St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-07-08

sonny" i looked up at him, an locke,
away quick. i Dunno says, diggin
my big toe into the dust; an then,
dunno how | got the spunk to. for
was shyer'n a rat, guess | was thinkin
bout mendin' t:.at fence up in the ten
acre lot IS much & anythin',' says.
"'Ain't you goin' to the cirkis,' h,
says.
II amt got no money TO go to cir
kises,' l says, rubbin' the dusty toes o
one foot over t'other, nor nothin' else,
/ says.
'Wa'al,' he says. why don't yol
crawl under the canvas?
THAT kind O. riled me, shy 5 was
I don't crawl under no canvases.'
says. If / can't 20 in same $ othei
folks, Ill stay out, i says, lookin' squar'
at him fer the fust time. He wan
eXac'ly smilin', but the was look il
his eyes that was the next thing to it.
s'Lordy me!" sighed Mrs. Cullom, a.
il to herself. ..How well can remem
Der that look: jest as if he was laughin
at ye. an want laughin' at ye, an his
arm around your neck!"
pathy, and rubbed his bald poll with
the back of his hand.
..Wa'al," interjected the widow.
"Wa'al," said David, resuming, he
says to me: Would you like to 60 to
the cirkis" and with that it occurred
to me that j did want to go to that
cirkis more'n anythin' l ever wanted to
bcfore-nor since, it seems to me. But
I tell We the truth, 1 was so far FIN
espectin' to so t l really hadn't
knowed / wanted to. 1 looked at him
an then down again, an began ten
derin' up a stun-bruise on one heel
agin the other instep, an all says was.
bein SO dum'd shy: L Dunno | says.
But guess he seen in my face what my
feelin's was, fer he kind o. laughed an
pulled out half a dollar an says: d
you think you could git a couple o.
tickits in that crowd? If you kin, l
think Ill go myself, but don't want
to git my boots all DUST he says I
allowed 1 cd try; an | guess them
bare feet o. mine tore up the dust some
gettin' over to the wagin. Wa'al, / had
another scare gettin' the tickits, fer
fear some one that knowed me d see
me with half dollar, an think i
must "a stole the money. But I got
'em an carried 'em back to him. He
got off about a rod or so an stopped an
looked back. Amt you comin'T he
says.
BE goin' with you?' l says.
"'Why not?' he says, ''nless you'd
ruther go alone an he put his finger
an thumb into his vest pocket. Wa'al,
ma am, looked at him minute. with
his shiny hat an boots, an fine clo'es.
an gold pin, an thought of my ragged
Ole shirt, an cotton pants, an old chip
nat with the brim most gone, an my
in pail an all. i amt fit to- / says,
ready to cry-an'-wa'al, he jest
laughed, an says: Nonsense he says.
come along. a man needn't be ashamed
II his workin' clo'es,' he says, an I'm
1um'd if he didn't take holt of my
yether.
"Wa'al," he went on after a little
pause, Il was ready to sink into the
ground with shyness Mt fust. but that
wore off some after a little, an we two
seen the hull show, / tell We. We
walked round the cages, an we fed the
,rphant-that is, he bought the stuff
IN fed him. 1 'member-he, he, he.-
he says: Mind you git the right
nd he says. an then we got couple o.
seats, an the doin's begun"
The widow was looking at David with
Inning eyes, and devouring his words.
III the years of trouble and sorrow
nd privation were wiped out, and she
vas back in the days of her girlhood.
Il amt goin' TO 60 over the hull
how" proceeded David, .'well S 1 re
it. The didn't nothin' git away
rom me that afternoon, am once /
ONE near to stickin' a piece o. ginger
read into my ear stead o. my mouth. |
had my ten-cent piece that Billy p.
i've me, but he wouldn't let me buy
lothin'; an when the gingerbread |
nan come along he says: Air We hum
,ry, Dave" I'D told him my name).
Air We hungry" Wa'al, was a CROWN
oy, an l was hungry putty much all
he time. He bought two big squares
n gin me one.
''Wa'al," he went on. I'VE done the
ull ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, lemon
de-pink lemonade, an he took some
that-popcorn, peanuts, pep'mint
andy, cin'mun candy-scat my -.
n he payin' fer ev'rythin'-I thought
e was jest made o. money! An re
lember how we talked about all the
oin's; the ridin', an jumpin', an sum-
lersetin', an all-fer he'd got all the
hyniss out of me for the time-an'
nee | looked up at him, an he looked
own at me with that curious look in
is eyes an put his handcn my shonl-
er. Wa'al, now. | tell ye. had a
aeer, crinkly feelin' go up an down
y back. an like to up an cried.
"Wa'al, the cirkis fin1y come to an
nd. an the crowd hustled to git out
ii they was afraid the tent'd come
own on 'em. | got kind o. mixed up
'em. an somebody tried to git my
n pail, or | thought he did, an the
pshot was that lost sight O. Billy r,
nd couldn't make out to ketch a
impse of him nowhere. An then
ind o come down to earth. kerchung!
was five o'clock, an 1 had better'n
,ur miles to waik-mostly up hill
n if knowed anything bout the old
ian. an 1 thought did, had the all
redest ickin' ahead of me t I'd ever
1t. an that was sayin' good des1.
ut. boy S l was. had grit enough to
low twas wuth it. an of / put"
Did he lick yer much:" inquired
rs. Cullom, anxiously.
"Wa'al replied David, '.he done his
st. He was layin' fer me when L
ruck the front gateII knowed it
ant no use to try the back door, an ,
, took me by the car-most pulled 1t
f-an' marched me on to the barn
led without word. never seen him
mad. Seemed like he couldn't speak