Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-09-29

tive:
''Well, I went, Miss Mary, an LE1
kAoVTs seed sights wild Aunt DinaAE
she's church member, but dent
sesm ter mex no difference ter hsx.
an her languidge sholy wuz eOa-
traptious. One night she tux hit "a
her hade she'd like ter see a preaeAses
an when lowed ez dere were no one
in I'VE miles, she said Lincoln Smith,
what taught school in de cabin back
OF de sugar house, was larnin' ter -
one, an he'd do bettern nothin'; %
went fur him.
She paused and drew long breath.
Hex you ever seed him, Miss Mary?"
Not for quite time
wv ], he wears good clothes an .
| shining collar an tie wild a dia-
Asnd pin in it an he talks book talk
what nobody kin understan,."
"Ah, he must be clever" said I,
for to be incomprehensibIe is to be
| fereibIe"
"Aa'am?" said Charlotte.
| Netting; go on.
"Fell, he cum over like I axed him,
a. he read outern de Bible reel COM
| tsrtin' all about de prodigy son an
| de century man what said ter dis
pUsson cum an he cumed, an ter
anoder pusson, CO. an he COED. An
AuAs Dinah went ter sleep in de mid.
| die of de readin', den he closed de
beck an axed me ter set by de fire
| an tell him about you ais an he Ma
an de chillun."
| Which, of course, you did,
"Yessum, an de mex night he cum
| agin, an den ev'ry night fur fo' weeks
an lowed ez he war reel kline ter
Aunt Dinah, but she SEE now dat she
'spicioned he he'd his eye on me frum
de fust.''
'tDid you think so, too, Charlotte2'
'tMe, Miss Mary" she said with
touching humility; ooh, .Lor' no,
what he gWine look at me fur? Z
amt no fancy niger; Z can't DO
nothin' but clean house an cook an
| wash.'
''That is a good DEAL. said admir-
ingly; for, after all, beauty is only
skin Deep"
'Yessum," said she, with pathetic
wisdom, "but hit goes a long way Wild
man; hoWsomever, hits all de same
| Ter me now"
did you talk much, Charlotte" I
| asked, for 1 was curious to know the
| process that had procured for her the
L
| Nom, amt saYin' nothin,; I Jest
sot an listened whilst he talked"
"You let him see how smart you
| thought he WASP"
80, yessum."
| Kate was right" I remarked; "she
said that a pot of incense was more
] effective than anything else, and Z be-
| live she knew"
| "Ma'am?" said Charlotte.
What did he say when he propos-
Hit was kinder suddint, Miss Mary.
| 1 wuz cookin' a 'possum what Mr..
| Ralph shot in the chicken house and
| sent ter Aunt Dinah. 7 wuz bakin'
| hit wild sweet potatoes and de smell
| sholy wuz nice, an Lincoln sez ter
| me, SEE he, Charlotte, you amt much
| on looks an lows ez folks expec' me
ter look highern you, but you sho1y
duz know how ter cook 'posSum;
| Charlotte SEE he, an he comes over
| ter de hyarth whar [ wuz standing;
Charlotte, Ise bin unsettled in my
| mine about you fur some time, but
Use concluded on de intimation now.
So SEE he, viii you marry me?'"
"And did you say yes at once?" I
| asked, hoping to hear of some exhibf-
| ton of proper spirit.
| 'Yessum," said Charlotte.
| when do you intend to be mar
ried?"
week after mex I lowed ez it wuz
a good plan ter hev hit right away
fore he he'd time ter change his
mind''
ooh, Charlotte I cried, you
oughtn't to be so suspicious"
''Miss Mary" said Charlotte, 'tef I
wuz good lookin' like you IL, reckon
wouldn't be, but bein' ez hit is, Use
gwine ter hurry things up
| ''Have you told Priscilla yet?''
''No'm;" and into her eyes came a
set and determined look, 'but Use
laid off in my mind ter tell her terday
an dere amt no use of heC rarin
neider, kase Use gwine ter marry
| Lincoln, no matter what he ma sez.'
L arose and invited Charlotte in
doors and when she departed short
while later she carried bundle OF
my cast-of finery with her.
On her way out of the yard she
stopped at the kitchen to break her
cruel tidings to Priscilla; I mean
while had fed to the flower garden,
for knew Priscilla would soon seek
me out to rave against Charlotte, and
4 = AOROO " CSCdpO hSTs v 11D
thought I was stretched at full
length on a bench, staring up through
the sweet-olive branches at the blue
blue sky beyond, when the garden
gate banged violently, and down the
| path, her head handkerchief tilted tc
one side, and her eyes flaming, came
| Lincoln'S mother
| Priscilla" I said, as she reached
me, collecting my moral strength &c
grapple with her. 81 suppose you have
rushed out here to abuse Charlotte to
me, but as I have not the slightest in.
tention of listening to you, you nigh
as well go away
Miss Mary said Priscilla will
concentrated bitterness, dat outda.
c1ous niger gal done hoodooed m3
boy; he never would hev looked at. he1
without hit: she done Numbered him.
"All mothers say that replied un.
J alphabetically; ''to tall you tn.
/ truth, think Charlotte is much Tor,
to be pitied than your son, for fron
what I hear of him I think he 1us
be very vain and coneeited fellow
and that kind does not usually ID ak
rood husbands