Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-06-14
AUNT CHARETTE.

They had rnided Aunt Charette. In
snswer to repeated complaints from
the respectable element In Fort Kent
the officers had come up there and
had swooped down ON the liquor deal
ers. And chief among the liquor deal
srs was Aunt Charette. In fact, she
was the local Wholesaler. She was
thrifty, was Aunt Charette. She had
credit. She could roll $500 worth Of
"norson." or white rum, ut one time.
The smaller dealers UP and down tho
ct. John from st. Francis to French.
VILE found It more convenient to buy
Of her.
Gold beads and q black silk dress o
Sunday did Aunt Charstte wear.
Broad was she, with amplitude Of
waist and scarcity Of lap. She sat all
day long In her little sitting room
and interrupted her knitting only long
enough to answer calls at the door.
Sometimes the caller would he q man
from Connor with gray wool trousers
and peaked cap. Another would be
a Frenchville citizen with empty jugs
under the seat Of his narrow buck
board.
They told her whether they wanted
morson or cherry rum or "whecsk"
or alcohol. Then Aunt Charette went
out In the little dark ioanto shel and
rattleA the funnel and clinked the
jugs, and at last cane pudginE back
with 4 broad smile between her big
earrings.
And she always knew whether to
give or refuse credit. All sorts Of
queer accounts had she---scattereA all
over the countryside.
Uncle Charette was q very silent
partner In the hrm. He used to tell
the priest that he had tried and tried
to induce Aunt Charette to give UP tho
business Of selling liquor. Still Uncle
Charette had discovered years before
that he would not have to 70 into the
woods winters any more; that there
was always spare change for him to
buy his tobacco; that he was never
asked to earn any money for the gro
ceries. Twice q year Aunt Charette
purchased new wool trousers Of Can
adian gray. As for his long tailed coat,
Uncle Chnrette seemed unable to wear
that out fer the reason that the most
Of the time he went about In bis shirt
sleeves.
And though Uncle Charette never
went out into the dark leanto, still on
Q corner of the kitchen shelf stood a
little earthen jug that Aunt Charette
never allowed to be less than half full
Of brandy. She had to pour some into
II from the keg every day. Uncle Cha.
rette declared that 1t helped his rheu.
matism.
When tho omcers came riding up
to the door on q big sled drawn by
two horses and ran In without knock
Ing. Aunt Charette clung to the arms
OF hor chair.
lie bon Dieu! wat ees eet!" she
cried.
Aunt Charette, you've been com.
planned against" said tho local deputy
sherif. and we've got to take what
stun you've got on the promises. I
suppose It's all in the leanto, as usu.
ali"
When the discovery Is mado In pro.
hibition Maine that there ia liquor
selling in a community the local dep.
uty is usually woll acquainted with
tho location Of all tho liquor deposits.
"Wat!" screamed Aunt Charetto,
but In sorrow, not In anger. wat!
TAX ma leotlo stock! Why, m'sieu,
20 can't do nottains LAX dat. seet
ma psirmeer from dat man--wat 20
call heer, de county attornoe. Here
-hore-here 1t be-" and with trem.
bling hand she pokel uAder the dep.
uty's nose the receipt showing that
she had paid 4 nne at the last term
Of court. She insisted that It was
. permit to sell liquor. Aunt Charette
believed that It was.
II hain't got anything to do with
that" said the deputy. I've got Q
search warrant, and I'm ordered to
search and seize"
He ducked past and started for the
leanto. And Aunt Charette, her keys
jangiiag, her hands upraised, her
tongue Aying like 4 shuttle. followed
on bis heels. Uncle Charette sat
wholly silent In q corner. The only
sign Of emotion he displayed was to
blink every thirty seconds. 90 abso-
luSeiy impassive was he that I, un.
soon, took his photograph in a twenty
seconds exposure and there wasn't q
smooch on the n"-"''ve.
Aunt Charet' acted against