The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-07-28
CHAPTER XIII.

FEMININE Articles WASTE VALU
ABLE TIME-A QUEER CHARACTER
A SHARP FIGHT WITH THE JoHNNIES.
FINDING THE ToRPEDoEs.
swell, well, let's hurry off Times
moighty precious now," said O'Neil i'm
patiently. "There's no tellin' whin them
gunboats will start, an if we don't git there
before they go our information is no good. T"
"Yes, :" echoed Bronson, with equal earn
estness "We mustn't lose moment.
Come, madam, if you are ready.
But I'm not ready by mighty sight, I"
most of her audacity. "I've got ter slick
up little Laws, sakes, you don't expect
I'd 90 where all them big Yankee ossifers air
a-lookin' this way? Why, what'd they think
of me?" And she screwed her withered
face into ghastly trayesty of coquettish
shipper.
A quarter of a century before that facial
grimace executed by the same muscles upon
her maidenly cheeks and lips had I'M
doubtedly fascinated the young wOodsman
who was wooing her. but it had been sadly
impaired by age and long disuse.
AT first her hearers wanted to shout with
laughter at this comical and unexpected de-
velopment Of pride as to personal appearance
in so unpromising a subject, but increasing
nervousness over the possible consequence to
the g1nboats of any delay choked all dis
position to levity.
go. never mind Sticking up" said Bron-
son irritably We've no time for any such
nonsense. Come along just as you are.
Come GU"
No, STREE. Nary step viii stir till
Pm dressed" she said, sitting down in her
chair and reaching up to the jamb of the fire.
place for her cob-Pipe, as if she were deter
mined to make day Of it.
0'NeiI fumed and swore by more saints
than the rest had ever heard of, Karl and
Walter glowered upon Josh as if thew would
like TO bayonet him, and Bronson's face grew
white, as it always did when he was enraged
Stock, sitting on a stump in front of the door,
fshed around IN his haversack for crumbs of
crackers and smiled vacantIv.
The woman-with the air OF being mis-
tress of the situation-placdly filled her pipe
with tobacco whitfield from large plug,
picked coal from the fire with quick, dex-
ferrous motion that brought it into the palm
of her hand, where manipulating it so skill
fully that it did not burn her, at last she
rolled it into her pipe and began calmly
smoking.
They consulted together, and accepted
Bronson's view of the situation: that. mas
much as it was a considerable distance back
to camp, they could not carry the woman
thitber. There was no horse OF vehicle by
which she could be conveyed, and it would
be saving of time TO humor her little
Bronson announced their decision:
Go ahead and slick up, but for heavens
Aake make the operation as brief as possible {"
The woman smirked smile of triumph
and began her preparations in the languid
way one of her class sets about piece of
work
She let down her little wisp OF towlike
hair from the coarse horn comb that confined
it in small lump upon her bump of philo-
progenitiyeness, and made it soaking wet
with water from one Of the large gourds
which do duty as clippers in the log cabins of
the South. The water running down over
her parchmentlike countenance looked like
drops of rain on the sides of a russell apple.
Towels were as unknown to her as news
papers. She calmly used the skirt of her
dress to remove the superfuous moisture
from her face and hands.
JOSH" said she shrilly, where's the
reddin' cOmb'
Dunno, marm,'' said her son. indif-
ferently, from the three-legged stool upon
which he was sitting. looking yacantly out
into the sunshine. His interest in political
questions had given way to an earnest desire
TO 90 fishing and lounge upon a sunny bank
while waiting for bite - bain't seed the
reddln' comb for a coon's agen
The condition Of his hair confirmed the
statement 1t would have done SO had he
said that he had not seen coarse comb Tor
tine one either since his birth.
Lam sakes alive" said the woman
fumbling around through the cracks in the
logs which are the usual storage-place for
small articles in such houses. IT'S power
full Gurus whar thet's done gone to. / he'd
IT only last week when / were fixin' up for
the lasses candy-pul frolic at Pete Warmers
down at Buffalo Landin'. Pears like |
niyer kin find anythin' jst when 1 wants il
most
Her languid deliberation was Irritating
The lmpetuous O'Neil almost TO the exploding
point Bronson, outwardly calm, inwardly
was raging fire. He saw they were at the
mercy OF the woman's whms, and that con-
cession TO them was the speediest way TO the
end they sought, and pulling his own comb
from his pocket said:
Ii it's comb you're hunting will Won
90 me the favor to use mine?n