Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-09-30

she left the poultry yard, and went in
TO the house to do the chamber work.
Cybele was still in the dining room.
standing at the head of the table,
washing up the breakfast service. She
came out and spoke TO Venus, inquir-
ing:
..See anything o. Fora dis mornin'T'
Deere. I know dat gwine to be de
berry first question! Why, where is
sheY" said the woman, who was not
quite prepared with her falsehood.
'She went out here bout an hour
ago, an she amt In de kitchen. nor
likewise in de poultry yard; fought as
how you an she We're 'quainted long
o. each oder, you might "a seen some.
fin of her."
How l gwine see her an she In de
house an l outside? Who want herr
Il do" said the angry voice Of Mr..
Rumford, as he walked into the room.
Il have something to say to her, and l
ordered her to come to me directly
after she had finished her breakfast.
She has not done so! She has kept me
waiting for nearly two hours! You
were her companion. Where Is the
woman. Tell me ut once!"
'Oh, lors. it's a-comin'" said the
trembling girl to herself.
Answer, woman
"Yes. sir, I is gwine TO, sir! deed 1
is.,' said Venus. twisting her apron,
without the remotest idea of what she
should say.
'"Then why the deuce don't you2
Don't you understand the question:
Where is your companion? Where is
Zora?' Numbered the reused man
ooh, lor', sir! oh, lor', sir. she's
She's"
"Where:'
Locked herself up in her own room
to go to sleep, sir" discharging the lie
with the suddenness of a bullet.
Rumford dropped the arm Of Venus.
and his rage subsidized into a good-hu-
morcd surprise, as he said. slowly:
well. upon my word. this is one of
the coolest proceedings / ever heard of.
| order a girl to come to my presence
directly after breakfast, and instead of
coming she goes calmly off and locks
herself up in her w room to go to
sleep! l like tbatg'
But, marse,' said Venus. who now
that the fountain of falsehood was un-
sealed, lied most iuently-'Zora was
mos dead for sleep, sir! deed she was.
cause she didn't sleep all las night
Tong o. the fright she got a-bein' by
herself"
Fright
"fes, marse! You see, she allus use
to have me in her room, an she 'fraid
to sleep by herself ut night. An so
she couldn't sleep! An so dis morn
in she dead for sleep! An ebber since
her long sickness she's subject to a
flutteratiOn oh de heart, which, il she
don't get her good sleep, it comes on"
'Iumph! that is very bad. Mer-
rick told me nothing of that" said
Rumford, shaking his head with an air
Of dissatisfaction.
Eli, marse, you t'ink any trader
gwine to run down an misparage his
own goods? But you needn't be no
ways Uneasy bout Fora, if you only
lets her sleep de gran roun's."
The grand rounds? What the
deuce are they?" asked the planter.
raising his eyebrows.
why, marse. from N hour OBJ dc
ebenin' to de 'spondin' hour oh de
mornin'. or failin' oh dat. as 1t failed
las night, from one hour OBJ de mornin'
to de spondin' hour oh de ebenin'. So.
as she 90 to sleep dis mornin' at 8
O'Clock. don't let anybody wake her up
till 8 O'Clock dis ebenin'. Dat will be
twelve hours ut a stretch"
"Ha, ha, ha! and that is what you
call sleeping the grand roundsl Well.
1t is well that none of my people pos
sess a constitutional necessity for
sleeping the grand roundsl Well, as it
is her first day in her new home, we
will let her sleep! 1t will be time
enough for me to give her a lecture on
obedience to my orders when she
wakesr' laughed Rumford. good-hu-
moredly, as he put his everlasting pipe
into his mouth and sauntered out upon
the lawn.
"Wenus. dat trueY" significantly in
Quired Cybele, as she put away the
breakfast service in the china closet.
What trueY' demanded the non
committal Venus.
"Bout Fora"
What bout Zora?"
"Bout her havin' dat fiutteration In
de heart. an bein' 'blige' to sleep de
gran roun's IN dat? Or is it only
Gocd-for-nuffin', triflin' laziness?'
Its true: do you t'ink | tell a false!''
demanded Venus, Indignantly.
.'Oh, no! but 1 tink you looks berry
much like do when l tells a false,
derer.'
Il gwine to ole marse room now"
said Venus, finging herself angrily out
Of the dining room.
The day passed off quietly.
Mr.. Rumford dined out with a neigh
Dor, and did not return home until
very late. AS he always let himself in
with n latch-key, his servants were not
required TO set up for him. At 10
O'clock, therefore, Cybele and Venus
were engaged in closing up the house,
when the former said:
1T done struck 10 O'Clock, an dat
gal amt wake up yet. t'ink she mus
be sleepin de gran roun's gran'er dan
ebber.'
We'll, s'pose she is? She's tireder
dan Gilbert grumbled Venus, as they
locked the last door behind them ana
retired to the loft above the kitchen,
where they slept.
Meanwhile, where was Astrea?
CHAPTER xL.