The leader., 1900-08-22

"Lud, man! with this the Teller 1
sprIng often the ladder en- made fer /
the open winder by the fire place en-
fer the fust time hit dawned ON me,
that the stranger wuz er walkin' in
his sleep Well, sir! | lit out over the
foot NV the bed, en- Pearly screeched ez
flounced over him, en- his pa ris en-
come out on tother side, Jest in time /,
ter see the stranger sail out that win
der like or kite before the March wind, |
Now / wuz maxim a dive ter beat
him to the winder, en- fairly screamed
ez he went out, 'mau-er-live. yell tear
down me ash hopper. en- break up me
settin' hem
But twant no use! | heerd me ash
hopper crash en- me ole hen squeak, en-,
ladies en- gentmun, he scrambled round
in that ash hopper till he hit the
ground, en- no sooner en- he done this,
Rather nailed him, en- here they had it,
round en- round, en- tusseled en- snap
ped till at last the stranger jecked
loose, made err powerful lunge en- leap
ed back through the winder jest eZ ]
showed me head out ter speak ter the
dog. Be this time the two gals had riZ
en- wuz darten er bout in the room like
skcered patterges, err tryin' to git some
whar: en- Pearly wuz er jumpin" up en-
down in the middle NV the floor, er
yelpin like VOLTS cub. All in
ther sleepin' epperel; whilst the
stranger wuZ CT dodgin' er bout,
tryin' to git through the crowd
to the ladder ergin. En- the ole man
wuz seizin' him by fust one arm en-
then tother, en- the Teller wuz er ierkin
en- or strugglin' SO till | thought me
ole man would be worked into er jelly
if | didn't iuterspose; SO | just stepped
forurds, ketched the Teller by the
shoulder, en- me ole man by the collar,
en- seq, now here. Mr.. Stranger, jest
hold up! Don't be so obstroporus en-
stop yer prowlin er bout here in yer
sleep: wake up now, man. en- go back
up stairs en- rest yersef en- I'll make pa
| fetch er cool drink NV water, fer |
/ know We er thirsty after all this rucus.
/ He WIZ wide err wake now, en- looked
awful obhusterCated, fer he wuZ er
sorry lookin partner, tell ye! But |
wuZ sorry fer him, notwithstanding |
knowed the renegade had broke up me
ole yaller hen, en- tore up me ash hop
per en- perhaps crippled hisself fer life,
fer | seed he limped smartly eZ he went
up stairs, like he might have unlimited
some NV his limbs.
$50 Just tole the ole man to take
him some cool water, en- see eff he wuz
bruised up much, en- I'd look after the
ship wreck under the winder, git the
gals out from under my bed, whore
! they wuz er crouchin like skeered rab-
bits, en- stop Pearly's screamin' like er
wild cat. sister, | seq, you en- Lady
come out from under that bed. en- less
/ see, seq |, 'ef that prowlin rascal has
rally sot his foot on the back NV me
/ pore ole yaller COachin chiny settin'
i hen. that Sister Puss gin me fer err
present on partin' with her. No. yer
amt Puss would never git over it.
she'd never survive it ef she knowed
what the end Nv her fayorte hen WIZ.
But faint no use ter cry bout hit, gals,
ser, Ill jest reach down in the nest
ell see ef there's eny hopes Nv her left,
but her squeakin' WIZ that nv smash
ed chicken when last heerd her.
"Weil, the moon wuz er shinin', en- |
could see the ash hopper WIZ putten
nigh tore up, root en- branch, en- Ell |
leaned out the winder en- retchcd down,
er feelin round fer me ole hen. some
how or mother. Pearly fell agin me, en-
lost my balance, en- man. what should
do but turn heels over head into the
devilish nest, restin' fer Ell full minute
on me head, with the out smellinest
material NV settin' eggs, scrambled in
Stacked ashes surroundin my brow.
Presently | topped over on to the
ground, en- Rather, fer he wuz still er
settin by jest took er sniff at me en-
sidled off in disgust, ez much Ell ter
say, The theatre i'll the ash hopper ter
night wuZ jest fine.
But man er-live. when went outen
that winder er turnin' summer salts, |
Pearly ca them gals Jest screeched Ell
screened en- Phil Fender, en- Bud. en-
his pa come er runnin' outcn the loft /.
like rabbits, smoked outen cr holler: |
whilst the stranger, set on the top roun' /
nv the ladder with his feet hangin T.
down, coolly revi"win' the family re /
union ut the door, fer haint no idee NV
going back thro that Wiuder, known |.
I'd have ter pass thrO the ash hopper .
En-, ladies en- geutmun, WuZ er sorry
plight to behole! with smashed scttin' /
eggs ground in oHslackei ashes. Ma +
airc ye hurt much ole uOmue. What +
in the smoi.n is the matter with yc?
Miss Ward. aive We bruised m..ch:'
aNed tn childun, me ole man. en- Ph | /
matter: bru sed:' ] sel in response .
I'm wuss than killed! But when they
seed | WIZ 81 breathin' Twin imige
they sIoped off to bed agiu,
An now, I'll tell yc why my heads a
settin' to one side in the picter. While
/ wuz er standin on it in the ash hop
per, Thought I'd be killed, Ell | said
my prayers. SEE Just 50. We'll, Lord |
I'm gwine ter loose my life in this dew
ilish ash hopper, Ell I'll never lay me
eyes on Sister Puss agin.' En- I'll not
git my pictcr took no more en- it is now
En- Pearly will be beat to death in
less than no time, fer | know his pa
will marry ergin.' En-, man! this GIN
me new strength, jest braced mysef,
give my hands a little more purchase,