The National tribune., 1900-05-24

Plenty o nice gals'd snap yo' up in a
minnit: Stand up thar agin, and le' me
see yo'"
Shorty did so. and she scanned him by
the light of siragging moonbeam
"Yo' appear ter te a very well-favored
man." she announced. %kir vo' ingaSed.
or have yo' bin kcepin' stiddy company
with ary gal?'
NO, indeed, I've bin in the army ever
sence growed up"
Shorty noticed that there was a queer
interruption to her sentences that he could
! not account for. Her words would become
muttcd, rs If by something in her mouth.
How do yo' like this part O. the coun-
try" she asked, tentatively.
Splendid"
Would yo' ike ter settle down hyah
"Nothin'' would suit me better" Shorty
promptly lied.
Me and sister owns this 25O acre farm"
she said muSinGly Il need a nice. likely
young man. ter take keer of me and hit,
and keep mt from gwine ter wrack and
ruin, and look arter the lazy nig2ers."
Great Jehoscphat." shuddered Shorty;
"She may have a minister back there in the
house, and marry me before kin git away
but m goin' TO nave some grub for the
! boys, first"
"What'd yo' say. yer name was, an
what riJimint do yo' belong ter?" she asked
Shorty repeated the old story Of belong
ing to Col. Whately's regiment. and Cap
Cudlip's company
"Cap'n Aston CudIip," she said with
establishment. Why, he's my cousin by
'aarriage- married Sally Harkness. my
own cousin. I'm cxpectin' him hyah
every minnit. Eve done bin watchin' the
road fer him while I've bin settin' out hyah
/ talttIn' ter yo'. NO' see we hain't seed him
sence the war begun. He sent us word
this mornin' that his rijimint'd bin ordered
ter Atlanty, and that he'd send his COM
pany on the railroad, under IOotenant
Pringle, but that he and two or three other
cousins of our'n d ride acrost the country,
critter back, and visit MS, and then go over
Ter the Atlanty railroad and take the kears
from thar. Sister Sally-she that his
Wife's named arter-'s bin cookin' fer him
all day. She's got the table sot, all ready
fer him and his friends, and the kittie
bilin' on the fire. I've bin watchin' ter see
him raise that hill over yander."
The other woman came out with 4 couple
Of pillows and q blanket in her hand.
Sister May" she said, 1--WE done dosed
them boys with peppermint tea, until
they're cured. but they'uns s in no con-
dition ter travel sich a night as this? Do
yo' know that they ackchelly belong to
Cap'n Cudlip's company? Well, they'uns
do l thought that they could lay down
hyah on the porch till Cap'n Cudiip come
with 'em'
Sandy and Pete came out behind her,
looking scared and confused, and trying
to see Shorty, and catch some hint from
his eye.
Miss May" said Shorty, rising, and
looking over toward the tail sweep. I'm
powerful thirsty. Is thar anything thar
at the well ter drink outen%
No. she answered, "but I'll go inside
an git yo' gourd."
She turned and walked into the house.
Shorty sgrang up. the steps and seized the
horn. Come on. boys, quick" he shouted.
81 leaped up the steps, and caught the
elder woman around her waist and plI,
his hand over her mouth to keep her from
screaming. Shorty rushed after the other
woman, and for a moment stood aghast al
the picture revealed by the Struggling
beams of the weaving lamp. Instead OF the
fair young creature he had imagined. he
saw tall, bony, weather-beaten woman,
with scrawny face and form, squirting
eyes, and a snuff-stick in her hand. This
was what had made the Interruptions TO her
speech. But Shorty was a man of action,
who did not allow sentimental questions to
interfere at critical moments. He flung
his arm around her with a hug that sha
would probably remember as Tong as she
lived, folded her close to his bosom in an
embrace that did not lack for ardOr, what.
ever else it may have needed, slipped his
big hand over her snuff-begrimed mouth,
and shouted to the rest:
Clean off the table, boys, and DO ID
quicker'n scat"
CTo be continued)