The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-26

4OGG. DuN IkOStis NC v ~
Rogers wife. she just sort Of gasps, and
looks at Liza Sam. so scared she don't
know what to do. 81 don't know what he'll
say" says she; hell wake up pretty soon
and reach out for it, and it's the last bottle
but one, and l just fetched 1t up stairs"
'.The last bottle but one?" says Liza Sam
"Yes." says Rogers wife.
where is that last one?' says Liza Sam.
Down cellar" says Rogers wife kind Of
feeble. shall fetch it up?" says she.
Fetch up your grandmother" says Liza
Sam, and down cellar she goes, and crash
goes that last bottle of port wine into the
coal bin. And then she comes up into the
sitting room all of a twinkle, and she told
Rogers wife what she meant to do. They
knew about when old Captain Richard
would be along, near 5 o'clock. That would
give him time 10 get home 10 tea. The old
captain was very regular in his habits. He
had tea summer and winter at 6 o'clock.
and he wouldn't let anything make him a
minute late.
Well, what happened finally was when
old Captain Richard Little came riding in
to the yard, he always rode horseback ex-
cept when he was on his way to and from
AicclluE, SOluCDOuy bhde AOOhON JUST Jas
Roger, had on his coat and his hat, and
was just about his size, and sat in saddle
in a way he had. but wasn't Roger, but
Liza Sam in his clothes, rode out of the
yard like a spirit on Rogers black horse
right under his nose. The captain came
In just the second after Liza went out.
Hello, hello, Roger!' yells the captain.
But Roger he didn't seem to hear. Then
the captain went ariding after. and she
flew. The old captain he tried to catch
up, till they'd both most got to South
ridge, then he happened to remember that
he'd be late to tea, II he went any farther,
and he turned around and rode back. He
just stopped long enough at Rogers to
boiler to Ada, that he guessed Roger would
be able to go to the trial next day, if he
rode as fast as he was doing now. You
see he thoroughly believed Roger was
headed for Southridge on business about
the trial, then he fetched a big laugh, and
rode on, leaving Rogers wife most faint
ing. She staid on in the yard till Liza Sam
came back. She didn't dare go in the house
for fear Roger would wake up and be cross.
because the wine was gone, let alone his
clothes. But he didn't wake up till Liza
Was tutIt, duQ Sldnuiu6 oNST nlll. OHc
didn't wait to change his clothes, when
poor Ada told her he was stirring and
calling out for more wine, and Roger, when
he saw that good, handsome woman stand
ing over him in the clothes he'd ~disgraced
must have thought something had hap
pened. Anyway, half drunk as he was, he
lay still and listened to what she said.
She didn't spare him, not a mite. She told
him Just what he was. Well the upshot
of it was Roger Little, he turned over a
new leaf. He went to the trial next day,
and he won his case. Then that same
night he went to the old captain and he
made a clean breast of What had happened
the day before, and what Liza Sam had
done. It's the first and last time that a
woman is going to run away for me from
my own father. says he. Roger Little has
lone as we'll as anybody could expect ever
and he tends to business as well as a man
of his turn ever could. He's made quite
a name for himself. Sometimes he's fish
ing when he ought to be studying, but he
always fetches UP to the courtroom.
Mebbe if he wasn't himself he might be a
Choate or a Webster, but as it is he does
pretty we'll, and we're proud of him, and
it's all due to Liza Sam.
Years ago when Liza Sam and I were
boys and girls-we weren't over sixteen
I used to think she was the p~rettiest
girl anywhere about. Once I sent her a
valentine, spent every cent of that money
I'd saved to go to the circus, but / never
| got much satisfaction out of it. She never
let on she'd had a valentine, much less
| thanked me for it. 1 didn't put my name
to ii. I was too bashful, and maybe she
never knew where It came from, but I
supposed she would.
1 used to go home with Liza Sam be-
| fore 1 went home with any other girl, but
L was always too afraid of her to kiss her
goodbye when we got to her fathers gate.
All my life. off and on, l have been see
ing Eliza Sam home from meeting and
| sewing meetings, and things, and plan
ming between whites how / would kiss her
at the gate, but L never dared. 1 had an
idea that Eliza Sam of all women would
be angry, or laugh at me. 1 didn't know
| which, but l was sure it would be one Of
the two.
But at last one night in June we had
said good night, and all of a sudden /
picked up courage. l said good night over
| again, then L caught hold of her arm, as
big as mine in her purple silk sleeve. and
/ kissed her. Good night, Liza" says
L. Then 1 waited, I didn't know for what.
But all she did was TO say, Good night,
Caleb and walk into the house-and Liza
Sam and L are going to get married be-
fore long, though We haven't told the
neighbors.