The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-08-02
THREADS Or FATE.
By MARTHA MoULLooH WILLIAMS

By MARTHA M'GULL0GH WILLIAMS.
ECopyrisht, 1885, by the Author.l
seIt do seem like pity, but l pose
1t must be did.
Aunt Clarissy Hughes held her step
sons brand new 'tstore breeches" be-
tween her and the light and looked crit
icaI]y at their fat, firm seams and ther
general excellence Of finish Stephen
bought them Saturday, wore them to
Asbury meeting Sunday, folded them
with incest care and laid them away in
his drawer against the bran dance. It
was to come off Friday at the Sulphur
Spring. This was Monday morning.
Since daybreak he had been afeld with
the negroes Now it was 10 O'Clock.
His stepmother felt III each pocket OF
she garment. scratched her head with
needle from the knitting she had just
laid down, pinched the cloth reflective
II, sighed and repeated plaintively: 1T
do seem like a pity, but Melony's his
own aunt, and it won't do to make her
mad. Lemme see! What does she say:"
With that she unfolded crumpled
strip Of paper, evidently torn from an
old letter, and read for the fifth time:
DEAR SISTER CLARIssY-Please loand me the
nstrons OF Stephen's new breeches. Them my
william McKendree seen or aim at Asbury
meath, house Yesterday. He say he must have
pair like them and his pa have gone to town
after the cloth. No more at present. Your
affectiouate sister, MELoNY TAYLOR.
Aunt Clarissy' laid it down with an
other sigh, thea stepped to the back
door and called shrilly, "Reuben!' A
small black boy in white cotton shirt
and trousers popped out of the kitchen
door and half strangled himself trying
to say ssMa 'am.' with his mouth full
OF watermelon. Aunt Clarissy looked at
him a half minnte, then said apollo
getically: "Yon' have to wait awhile,
Reuben. When you git done eating, go
round to the horse block, git your mule
and put him in the stable. Be sure you
give him plenty to eat. Then you play
about till call you, but don't you go
near the parster. The bull is loose to-
day, and don't you git hurt anywhere, .
adding, apparently to the air, 3fBrother
Dan'l thinks as much of his niggers as
he does of William McKendree- If any
thing happened to one of 'em hese,
reckon he'd turn Squire Hughes right
out of the Asbury church. - Then after
little undecided pause she called,
Jane, are you busy?''
ssYes'm; shellin peas,' came in a
thick, throaty voice from the kitchens
gloomy depths.
where's Ann?'
Here, butshe's got er powerful mis-
cry in de spine Of her back. %
HDear me alive: Tell her to go home
and let me send her a mustard plaster
to put on it. What is Laura doing?"
"Ain't dis waush day: You oughter
know she done gone ter de creek wid
Nanny and Lou. y
sWell, I declare! She had no busi-
ness to 60 I mean to tell Stephen to
put her in the field for it. Where are
Rachel and Silvy?''
An inarticulate smother of con-
temptuous laughter preceded the reply.
'Rache is er proiickin somewhsfs-
arter blackberries, I spect. I done sent
Silvy down ter &c big bottom erter
roas'in ears. De gyarden corn is all
gone, and de boys tells me de's er Gods
plenty On 'em down III dat forrard
fel.''
eyes, and Stephen said that wasn't
to be touched, be sent way of for the
seed-you know ne did. I'll tell him
just as soon as he comes to dinner. y
A mountain OF dark flesh covered with
white Osnabur rolled into the doorway
and said with broad, judicial gravity:
Miss Clarissy, you'se er church mem
ber. Eff Iwas you, wouldn' t say things
what / knowed 1 wasn't gwine do.
Whut's de matter? How come you
wantin ever body all ter once:'
Aunt Clarissy got pink to the tips Of
her ears. She was small, apologetic
looking woman, with mild black eyes
set deep in white, wrinkled face. al
together striking contrast to the stur-
dy figure that fronted her across 20
yards of suniit space. Steadying herself
on the doorpost and halt turning about,
she said peevishly: "No, won't tell
him. hate fuss, and you all know
it and impose on me. I just wanted
somebody to help me, but Ireckon / can
do the work myself -
''Dat'u be de shorest way" Jane
said, nodding her blue turban. Then
relenting, she added as she disappeared
within, .I'll send Sllvy des soon as she
fetches de corn and shucks it for de
pot
- Ennt Clarissy heard nothing of the
postalate. Breeches and scissors in
hand, she was making her way to the
company bedroom, where Stephen never
set foot. Sitting down by the north
window, she began carefully to rip
apart one leg Of the fated garment,
murmuring to herself as she did it, Il
know most Stephen won't like it, but
Melony wants the patron, and how else