The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-05-21
THE WAY OF
"A WOMAN ~ ~
Ty PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR.

pulsed time and time again. How
ever the capricious one may smile
at times, one mo" upsets the MEM
DRY of many days of smiles.
The structure of Gabe Harris
hopes mad fallen so often that he had
begun to build it over again listless-
ly and mechanically enough, until
one momentous day, when it seemed
fallen for good.
He had come by, as usual, upon his
cart that evening after work, and
paused, as was his wont, for a chat
with his desired one, Anna Maria
Moore. He had been hard at work
all day hauling from the clay-pits,
and so was not thing of beauty as
to clothes. But if Anna Maria loved
him-and he believed she did-love
was blind, which left him all right in
his own eyes and hers.
Perhaps he was right even thus far,
and all would have gone well had not
the plump, brown beauty of the girl
overcome him as he stood chatting
with her.
The realization of her charm, of
her desirableness, swept over him
with a rush of emotion. Instinctively
he held out his arms to her. They were
in the front yard, too. "We'n-w'en
you gwine may me, honey? Tell me.
with a rush to her. They were in the
front yard, too. 'We'n-w'en you
gwine may me, honey. Tell me-"
Shn
grew as rigid as the seams in her
newly starched calico.
'Wy-w'y, what's de mattah, Anna
Maria?" stammered the discounted
Gabe.
"Scuse me, Mistah HAS" said the
lady, with dignity, "but Use not in de
habit oh bein' spoke to in dat man
nah"
"W'y. what's / done, Anna Maria >"
whats you done, sab? What's
you done? Wy you's scandalized me.
80 de eyes oh de whole neighbo'-
hood" and the calico swished itself
as well as its stiffness would allow
into the house.
Gabe scratched his head. well,
I'll he dadburned!" he calculated.
just then Uncle Ike Anna Maria's
father, came up. He was Gabe's
friend and ally, and the young fell
lows bewilderment was not lost upon
him.
whats de mattah, Brothah Gabe?"
he questioned.
''W'y, Unc' Ike. | done aXed Anna
Maria to may, an she say Ise insulted
an scandalized de neighbo'hood. Hue
come dat?''
'Tsch, tsei, tsch, Brothah Gabe; you
Sholy doesn't know de pherloserphy OBJ
oomankin'."
u reckon ! amt up on dat, Unc' Ike;
see aus ain had de spe'ence dat hab fell
to Ho' lott
The present was Uncle Ike's fourth
matrimonial venture, and he was sup
posed to know many things. He went
on: NOW, Brothah Gabe, in co'tin'
CONAN. less'n she's a widdah CONAN,
dey's thee things you got to do; you
got to satisfy huh soul you got to
chawm huh yeah, an you got to please
huh eye. 'Tain't no use dom one ner
tothah less'n you does all--dat is,
say, pervided it amt a widdah lady;
dey bein' easiah to please an mo- I'M
nerstannin' laik. Well, you come
hyeah, aftah yo' days wo'k. an you
talk to Anna Maria. She know you
been a-wo'kin, anil max good per-
WIDER; dat satisfy huh soul"
Eyes, sab; she smile wen | was "a
talkin' to huh, an dat what max me
fu'git myself"
'Uh-huh," said the old man, wagging
his head sagely and stroking the strag-
Cling beard upon his chin, ''uh-huh, dat
mean dat you chawm huh yeah; but
hoP on, hol' on. dey's one mo- ting
How in de name oh common sense you
spec to please huh eye a-comin' hyeah
in sich toys ez desc? Ki, vi, now you
see
Again Gabe had recourse to his sig
nal of perplexity, and woody head and
grimy nail; came together in a half
hearted scratch.
INC Ike, you sholy hab opened my
eyes" he said, as he went slowly out
to his cart.
On the morrow he arrayed himself in
his best, and hitching his mare to
buggy not yet too rickety to awe some
OF his less prosperous ne.ghbors,
started toward the home of his inamo-
rata. Old Suke, accustomed to moth
ing lighter than her cart on work
days, first set her ears doubtfully at
the unaccustomed vacation, and then,
seeming to realize that it was really
vacation, gala-day, she tossed her
head and stepped ou5 brayely.
In the heart of Gabe Harris similar
eXultation was present. What now
would check him in his quest of the
fair one? He had fulfilled all the re-
quirements laid down by Uncle Ike.
and Uncle Ike knew. He had already
satisfied her soul; he had done his duty
as to "chawmin' huh yeah" now he
went forth a potential conqueror for
the last great feat-the pleasing of
her eyes. Gone were the marks and
the memory of the clay pits, gone was
the ashiness of dust from his hardened
hands. His self-abasing cap was re-
placed bV an aggressive ''stiff hat