Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-06-11

4IMMa AAAa4 = NV Na
eTrunt, as far as that Ii concerned
but l thought I'd like 20 come up
ennyhoW an see how The place
looked, nov Betsey Il gone. 1 guess
il viii be pretty lonesome.
Silaa was still thinking out loud, In
this distracted manner Of his, when
he knocked at the front door.
"Come in" said Amasa's voice. and
Silas knew from the sudden draft
that the door had been opened. Il
hain't got no light ter-night, an 1
thought ef we didn't hev emmy you
wouldn't mind sittin' by the fireplace.
l think it is jest as pleasant an II
saves lie"
silas laughed. "Why don't you
burn some NV Aunt Betsey's taller
dips2" he asked. II reckon that d
had about a million w UNI made.
"Oh, no." replied Amasa, there
were only a few, an / am savin' ON
UNI for an emergency"
"Why can't you light n Nv them
famous dips an celebrate my coming
up?" asked Silas.
"Taller's mighty high, an a-goin
up every day." said Amasa, doubtful
ly. Dunno but 1 might, seem it's
you, eff you thought you'd take the
bush"
Amasa went to the cupboard and
after fumbling around for awhile re-
turned with a bit of a tallow candle
that had been made by dipping a
Irvine string repeatedly into hot tal-
low.
There" he said, triumphantly, as
he lighted it with a silver of a pine
knot, that is the fust n NV them
candles that / hev burned since Bet
sey died. My, amt it bright"
Bright" reiterated Silas, con-
tem~ptuously, winking and blinking
as though the feeble light hurt his
eyes. "Ef It warn't that Aunt Bet
sey made them dips I would advise
you to melt 'em up an use 'em ter
greese your boots with"
"You air extravigant, Mr.. Brown,
wasteful an extravigant," said
Amasa, "you won't never be rich"
81 don't want to be-" replied silas,
"but let's get to business. What do
you want to do about the sugar
bush?"
ITS a mighty fine bush, all on
the south side an easy to gather
includin' the sugar house." said
Amasa.
81 know it," replied silas, st is a
good bush, but what do you want
for it?"
"All I can git" said Amasa, IAN il
is worth more, it is dirt cheap at
more"
"Come, come" said Silas. 81 know
you want all you can git, an more
twice over, but let's stop this con
sarned dickering, an git ter bust
ness; what will you takeY"
"Wall," said Amasa, brought to the
point by the others imperative man
ner. at is worth more, but eff you
will give me three-fifths NV the sugar
YOU can hev the bush for this sea
SON."
81 won't do IT," said Silas, prompt
". "I won't gin in. 1t amt worth
It, but I will take it an gin half the
sugar-half an half, that's fair, an
that is the last grain NV sugar l vii
give"
Amasa argued, and expostulated
dwelling upon the merits of his bush
and the high price that sugar wa
sure to bring this season, but OF
that point the deacon was set.
81 amt like you, Amasa," he said
after the other had exhausted ever.
argument, and his opponent still
stood firm. 81 make my price an
then stick to IL, that's me-"
"You want ter rob me-" whine'
r Amasa, "you want ter git it TO
nuthin."
mo. I don't. I want jest what !
fair and square, an no more. That
b the way that / have allus done, an
I allus expect to-" said Silas.
"WaIl, it's too much, il is to
t much," replied Amasa. Il can't ei
T ford ter let it go fer that"
take It or leave it, them" reptile
the deacon, taking up his lantern
at is a fair offer fairly made, al
will be stood to, but eff you don
It want ter accept it, all right"
The deacon stood with one han
d on the latch, and waited for tn
l. miser. Amasa wavered.
"It's too much" he said. at las
l. "but I'll tell you what I'll do, I
# divide this way eff you want to tai
the place.
"You give me ~three-ffths of II
Il sugar, an you take t%wo-ffths, a
h. then l viii gin you half Nv n of n
It ffths. That's what I call a fair a
Il square deal, an right ter both nv u
o. but fer me ter gin you half is t.
D. much, too pesky much, an sugs
goin' ter be so high"
ig "Al right" said the deacon, aft
ID a minutes reelection, "Tn do
Is Shake hands on it, an call it a ba
GIN"
ne In the meager DON by the feeb
light of the tallow dip, the tv
shook hands upon the only fair al
h square deal that Amasa Holden HI
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