The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22
AUNT CHARETTE.


They had raided Aunt Charette In an
swer to repeated complaints from the re-
spectacle element in Fort Kent the officers
had come up there and had swooped on the
liquor dealers. And chief among the
liquor dealers was Aunt Charette. In
fact. she was the local wholesaler. she
was thrifty. was Aunt Charette. She had
credit Sne could roll in $500 worth OF
''morson." or white rum, at one time.
The smaller dealers up aud down the St
John from St Francis to Frenchville found
it more convenient to buy Of her.
Cold beads and a black silk dress O.
Sundays did Aunt Charette 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
be a man from CoDnor with grey wool
trousers and peaked cap. Another would
be a Frenchville citizen with empty jugs
under the seat OF his narrow blackboard.
They told her whether they wanted NOR
son OF cherry rum or "wheesk" or alco-
hol. Then Aunt Charette went out in the
little dark lean-to shed and ratified the
tunnel and cllnked the jugs, and at last
came pudging back with broad smile be-
tween her big gold earrings.
And she always knew whether to give
or refuse credit. Ali sorts OF queer ac-
counts had she-seattered all over the
countryside.
Uncle Charette was very silent partner
in the firm. He used to tell the priest that
he had tried and tried to induce Aunt Cha
rette to give up the business OF selling
liquor Still Uncle Charette had covered
years before that he would not have to go
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 groceries. Twice
a year Aunt Charette purchased new wool
trousers of Canadian grey. AS for his long
tailed coat. Uncle Charette seemed unable
to wear that out for the reason that most
of the time he went about in his shirt
sleeves.
And though Uncle Charette never went
out into the dark leanto. still on a ooruer
OF the kitchen shelf stood a little eartheu
jug that Aunt Charette never allowed to
be less than half full OF brandy. She had
to pour some into It from the key every
day Uncle Charette declared that it help
ed his rheumatism.
When the officers came riding up 10 the
door on a big sled drawn by two horses
and ran in without knocking, Aunt Cha
rette chung to the arms Of her chair.
lie bon Dieul wat ees eet?" she cried
Aunt Charette. you've been complained
against" said the local deputy sheriff,
and we've got to take what stuff you've
got on the premises. I suppose it's all in
the leanto, as usual.
When the discovery is made in prohibit
ton Maine that there is liquor selling in
community the local deputy is usually well
acquainted with the location OF all the Ii
quor deposits.
wat" screamed Aunt Charette but in
sorrow, not in anger. Wat! tax
ma leetle stock? Why, m'sieu. 20 cant do
nottains lax dat. l geet ma pairmeet from
dat man-w'at 20 call heem. de Comfy
Attornee. Here-here-here it be, ana
with trembling hand she poked under the
deputy's nose the receipt showing that she
had paid a fine at the last term Of court.
She Insisted that it was a permit 10 sell
liquor. Aunt Charette believed that 1t was.
Il hain't got anything to with that,
said the deputy. I've got search war
rant. and I'm ordered to search and seize.
He ducked past and started for the
Ieanto And Aunt Charette, her keys
jangling. her hands appraised. her tongue
flying like a shuttle, followed on his heels.
Uncle Charette sat wholly silent in cor
ner. The only sign OF emotion he displayed
was to blink every thirty seconds. So alb
solutelv impassive was he that 1, unseen,
took his photograph in a twenty seconds
exposure. and there wasn't smOOch on
the negative.
Aunt Charette protested against opening
the door. The deputy, with one blow Of
his boot shattered the lock. Then he and
his men rolled out the barrels and the kegs
and the demijohns. Aunt ChaTette. as they
laid their hands on each article, screamed,
''Ah mon Dieui Non! non. You've taken
enough, Leeve dat wan-leeve dat wan!
But the officers were inexorable. Ihey
rolled everything out. They had to send
for another sled. There were loads for
two heavy teams The last man to 90 out
was the deputy with a jug. the last he
could find. He had dug out the remotest
corner. As he went through the kitchen
his eyes fell on the jug on the shelf He
took it down and smelled Of it.
"Ah. offeecaire, Offeecaire,' walled Aunt
Charette. dat be Just de little SUD of
brandy for poor M'sieu Charette. dat poor
man dat set dere. Don TAX dat"
Uncle Charette. pulling at his pipe. only
blinked an extra time or SO.
"Eef 20 tax dat, offeecaire, wat dat
poor man do 10 bees dreenk tomorrow
mornin'? Please leeve dat The officer
could appreciate the situation. He left it
Aunt Charette stood at the door until
the teams disappeared in the dusk far down
the street.
rough inventory at the stOrehOuse that
evening indicated that Aunt Charette had
s7C0 worth Of liquor in stock.
The officers left word that Aunt Charette
must be at the office of the local trial jus
tice the next forenoon at o'clock.
At O'Clock Uncle Charette eased her
down out of the Old fashioned chaise onto
the platform before the Justices office. 1t
was a slow and tedious job. for Aunt Cha
rette's avoirdupois is disposed in most IN
wieldy fashion She was arrayed in her
best black dress. Uncle Charette-this be-
ing a state occasion-had on his lOug-taiied
black coat The faces Of both were per-
fectly expressionless. Evidently Aunt Cha