The Afro-American advance., 1900-11-17

| AN ENFORCED CONCESSION.I
By Carl Louis Kingsbury.

to her indoor tasks. 1t was waSh-dayi
and she had just completed filling the
| tub on the bench by the door with
| fresh water when her mother called:
"Set the outsidel door open again,
won't you Abby? It's so hot in here
with the steam and all, ii seems as
| if should smother As Abby conf
piled she went on: Come in here
and sit down minute. Abigail, !
want TO talk to you."
Abby glanced at the stove. Il must
go and cut some wood pretty soon,
ma. Pa didn't have time to cut any
this morning"
Its too bad. John docs have to
work so hardl' said Johns wife. MS
Abby took the seat that Trissy Ann
had so lately vacated. "And. Abigail.
I do feel real troubled nbottt the chill
dren in this neighborhood that have
TO walk so far to school when the
cattle hfc getting SO fractious. You
heard tell the other day how one of
them run Mis- Staples clean out of
her own yard and into the houSef
! She said she'd have been killed. sure,
| if she hadn't streaked it for the house,
and even then, she was SO nigh caught
that the steer banged his head against
| the door after her"
81 heard Mis- Staples telling that"
| Abby acknowledged briefly. But
! there's no alfalfa field down round the
| schoolhouse. so there's nothing 10 tulc
them that way"
no, but there's lots of fields OH the
way. Why. those children have to
walk nearly two miles TO school Think
Of that,'
'Twont hurt 'cm." muttercd Abby
rather sullenly.
Mrs. Fcnton stlfied sigh that was
are selfish, Abigail" she said slowly
"But we all know that the folks round
here got up petition asking the coun-
| ty superintendent to form u new dis
| trict, so the children wouldn't have
TO go so far. and he came out here
and looked the ground over, and said
he'd grant the petition if the folks
could get an acre of land for school
ground in central location, and they
couldn't, so the plan all fell through" :"
well, you don't need 10 tell me
| all that. guess | knew 1t before,
replied her daughter, ungraciously.
| 4 reckon tiIdt nobody knows about
1t better than you do, Abby. but il
your grandma had willed that forty
to me instead of you. the schoolhouse
would be standing over there in that
| little grove on the corner, just across
the road-so handy!-instead Of where
| it is And the district was ready and
willing to pay you good price for
the land. Abby"
ITS all out to alfalfa, and alfalfa $
FIVE dollars ton," objected Abby.
How much do you suppose is raised
in that acre in the grove, anyway"
queried Mrs. Fenton. sharply.
Abby did not reply, but after little
she said, slowly: You think I'm self
ish, don't you, ma?'
1t was Mrs. Fenton's turn to re-
feet Week in, week out, month in.
month out, for five long years this
| girl beside her, with face too old
and hands too worn for her years,
had borne the heavy burden of care
for a household which comprised an
invalid mother and rebellious, grow
ing children. Perhaps she herself had
not always done what she could 10
make the girls burden lighter. AMI
she resented her mothers willing tie
bit of land to Abby instead Of to her
self
"No, you amt selfish, Abby" sic
said. at last. Il reckon maybe you're
contrary sometimes, though"
II am Abby admitted, candidly.
I'm just ugly that way. The more
anybody urges me the more set / get.
Land, what's that?"
Something in the kitchen had fallen
to the floor with a resounding crash;
the crash was followed by splash
as of miniature tidal wave. Abby,
springing to the door, stified scream
at what she saw.
What is it, childT' demanded her
mother, struggling TO rise.
Lie still. MAJ Abby commanded.
ITS that old white COW of the Triangle
Bar outfit"
What" Mrs. Fenton's face grew
shade whittier. "Why, she's the most
dangerous critter in the whole coun-
try, Can you see any more Of 'em:"
''No; l reckon she's alone. ] expect
she was after the water in the tuh.
She's standing in the doorway yet"
and with this explanation, Abby Nc
gan TO wave her arms. "Shoo. Wl@y!
Get out.' she commanded, shrillya
The COW, with a low below Of stic
fiance, stood her ground. Mrs. Fen
ton. who had succeeded in sitting up,
whispered fearfully: what il she
should take notion to come in here,
Abby:"
Shed take n notion to go out
! againw declared Abby. The girl
seized a stick of firewOod and hurled
it at the brute's head. The COW ac-
knowledged the attention with another
ominOus below, and put one hoof on
the door-sill Abby glanced quickly
round in search of some weapon of
defense The only thing at hand was
chair, which she caught up. Swing
| ing it above her head, she advanced
l Wy q