The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-06-15


went through the kitchen his eyes
fell on the jug on the shelf. He took
1t down and smelled of it.
"Ah, offeecairel offeecaire!S she
walled, "dat be just a little sup 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 yo TAX dat, offeecaire, wat da
poor man do for hees dreenk to-mor-
row mornin'? Please leeve dat" The
officer could appreciate the situation.
He left it.
Aunt Charette stood at the door I'M
til the teams disappeared in the dusk
tar down the street.
A rough inventory at the storehouse
that evening indicated that Aunt Cha
rette had $500 worth of liquor in
stock.
The officers left word that Aunt
Cnarette must be at the office of the
local trial justice the next forenoon
at 8. rsr 81.
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 Charette's avoir.
dupois is disposed in most unwieldy
fashion. She was arrayed in her best
black dress. Uncle Charette-this
being a state occasion-had on his
long-tailed black coat. The faces Of
both were perfectly expressionless.
Evidently Aunt Charette had exhaust
ed all her emotion the afternoon be-
fore.
They sat side by side in the JUS
tees office mute, never moving, never
even turning their heads while all
the other cases of seizure were dis
posed of.
1t had been a wholesale raid through
the village. All the men and women
who had been raided owed money to
Aunt Charette. All gave bonds to
appear at the higher court. All went
away.
well. Mrs. Charette," said the JUS
tice, you are charged with single
sale, with nuisance and keeping a
tipping house. Have you any lawyer
or any defense to put in?"
To the surprise Of all Uncle Cha.
rette who had been all these years the
silent partner in this firm, was the one
to speak.
"She have no lawyer" said he;
"she have notins to say"
well, shall have to impose fines
amounting to about $500 on her." said
the justice. Aunt Charette gasped-
that was all. Uncle Charette said
nothing.
"You appeal, don't your" asked the
justice. "You know you can appeal
and give bonds and then your wife
won't have to go to Jail. You will
also have time to get money collected
to pay the fine"
eve don't do nottins tall bout dat
ting" said Uncle Charette doggedly.
What, you don't mean to say that
you are going to let your wife go down
to jail?" cried the justice. eff she
doesn't pay or give bonds she'll have
to go to Jail and await the sitting of
the court That is two months off.
Then she will have still more time
to serve in carrying out her sentence.
She is likely to stay there the most
of a year. Aunt Charette has been a
good wife to you, Uncle Charett.
Your home place stands in your name.
All you have to do is to sign her bonds
and then she can stay here till court
sits. And by that time you will
have chance to talk this thing over
with your friends. I'll make out the
bond"
mo-" declared Uncle Charette. EFF
yo' want to TAX her down to Jail she
go. She all dressed up. She go any
time"
Now, you and l and all the rest of
us know that this inst the way the
prohibition statute usually operates
and it isn't the way the authorities
like to have it operate. And then,
too. here was an old woman, who had
never been away from her home in
all her life, who had grown-up child
rem, who had knitted in that little
kitchen there in the village of Fort
Kent and had looked out through
her little window at the passers I'M
til she had become one of the local
! landmarks. There wasn't a person
in the Village who wanted to see her
J go down to Houlton in that manner.
But there she and Uncle Charette
sat without looking at each other.
| Every one knew that Aunt Charette
| had money enough to pay the fine.
/ Uncle Charette's name on the bond
would liberate her. Finally he said:
"She t'ink she batter go. She'll be
all FRAT. I'll kip house till she com
back. We've talk bout dat ting SOM
and we t'ink dat p'raps she batter go
down dere."
Well, under those circumstances
the law had to take its course. The
old couple shook hands on the plat
form outside the door. The husband
got into the crazy chaise and rode
away behind the fuzzy old white
horse. The deputy sheriff, after great
effort, boosted Aunt Charette in over
t the side of his piano-box buggy and
started on the sixty-mile drive to Carl.
bou, there to take the train for Houl.
ton.-Lewiston Journal.