The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-01-30

HE PAUSED TO PUFF CoNTEMrLA-1vELY Al
could talk freely with tho natives, vet
by rolling it around his mind for some
time he succeeded in polishing it until
he felt justified in trying it on a new ac-
quaintancc in about this shapo
Men along the river tell me they fire.
Qucntly have chills and fever. and that
the climate don't allow the men to be
very active, yet can't see any sign that
the younger women suffer in that way. "
NO, said Sam MaZZitt. the man ad-
dressed, as he mot:oncd the visitor to a
seat on tho log on which he was testing
in front of his own door. Il reckon
here he paused to puff contcmpatively
| on his pipe-"'l reckon The Lord thinks
somebody down here ought to have a
chance to be spry."
Jack made mental note of this for
his intended book. and then doubted
whether it would do,
Fact is Sam went on. after little
moro reflection, gals amt out in the
woods an swamrs as much as mon, an
they don't drink -ruff- chaw"--
! putf--"nOr smoke; lcastways, not many
of them takes to smokin till they've
been disappointed in love. Say, stran-
gor, where's your own pipe? I'll git q
coal Of fire out here for to light it. :"
Then he turned toward the house and
| shouted "Lizzic!'
Please don't trouble YOURSELF said
Jack, hastily. II don't smoke"
The man looked sidewise quickly and
suspiciously.
What's that? Don't smoke? Well,
some don't; but it's pooty bad for 'em
in these parts. Tubbackcr keeps of the
chills an fever
Jack was about to unfold theory.
which he had formed since his arrival
on the river, that tobacco, which every
sone seemed to use, was probat ly one OF
the causes OF malarial complaints, by
making the liver torpid, when he heard
q voice saying:
What do you want Of ne, pop?"
Jack turned and saw in the doorway
of the log house specimen Of that por-
ton of the population that had seemed
to him specially interesting. 1t was
girl in faded calico dress; but Jack won
dcred what tho young follows in his
town at home would have said could
they have seen her. There wero some
very good-looking girls in that town.
Jack and the other boys haG often looked
at them admiringly for an hour at
time, when they should havc been lis
teninG to the sermon which tho minister
was preaching that se!f-same hour, but
mono OF them were like this girl. Yet
she was not different from many whom
he had CHANGED to see during his short
trips ashorc-merelya rich olive COM
plexion, large, warm, dark eyes, and a
great deal OF black hair, with head set
firmly on u shapeiy neck. How could
she be daughter Of the thin, sallow,
wrinkled, awkward man beside him?
She must have inherited her good looks
and figure from her mother. Jack re-
solved that he would improve the chance
acquaintance, If possible, to see if there
might not be something in the idea of
inheritance by sex.
ITS nothin', Lizzie, gal," said the
father; l was goin' to git you to fetch |
but a coal to light the strangers pipe,
out it seems he don't smoke. Say, my |
friend, know it amt any Of my bust |
ness. but didn't you ever smokc:'
oh, yes" said Jack with a laugh.
Once, when [ was about II years old,
[ smoked about an inch OF 4 cigar. 1t
answered me for life; l can taste it
now. or whenever | tn nix of it.
"Ch, / sec," said the man, with a.
kind though plying look; cigars amt
safe. II you'd begun on pipe, now,
you'd have been Settin' us much com
tort out OF tubbacker by this time as
me-
Meanwhile, the girl had come from
the house and stood in trent of her
father. listening to the conversation
and looking at the visitor without any
show of embarrassment This. seemed
odd to Jack. II up in New Hampshire
he had stopped at SO common and shah
by a place to speak to native who did
not know him, tho women Of tho family
would have regarded him from afar off,
and looked uncomfortable if they
Glanced to meet him face to face. But
This girl looked him full in the face, as
and with as little concern as
If he had been al old acquaintance, aud
said
Pop gets 90 much comfort out of his
pipe that like to see him smoke"
Jack quickly determined that he
would like to talk with girl like at
4 girl who made so little fuss about get
ting acquainted. He had already found
thai formal introductions were not in
fashion among the hutIbler residents
along the river, aid that no ono seemed
to have eny dis:rust Of d man who at
tended to his business and did not con-
Germ himself uNduly with other pc pies
affairs. 1t was as delightful Is it Was
way OF Southern girls, or