Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-06-08

come the minister. Dear mel guess
! he's heard something, he looks so
: sober"
Rev Mr.. Fletcher seated himself and
regarded Miss keturah reproachfully.
Il am very much surprised he be-
gan, that is to say, / am greatly
panied to learn of your very extraor-
binary conduct this afternoon"
Then you have heard of il? They
say bad news travels fast" and Miss
keturah laughed. "You don't know
what fun it has been. 1 never did ANY,
thing like it in my whole life before.
But think ii does anyone good to let
themselves go once in awhile. Don't
you think SOP" She looked at him
frankly. sSsrzatax-.s-.S-s..--.l. =. - 60
mo, indeed" he answered, sternly.
Il certainly do not think so. Do YOU
; realize what you have done ?-what an
amount Of harm that never can be un-
f, done?"
We'll, they had no business to tell
| me the things they do. 1 didn't tell
/ anything but the truth. They come to
me and tell me these things and ex-
pect me TO keep them. They make a
regular moral rag bag of me. After a
time, If you keep stuffing a rag bag.
| IL has either got to burst or run over
I've done one of the two to-day. I'm
not quite sure which, but, anyway, it
has been very interesting-very."
| The minister looked at her in horri-
fed amazement. at would almost
seem like case of demoniacal posses
sion," he muttered. 81 don't think you
even yet understand the enormity of
your offense," he added. "You have
broken up friendships and wounded
people cruelty. You have even, in one
| case, come between husband and wife -
rs that SOP" said Miss Keturah,
| eagerly. Il didn't know how i had
| done that. Do tell me about it. Well,
If you won't, wouldn't you like to have
me tell you what folks say about you?''
For an instant an expression of
eager curiosity crossed the minister's
face, but it was gone in a moment.
| NO." he said, quickly, 81 10 not care to
hear anything of the kind"
Miss Keturah laughed. when you
said that you looked just as Mrs.
Barnes says you look in the pulpit.
You always thought considerable of
Mrs. Barnes, didn't you? Well, she
says that when you are preaching you
look just like an old woodchuck. And
Lydia says that If she had the winding
you up for your sermons to do, she'd
| manage 1T so that you'd run down in
| a little less than IS minutes Miss
Gates says that as a cure for insomnia
but Miss Keturah was talking to an
empty chair, for the minister had fed.
Perhaps his words began to have
some effect on her, and perhaps she
was tired from her unusual excite
| ment. At any rate, she began to feel
| twinges of remorse.
"Demoniacal possession" she muir
INJURED. THAT must be It; was pos.
sessed. 1t was an awful thing to do.
Oh, dear, dear!" and she began TO cry.
| 81 might go around and tell folks that
they were all lies, but nobody would
| believe me-and they weren't lies,
either. What shall do?"
She wrung her hands and rocked her
self back and forth. Just then the
maltese kitten began to chase his tail.
Ii was a very playful kitten, and IL
II ''NeN ONCA tue MOOT. O1OOC u
ly 1t came directly toward Miss Ketu-
rah's chair and stopped under the
rockers. "Oh, / shall rock on youi"
she cried, springing up.
She woke with a start. "I dreamed
about the kitten" she said to herself
and Immediately her mind went back
to the dreadful thing she had done.
"Oh, how could do ftp" she walled.
How can bear it?" Tears were run
ming down her cheeks. "I-I wish ]
could diei'
Suddenly she sat up and looked
about her. 1t was dark as midnight.
"oh, OH" she cried out, joyfulIy. y
didn't do it. 1 didn't do II after all
That was dream, tool"
She reflected a little. no" she said
with decision, 81 didn't do it. IreaIly
didn't. But ] am not going to sleer
any more tonight. I'm afraid I'd go
to dreaming il again!" Cropping about
In the dark, she found her clothes and
dressed herself quickly. ct didn't do
it," she kept saying, softly.
Finally she wrapped quilt about
her and sat down in a rocking chair
She swayed slowly back and forth. and
In her heart was deep peace.
Oh" she sighed, 81 am so happy and
so thankful. 1t was an awful dream
1t was warning, emphatically. And
never, as long as live, will 1 ever eat
mince pie and cheese for supper
again"
In few moments she was sleeping
peacefully and dreaming in her chair
Sunny South.