Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-06
Copyright. 1899, Icy Joel Chandler Harris
VA Visit to Billy Riscuit.

sAsAs az biscuit.
AS the kidnapped children were preparing
to get in the buggy, Drusilla made this re-
mark to Sweetest Susan:
Eff NANNY don't kill me dis day it'll be
kaze I'm dead when / git dar''
At home Jemimy was walking up and
down wringing her hands and making state
ments that went far to show that Druslla
Knew pretty well what to expect
Il airi't sleep a wink dis night. less'n you
KIN call noddin' sleepin', not a wink: an
when does git holt er dat gal, I'm gwinter
make her wish she'd "a stayed los"
Just because she stayed with Sweetest
Susan, 1 suppose, said Mrs. wyche.
NO m, not 'zactly dat replied Jemirny:
but Whyn't she come on ter de house an
fetch little mistiss wild her? She plenty big
'nuf fer dat. Eff she "a come. little mis-
tlss would come; you know dat you
sef: Oh. eff l don't pay dat niger gal
back fer de oil and de newt
gu better thank the Lord if you ever
see her again said Sweetest Susan's dis
treSSed mother.
'.Ill do dat ma'am. I'u thank i'm on nv,
pended knee; an TO git it onbent good I'll
lay DAT gal crost it, an when / gil done
via er, she won't git in mo- waggins-
She won't git tuck off by nobody not tweI
she done grown, er after dey done put me
on de coolin' board. l may not know how
ter raise children. but know how to make
UNI stan roun.'
All this time Mrs Wyche was living rnon
sofa in state Of collapse while Jemimy.
more vigorous (or more venomous as she
would have put iO, was walking up and
hands and grooming.
Morning came on, and 1t was light enough
10 put out the candles, but they were left
burning. Presently a modest ray of sun
hgnt crept in and played upon the wall op-
posite. 1t seemed to be a signal for the
moment Mrs. Wyche's eyes fell upon it she
heard a sharp knock at the door. Jemimy
heard it, too, and ran to push eek the
thumb bolt. Quick as she had been. Mrs.
Wyche was by her side as she opened the
door Aaron was standing on the thres-
mold Mrs. Wyche held her breath as he
raised his hand and Jemimy leaned against
the wall with a moan.
All safe, all safe, mistiss. They're comm
IN the buggy. To Jemmy he said Get
cry
Did you go with father?" Mrs. wyche
asked.
Yes, mistiss."
Il knew it," said the lady The tona of
her voice was full of the liveiest graft
tude. Aaron bent his head, raised his hand
and was gone before they could ask any
particulars.
Mrs. Wyche would have called him back.
but at that moment she heard the sound of
buggy wheels, and she knew that the kid
mapped children had arrived. Before she
could dry her eyes. Sweetest Susan came
running and rushed into her mothers arms
with a glad cry; whereupon the mother felt
called upon to weep a little more, though
the tears that fell were far different
from those that fell in the dreary watches
of the night
Drusilla came in with less confidence. She
was not sure of her reception. ''Howdy,
nanny? Howdy, mistissr' she said, and
then looked at Jemimy
Come yer, gall" said Jemimy She turned
Drusilla around and inspected her carefully.
You amt hurt nowhar, is you?'
NO mr. eYplair inns
other thought struck her. Nanny, did
you cry much kaze 1 wus don losted?'
What 1 had ter cry fer?" exclaimed
Jemimy.
We'll, eff you'd "a been losted. I'd a.
cried,'' remarked Drusilla
At this Jemimy broke down. Look yer
Niger! You better stop foolin' wild me-
De mex time you do lax you done done,
I'm gwinter kill you. You hear dat?"
Whereupon Jemimy fiouted out and went
into the kitchen, where she went about
breakfast with surprising energy talking
to herself all the time
1t is impossible to describe the keen dis
appointment of Buster John when he came
down to breakfast and learned of the re-
markable events of the night He was dis
appointed, first, because he had not been
kidnapped with the rest; and, second be-
cause he had not been walked to join in the
search. He had an idea that he had been
treated unfairly, not by any particular per-
son or persons, but In some way 1t was
just his luck, he said, to be left out when
anything very interesting was going to hap
pen. He recalled the day he remained a.
home from school on some slight excuse,
and pack of hounds ran a gray fox right
up to the school house door and caught it
there; and little later the same day the
boys found a partridge nest right on the
verge of the playground. and the nest had
seventeen beautiful eggs in it. There We're
other occasions that he remembered, and
he said to himself and to others that ii was
pretty hard that girl should be having
10 u,
But Sweetest Susan declared that it
wasn't such a fine time after all. She was
asleep and didn't know anything about it,
Nevertheless, she felt that she had grown
In Importance by taking part in the adj
venture and she put on some of those airs
which are very cute in girls of her age, but
which are well. not so cute in grown
women
Buster John submitted to them with very
good grace, considering that he was a