The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-06

and breathless, her hour-smeared
apron telling of baking day, her bear
ing that of ponderous surprise. She
came to halt just beneath the branch
on which the venerable gentleman was
nerched, and the dog wagged her a
welcome and made another dash for
the fence. describing as he returned, a
circle. The man in the tree viewed her
advent with positive pleasure. He at
once connected Mrs. O'Hearn with the
ownership of the dog, and he was also
impressed that his position was absurd;
so, although his tones were pleasant,
chagrin was somewhere apparent.
My dear woman, if you will call off
your dog you will oblige me greatly.
l must confess to trespassing here, but
an accident forced us to stop, and
was attracted by some wild flowers,
and so invaded your domain"
He smiled genially conscious that he
had put the case concisely at least,
while Mrs. O'Hearn. with an authorita-
tive, "be shut, now" forced Nicode-
mas to lie down, although his body still
quivered from the exertions of the
chase and the consequent canine de-
lirium. His owner was at once i'm
pressed by the venerable gentleman,
whose manner was seemly. and who
| suggested aristocratic courtliness even
maintaining balance on the tree limb.
He won her as he looked benevolently
through his eyeglasses which by great
fortune, he had not lost in this sudden
| adventure. At the moment Mrs.
| OHearn experienced a pang of femf-
nine regret at the absence of her best
apron, and the rolling pin hung heavily
IN her hand. 1t was clear that this
unfortunate prisoner had at once the
cxyY1 aofI Inv of
but for an unfortunate admission on
| the part of the venerable gentleman,
| and a rash attempt at levity, the in
cident might have been closed forth
with.
"Ye're bein' wan of these flower
pickers that preserves them in schrap-
books, mebbe." ventured the lady, in
spirit of Cancellation as she grasped
Nicodemus by one ear and shook him
roughly, "or p'raps wan of these pro-
| fessors that can till we the vorieties
NV the posies by the schmell us thin"
Il am not botanist," said the VEN
cradle gentleman, preparing to descend,
but cycling the dog warily, although
you must confess that either a botan-
list or a railway president would appear
equally out of place in position such
as I have found myself-a position" he
added to show that he had a sense of
humor, that 1 never thought posi-
BILE, out of the pages of a comic
weekly"
The manner of Mrs. O'Hearn chang
ed as changes the face of nature I'M
der the sudden burst of the tempest.
She released the dog, which sprang
again at the tree trunk, and her ut
terance was one long inspiration.
90, ho-o-o-o-o," she emitted with a
slight questioning infection, and her
blue eyes showed the glitter of STEEL
20, no. o. o-o-o-o."
Arms akimbo, she looked up at him.
80 we aire the president NV the rail-
road?'
The Venerable Gentleman, reconsid-
ering his determination to come down,
elutched the tree branch firmly, and
called out a warning to the engineer
who had again sought to climb the
fence and again found himself beset
by Nicodemus
That" he answered, as my office.
Now
He wondered why the woman was
so interested in this fact, put his af-
firmation, calculated to impress, was
cut short by an exultant cry from the
squat figure beneath him.
Thin We aire the same wan that's
been kapin me out Nv the price Nv
COW this tree months" proceeded Mrs.
O'Hearn. "Ye-l"
She cast about for an expression
that would at once convey her con-
tempt and anger.
''Ye muptherer," she concluded.
The trio at the fence, now enjoying
the exclusive attention of Nicodemus,
since it was obvious that the woman
commanded the situation at the tree.
rcsorted to missile throwing. The Ven
cradle Gentleman looked perplexedly
about him:
Upon my soul, my good woman" he
Ventured, you surprise me. l know
nothing of your COW! You have surely
mistaken me for some one else. 1 do
not recall that have ever before been
in this locality.
Yell reminder it, thin, from this
j'yous dhay, for it's not from the place
yen be sthirrin' THIS I've me equivy-
lint an me restitution, for the evil
we've done me. It's the prisidint of the
road, says the station agent, that is
considerin' your claim, Mrs. O'Hearn,
an it'll be all roight in tonne, but he's
very busy mani Yere not so busy
but We can put your hand to yer pocket
an produce the S39 for the COW we've
murdthered in cold blood along NV
your ig'narart milne dhrivers an she
dom no harrum to thin or amy wan.
An it's the extra money l want for the
milk I've bought since me bereave-
ment. "
The situation seemed clearer.
You do not, then, accuse me Of driv-
ing off your COVE" asked the Venerable
Gentleman.
"Dhrivin' her OFF," repeated Mrs.
O'Hearn, striving to compass her scorn
by raising her voice to it's highest
pitch. It's maxim mincemeat NV her
an wild no sthoppin for an apology
that l claim We to be the rid-nanded
assassin We are.''
I do not run the engine" asserted
the venerable gentleman, uselessly. IF
you have lost COW, Mrs. O'Hearn,
through any carelessness of the en-
ployes OF the road, you may be sure
your claim will receive due considera-
ton. You can hardly expect to ad-
vance it, however, by keeping me
here. And you have been misinforn-
ed. The president of the road does not
ADJUST these matters that come out
of the-the misfortunes of COWS. Your
claim has probably been delayed"
Mrs. O'Hearn glared, while Nicode-
mus, rushing past her in gleeful pur-
suit of rock thrown by the engineer,
came wiggling back. licked the rolling
pin and returned to the fence.
Consideration exclaimed the lady
Its to-day that me equivylint comes
to forty dollars and eighty cints, an
it's in the three ven SHAY an we're
hired murtherers lookin' on from the
fence beyant hike gorillas in a cage be-
fore l sthir from the sphot or call off
me dog-an' luck to him for knownin