Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-02-18

candy in my pocket fer tho one that
does
AS she made to follow the children
who went tumbling one over the other
somebody spoke from the dusk outside:
"Oh, Miss Louizy. wont yer dest be
so good as ter tell me ef-ef dc sto' is
done shot up fer dc night? wants i'l'
whisky powerful bad Sech er mis- s'ry in
de back been had all day long
"You can get it, Aunt Phemy. Mr..
Topmarls' s there right now-jest went.
You better hurry al ketch him. Like
as not the man that called him didn't
want nothin much-ter ask the way er
buy cents with of stuff" Mrs. Top
mark said. walking to the piazza steps.
just outside Of which stood wcazened
old black woman. leaning upon crook
handled stick and holding curiously
aloof from herself II big bunch of a
strange looking herb. 1t was ragged
and dropping, yet the glimmering light
showed here and there amid the tanglo
of stems knots of bloom half withered
and Of livid, reddish yellow. The bear
er of it had thin, clawliko hands and
shut, strong, yellow teeth upon the stem
of cob pipe. Setting one foot on tho
middle step, she said meditativcly:
II lowed ter fine Marse Ben right
ycre on de po'ch wild you. Dat how
come | fotched him dis zero passel er
truck. He say t'urro day he want or
bunch or dem swamp YARDS
Leave 'em with nc. know he's
been wantin 'cm. He's sure ter give
you all the llckcr you want fer brhEin
'cm, Aunt phemy." Mrs. Topmark said
kindly. "You lay cm right there on
the steps. I'll tell him ter put en- in
the lumber house soon rs ever he comes
III. He wants EN- ter drive away rats.
We re pcstered ter DEATH
"Say! Don't talk erbout death wild
de moon jest risin an she erdwindlin,
Aunt Pbemy returned, with little half
shuddor But she dropped her lids low
cr than ever rs she went on: I'm lay
um right yero on de Rroun, Miss Lou
Ivy, al DON you let dem lil' children
er yourn play wild no pieces cr UNI.
Dee's-dcc's bad bout maxim sores on
ii lcnticl DaEtS.
AS shc hobblcd away Mrs. Toplnark
smiled, then sighed deeply and put her
arms above her 'head. Il don't know
what is the matter with me-" she said
to herself. "Ivo got the most curious
feelin, Jest like was afraid Of some
thin. l do hope Mr.. Topmark will come
back soon, but for fear he shouldn't I'd
better put the p'ison YARDS where they
can't hurt the Children. Oh, my, don't
they smellr' as Il strong, half fetid odor
came to her nostrils from the weedy
things she had taken up and was look
ing curiously over. "No wonder rats
don't like tho stuff 1t makes me sick.
But III put it in place before it loses
strength.
Still holding the herbs, she got Ian
tern, lighted it and went toward de-
tachcd building in tho yard. Some little
time later she came back with only the
lantern. She set it down heavily and al
most dropped into her chair, calling to
the black nursemaid as she did it:
"Ca line, you tend ter the Children.
I'm goin ter stay in the air till l feel
better"
Somoway she did not feel better.
The herbs had been bound together with
a long, thready cat brior. Her hands
had got moro than one prick from tho
thorns Each of the wounds began to
throb and send darting pains through
her. Her sight dullcd. At last she saw
only flaming circles before her eyes
She tried to cry aloud, but could only
moan thickly, though she heard with
preternatural clearness through the open
window overhead Ca'lino singing her
flock asleep with:
"Eirleye lady, sooner in dc morninl
Birdeyc lady, sooner in dc lnornin!
Birdeye lady, don't you try ter stop mel
I'm gwine orwny when It's sun up In de
morIin!'
The sound became blurred. like the
light. In vain the listener tried to rise.
Her feet were leaden, her hands weigh
cd so she had no motion in them, yet
there were fine twitches flying moment
ly through and through them. With q
last glimmer Of consciousness she clinch-
ed them upon the chair arms and tried
to lift herself to standing posture.
Cold sweat ran from her face, but there
was fire in each vein. Blind, stifed,
deathly faint, she could only propel her
self far enough from her seat to fall
gasping, twitching heap upon the floor
beside it.
Aunt Phemy hobbled off muttering
under her breath. AS she passed through
the trim, green painted gate in the
white fence she half turned and looked
back at the woman she had left. She
even halted as though she would go
back, but after a second shook her head
and hobbled on, muttering more vigor-
ously than ever. "Wait, Phemy," she
said half aloud as she came near the
store. Don't you go bulgin in dar.
Mabby you amt wanted. Time fer you
ter go in when dem whut is III comes
out"
With that she moved to seat herself
upon remnant log Of the wood pile
some five feet from the door. But before
she was down she caught sound that
drew her irresistibly to the small win
dow around the corner. 1t was open as
to sash, but had thick wooden shutters,
now tightly barred A minute Aunt
Phemy listened beneath it, then gave
smothered snort and hobbled back to
the door, outside which she stopped to
say to herself: "Knock, Phemy. Eff