing you had" suggested Mr
! Simmons; would you "a done it? | amt
never heard OF you walking in among a
drove of wildcats to catch nigger''
And SO you didn't catch him, and your
fine dogs are finer now than they ever
| were% Mr.. GoSs EFT remarked
t''My goodnessl If Jimmy don't hit him
| III go in and do it myself said Mrs. Sim-
! mons, on the other side OF the door
Wen. Colonel, it's just like | tell YOU
| Mr. Simmons would have said something
| else, but just then the door opened. and
Mrs. Simmons walked in, fire in her eye.
You saved your $50, haint you?'' she
said to Mr.. GosSett.
.Why-er-yes' but
No butts about it," she snapped. If you
amt changed nightly, YOU think heap
more of $50 in your pocket than You DO of
a nigger in the bushes. Jimmy don't owe
| You nothin', does hep
"Well-er NOM" Mr.. GOssett had been
taken completely by surprise.
No, he dent. and If he did T. quit him
right now-t this very minute Mrs Sim
mons declared, gesticulating ominously with
her forefnecr. And what Jimmy wants to
80 troloping about the country trying to
catch the niggerS you drive To the woods
is nore'n / can tell to save my life. Why,
If he was to catch your runa way nggers
they wouldn't stay at home no longer than
the minute You took the ropes off EN-.
Mr.. simmons cleared his throat. as If
to say something, but his wife anticipated
him
''Oh, hush up, Jimmy" she cried.
You know I'm telling the truth. There
amt any living soul in this country
thlt don't know GossetJ niger as far
as they can see him.
what are the ear marks, ma 'am?' III
quired MI GoSsett. trying hard to be jocu-
| lar In q moment he was heartily sorry
he had asked the question
Ear marks? Ear marks? Hide marks,
you better say Why they've been abused
ana half fed till they are ashamed to look
folks in the face, and don't blame EN-
They 20 snca king and shamDling along
| and look meaner than sin. And faint
| their own meannesS that slows in EN-.
No Not by long sight. FHsay ythatmuch
for the poor crecturs''
There was something of pauSe here. and
Nj. GosSett promptly took advantage OF
it He rose, bowed To Mrs. Simmons, who
turned her back on him, and started for
the door. sa wing:
well, simmons, just called 10 see " hat
luck you'd had this morning, Ny times
up. | must he going
MI. Simmons followed him TO The door
and out 10 the gate Before Mr.. Cos
sett got in his buggy he turned and looked
toward the house. remarking to Mr. sim
mons in a confidential tone:
Il say. Simmons She's 'scorcher,
amt she?'
"A right warm one Colonel, if i do say
it myself replied Mr.. Simmons, with
a touch of pride But. Colonel, before
You get clean away, lets have a kind Of
an understanding about this matter"
About what matter"'' Mr.. Gossett
stood with one foot Oh his buggy step,
ready to get in.
About TINS talk Of Jenny's,N said Mr
Simmons. noddiug his head toward TIE
house III 20 this far-Iu say that
I'm mighty sorry il waSnt somebody else
that done the talking. and in somebody
else's house But senCc it was Jenny. it
can't be help. If what she said makes you
feel tred-sort Of weary lke-when you
begin TO think about it, jest bear in mind,
Colonel, that / hold myself both person
| ally and individually reesponsiblef for every
thing Jenny has said today, and everything
she may say hereafter"
MI GoSsett lowered his eyebrows ard
looked through them at Mr. Simmons.
'Why, of course, Simmons" he said, q
little Stiffly, we all have to stand by the
women folks. 1 understand that. But
blamed If Id like to be in your shoes,
We'll, Colonel, they fit me like a glove"
Mr. GoSsett seated himself in his buggy
and drove away. Mrs Simmons was stand
ing in the door, her arms akimho, when her
husband returned To the house.
Jimmy, you didn't go and apologize TO
that old buzzard for what said. did you?''
Mr. SimnOnS laughed heartily at the idea,
and when he repeated what he had said to
Mr. Gossett, his Wife jumped at him and
kissed him and then ran into tie next room
and cried a little. It's the one way that all
women have of cooling down. as Mr.
Simmons would have expressed it.
But it need not he supposed that Mr.. Cos
sett was i'll Il good humor, HI felt that
Mrs. Simmons, in speaking as she did, was
merely the mouthpicCe of public opinion,
and the idea CALLED him. He called on
neighbor oil his way back home TO discuss
a business matter, and he was in such bad
humor, so entirely out of sorts, as he de-
SCribed it, tnat the neiShbor hastened to
get jug of dram out of the cupboard, and
soothed and stimulated 10y the contents of
the Jug, Mr. GoSsett thawed out. BY de-
greeS his good humor, such as it was,
returned, and by degrees he took more OF
the dram than was good for him. So that
when he started home, which was not until
after slmdown. his toddies had begun to
tell on him. His eyes informed him that his
horse had two heads, and he realized that
he was not in a condition to present him
self at home, where his son George would
see him. The example would be too much
for George. who had already on various
occasions shown a fondness for the bottle.