Mower County transcript., 1903-10-21
SPANISH PEGGY
3 3, ,4A.rs 111Ay.ryvELL cAr1ER.yyooD
Copyright, 1888. b. Herbert 8. Stone 1 Co.
"a STORY or YOUNG ILLINOIS

tOId Inem ne was travelling tlrOugn
! the states to urge everywhere tho
annexation Of Cuba. He described the
tropical luxuriance Of Cuba, and its
relative position to the continent: and
some of his hearers learned for the
first time that there was such a place.
suffer in estate by unjust tyranny of
a dominating European power. Some
like himself had even been driven into
exile, with only remnant of their once
large fortunes. So bad was the gov
ernment that people had starved there
in the midst of abundance. He begged
to have Cuba, admitted into the union.
Such a novel plea: had never been
| urged before upon men who We're
struggling to get a living out of the
scarcely upturned sod. of new state.
f." Some older men smiled at each
other, thinking the United States had
all she could do at that time to take
care Of her own territory. But it was
flattering to have rich island, repre-
sented by an elegant man of the world
dressed in the best clothes witch
money could buy, appealing to them
for protection; and they helped their
neighbcrs stamp vigorous applause
|severy time he rounded one of ~hissglbW-, :,
ling periods gzwith-lfs Cuba may only
be annexed 10 America" / &C
/ Astill there Was 4hhrd-headea ele-|
ment that held out against the ranger
They would give him fair PLAY, hut
>they. would test his arguments =
- sLook at Abe Lincoln one Caro- olina
settler whispered to, another. during
the stir which followed the conclusion.
''I'd like to hear what he thinks. HeI
can beat this fellow all hollow making
a speech
io"Abe' says the fellow looks just like
! gamblers he saw in New Orleans when
he went down. with the f1atboat'' '''I,,i
81 allow" said a third ,Carolinian,
and 1 have been watching him close,I
that this brown gentleman, with his
shiny hair and eyes, is runaway slave
putting on bold face and trying tof
get, through to Canada. Some body,
servant that knows how to wear his
masters clothes.'' =, .~.} go at.f'
"What spite would jShickshack have
against runaway slave?" objected the
first man. "And his hair is as straight,
as that little girls at the In'ian' s. cabin.i
I'd sooner take him for a horsethief.i
We've had some fine looking horse
thieves in this part Of the state.'''
Mahala Cameron's father, who, on.
ACCOUNT of building the mill, had
claimed and obtained the privilege of
naming the town, and had called it.
New Salem for old Salem where he
was born on the Massachusetts coast.
put in his word. ..,.,. -. i
II had an uncle" he said, 'that roi-i
lowed the sea, and made voyages to-
Cuba. It's about such place as the
man describes" ]
While private opinion thus see
sawed, the row of Minter Grayham's
pupils on the front benches, reused
from drowsiness to keen interest, stood
up at the strangers bidding, and acl
cumulated the worst kind of case
against him. For however they at
tempted Ompompanoosuck- !
"O-W-m, own; p-O-w-m, powm-'
"'A-u-m, aum; p-a-u-m, paum-'
~ SO-m, ON; pom, pom; Ply, py, om-
pompy-" it was not right and the
audience began to laugh with appre7
c.atton of joke. Martha Bell Clary
heard her own brother Redmond
shouting with such delight as she
struggled hopelessly with Ompompa-
noosuck, that she turned and made
what was called in New Salem "a
mouth at him. Though the lecturer
endeared himself greatly to the Grove
boys, 1t was plain he had only put up
Minter Grayham's scholars I'd be made
ridiculous before their. parents and
friends.
I'D hate to have him for relation.
even If I was as bad off as Peggy
Shickshack," whispered Martha Bell
to Mahala Cameron.
$50 would l." responded Mahala.
Il don't believe he has any book to
give as prize. And l don't believe
he has any plantation in Cuba, either"
Shickshack's wife came in late. and
sat by the schoolhouse door, looking
steadily at the speaker It was the
first time the village had ever seen her
at any meeting The women nearest
were more. occupied in being repelled
by her than they were with the annex
alton of Cuba. 1t surprised nobody
that she Should come out 10 neal
Shickshack's enemy. But it surprised
some who departed slowly after the
dismissal that she had a word or two,
| and touched hands with the stranger
as ne passed by her at the door. An
! unlovely. nature had: worked so long
on features striking for angularity that
she carried habitually "a malignant
look. The boys of New Salem liked to
venture on Sally Shickshack'sb door
step, or climb her garden fence, and
have her chase them with gourds Of
hot water. Though she had been SO
short time in the village, it was all
ready known that Antywine La
Chance, q former husbands son, had
not not Inherited a ftp ny bit Of his fathers
property; and as fip'ny-bit was
smaller than the DrOverbial shi11inx