The evening times., 1898-05-11
,-, Inv, end Bearded Lady.
n.o., .he Chicaro Times. .Herald.l


..I had been fishing in Florida waters
sa;d the returned traveller, land had
snart catch of small fish when i started
for my hotel, but tiring on the way
stopred lust outside of Punta Gorda ana
asked for a drink at cabin half hiddeh
i, the ruaya bush tall, lean mana
white man, to my surprise-appeared TO
he Ihe owner OF the shackly place, where
the chickens walked in and out at their
own sweet will and hungry LOGGING
mule uosed about the open door.
...Howdyy / said I've got a pretty
kettle of fish here, and II your women
folks will cook them and give me square
meal YOU can have the rest ana some
thing to boot
".Ain't emmy wimuin folks. leas;wise
she amt few hum said the man in
peculiar falsetto voice. an II her was her
wouldn't do no cookin'. I don't reckon.
What's the matter with your COOKING
them yourself?' l asked. pointing TO a
spidery looking stove In the yard.
~ reckon / dassent.' replied the man.
He was clad in a butternut brown jean
suit. and looked not unlike a country
preacher his glossy brown beard giving
him a clerical resemblance but his Ian
guage decided my haif-formed concur
sion that he was one of those shiftiess
poor whites who are found on any road
to Punta Gorda.
".Jf you'u turn IN and help me- sug-
gested. ri have those fish cooked in
jiffy You make the fire and I'll cook the
fish,
Turn I aroun', stranger. Gimme tn
feesh an I'll comb their hair whilst yo'
build a fire Ny woman Sukey hove that
air stove outen the shanty single-handed,
an il red hot. tew begin with. j warn
yo' her'll pitch it back ag'in If yo' build
fire inside
why, what has she got against the
stove?' as l piled dry grass, palmetto
branches and fat wood into the affair
fresh fish.
".Yo' don't know Sukey, but go ahead.
stranger Mebbe yoll be convicted all
right
Il suppose he meant convinced. and 1
was for at that moment the Aforesaid
Sukey put in an appearance-Just as the
fish were panned and on the stove. She
came from somewhere down the road'
her calico sunbonnet tapping over her
face. She was tall and big and walked
with the strides of a man.
".Who be yo'? was her laconic greet
ing.
Il told her without any waste Of
words. Then she turned on the man.
...Yo' poor, shiffies critter-what for
yo' cookin outen tn open, like yo' amt
got no roof over yo' tacky head?' and.
seizing the fish which were beginning
to sizzle. she would have covered the
dooryard with them had l not jumped
to the rescue. Her next move was to
pick up the stove full of live Goals and
carry it into the house, where she drop
ped it in the fireplace.
II looked appeaiingly to the man. for
/ had not the courage to either speak or
run. That individual was doubled up
laughing, while his wife stood calmly in
the door of the cabin and famed herself
with her srnbonnet.
How much to see the hull show.
stranger Hits wuth quarter,
amt II
"'who are your 1 gasped, for 1t struck
me there was something uncanny and
sinister about the couple. The woman.
handsome and athletic. looked as IL lift
ing red-hot stoves was a mere idle pas
time.
1--we uns air the hull circus, now,
stranger, fer It's vacashun. Sukey air
tn woman wuth the iron jaw, an I does
tn bearded lady when We uns is perfes-
sionals.'
II had felt all my life a curiosity to
know not only how the other half of
the world lived. but where. and here my
wish was gratified in the most unexpect-
ed way. / supped with the woman of
the iron jaw and her partner, the beard
ed lady, and although the mule and the
chickens were included at the feast, l
enjoyed my visit immensely. Sukey OF
fered to move the stove again, but al
though handling fire was one of her ac-
complishments, / was satisfied with the
test / had seen. The destinations of
the bearded lady ] took on trust