Evening star., 1902-05-31

you er hack I'm wore plum ter er FRAGILE
totem babies on er pillow. l been at it
now twenty years-eben.' And so-and so
thar ye air. And thars the hack
He had begun with something of judicial
calm. He ended almost abjectly apologetic.
The hack" a roomy, 1eather-curtaned We
hiCle, drawn by span of spanking grays,
had halted in the middle of the road, ten
yards behind. Jim Polks oldest son, An
drew Jackson, drove it. He was fifteen and
called Attacks for short. Notwithstand-
ing there were still plenty of mudholes in
the big road the hack had come from town,
a matter of twelve miles, without getting
single splash upon its shiny wheels.
Attacks looked down at them with a grin
Of shame-faced pride. Silently, in uncouth
bOyish fashion. he loved his mother, and
his blooming elder sisters. He wanted
them to be dazzled and delighted by sight
Of the new equipage, without spot or blem-
ish
Joe Poole, the neighborhood wag, scram-
bled from his saddle to the seat beside
Attacks and began jumping up and down.
The new springs rebounded so strongly he
pretended to catch his breath as he said.
"Lordy! but she's er bouncer an er
jouncer, No mistakeI'
"Shet up, Joe! Them springs a'int mare
mite too strong. Riccolect Miss Sarah
weighs some herself. Then thars er whole
passel er children ter fill up cracks an
crevices-' Gray WoOten began:
Not ter name the pullets-eh! Teeny!'
Joe interrupted with wicked look at the
ing. Teeny flushed to the roots of his fair
hair. That made Joe laugh more than ever.
Holding his sides, he scuttered down from
the hack, and leaned against his horse as
he ran on in pretended aside: Boys. don't
you believe mare word Jim Polk says er-
bout totem babies on pliers an that sort
o thing. We all know he's done got so
used ter that ii gives him er crick in his off
shoulder ter ride long without one. But
sence his two oldest has growed up, the
pruttiest big gals in the county, nobody
CANT blame him fer wantin ter keep 'em
right under the ole hens wings"
Miss Sarah's husband laughed easily
You go pesterin' her chicks and you'll find
out" he said. ''Pertickler them that amt
eben got pinfeathers. She's got a mighty
feelin' heart, Miss Sarah has, for anything
little and weakly
''Ho, no, no! Then you're 'lected Teeny
weakly" Joe roared through a gale of
laughing. ''Lordy, but don't l wish l was
you"
You'll wish you ware somebody else'n
yourself in short-ef you don't lemme
lone, Teeny retorted his face an apoplec-
tic crimson. He stood six foot two in
stocking, and was the best shot and wrest-
Ter in the county. The ridiculous contrast
between his name and himself made him
specially sensitive. Joe, who was under
sized and something habby, automatically
shifted ground.
II never meant no harm by tellin' the
Gospel truth" He said: You all know 1t
is the truth. Man that amt much more n
half er man can court gal ridin' horse
back; he kin make up races an sech, an
run of with her whar the old folks CANT
say er word. So I'd say Jim Polk done
right ter buy this hack. no matter whut it
had cost him. But ef / had old man An
derson's passel I'd never spend one 5
cents for nothin' ter haul 'em round in /;
furthermo'. I'd set each one of 'em ridn'
by herself, eben eff she had ter ride er
steer
"Andersons gals air sinful ugly" Gray
admitted, judicially.
And sinfuler many" Joe added. Five
full grown and the two twins ia arly fryin'
size Teeny, you been keepin' the path hot
ter Anderson's ever since Christmas Tell
us, now-it's all between friends-which air
We settin' up to? Virginia-Tennessee, Caro-
hna-Texas. er Kansas-Nebraska? ?"
None of EN-" Teeny said, squaring his
shoulders impatiently. For year past he
mas been fathoms deep In love with Rowena
Day, Jim Folks second daughter; for more
than twice as long he had bashfully evaded
pursuit by the geographical Anderson vir-
gins, though fine fiber Of manliness had
made him refuse to admit the pursuit even
to himself.
Teeny had made no condolences. but Joe
knew pretty well how the land lay. He
plans for the June meeting, which lay
three weeks ahead His eyes twinkled with
merry malice he reterted: "Lemme tell
ye before I ferget. l promised 'em last
night you and med take 'em to June
meetin'. knowed you'd been taikin' Texas
OF late, wanted ter give We a little ex-
perience IN herdin'."
Jim Polk smiled. then frowned slightly.
0eared his throat and said: "Muln ss we