The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-10
"CHETAH."
BIue-Grass sketch of a southern
Gentleman, SO to speak.

Gentleman 50 10 SpeAN'
Ellsworth Shawn in the Century for
April.
NV first morning in the bluegrass
region as The guest of fathers OLD
friend, Col. Bedford, was a nearly per-
feet one, and l was early astir to get
a glimpse of the country in natures
reputed paradise.
AS 1 ventured upon the veranda of
The "oId Kaintucky home" l found my
white haired host walking up and down
in a fever of rage. The moment his
eyes fell upon me he began to unbur-
den himself:
"Majah Blivens is a bawn fool, sub,
a bawn fool: that's what he is! Of
feed me five bundled dolahs fob my
little Chetah! Bless Gawd, l believe
the mans added yes, l do, sub! Come
ridin' by heah just now, an says to
me: 'Cunnel Bedfahd. I'll give you
five bundled dollahs fob that two
yeah-old -Ticklefoot filly.'
L laughed in his face, sub, that's
what l did. Then l got mad, an 1
said to Majah Blivens: sub, am a
pawpah? Am l pinched fob a measly
little five bundled dollahs? Why, you
ought to know bettah, majah. Five
bundled dollahs wouldn buy the gloss
on Chetah's skin, sub. No, sub; I'll
rot sell my daughtah, an I'll not sell
Chetah! Majah Blivens couldn look
ire in the eye sub, an rode away
with his chin a-hangin' on his bosom.
why, sub, I'd nevah dayuh to show
my face at home again if l sold little
Chetah! That fillys been raised heah
on this lawn, an coddled by my wife
an child'en, an she's one of EN- Yes
ChatabfC Of 70 mil an
l think Majah Blivens was guilty of a
most outlandish insult, that's what he
was.
My wife loves that flly's is she
was the only boss in the whole blue
grass region. Eve'y mawnin' Manly
goes out an feeds Chetah han'ful of
Sugah, an then the puSs IL follow huh
all ovah the fawm, happy as a kitten
when Manly rubs huh nose uh pats
huh neck.
Five bundled dollahs, indeed" the
colonel continued, his anger having
somewhat abated. "Why, Chetah won
twice that in huh fus race. undah d
pull, sub. Manly was hop-scotchin
mad when l odahed niggah Tom to put
the FLY in trainin'. We had hahd
wuds, an things was nightly squally
fob a time. But I had my way, subj
as always do" the colonel went on
lowering his voice and glancing APP
prehensively toward the open door.
But the trainin went on, an at
last the day fob the race had come
No bettah blood evan entahed fob a
five-eighths dash. Theah was Black
Sam by Bonnie Scotland Moonshine
by Old Distillah, Cyclone by Thundah-
stawm, an half a dozen othahs, as
fine colts as evan entahed a paddock.
Manly was in the gran'st an 1
noticed deucedly unpleasant look in
10 hnA bod l.,
day uh two befo' to take Chetah
out, but I wouldn heah to it, But
now that the time had actually come
1 began to feel mighty uncomfortable.
If the filly los l knew Manly would
have the whip-hand on me fohevah
An that set me to thinkin' hahd I
/ see my way out putin the blindahs
on Many. knew FUN long expeahence
that l mus let Manly think she had
made the final decision. An so / went
up TO Wheah she was a-sittin' in the
gran stan, and whisped: Come to
think of it, Manly / don't believe Che
tabs good enough strain to keep
the pace in this crowd. Theahs Nigh
" hne blood in this company You
know, Chetah's mothah was only a
half-sistah to Ashland Belle-not a full
slstah. Manly. Don't you think we'd
bettah pull huh name down befo' she
disgraces us?
II Wo ked like chawm!" And the
colonel chuckled delightedly as he re-
SaIled me success of his little ruse.
Mahys eyes snapped like fab as she
said: No. sub! Chetah's bloods good
as any hoss's blood; let huh go
An l did let huh go; but befo' the
slant Manly called me up again an
made me solemnly promise one thing
that Tom shouldn' cahy a whip. If
Chetah could win without lick all
nj oh csI,,
hide with lash. She was one of the
family, an it would have been a dis
grace to say she'd been whipped nv
a niggah.
IF Chetah'd lost that race 1 think I'd
have quit ickah an Joined the chu'ch.
was so troubled in my mind couldn'
bean to watch the runnin'. inst
TUNED my back to the cou'se an,
Watched Mahy's face. Talk about yoh
microscopes an yoh vitascopesl
saw eve'y phase of that contest fom
beglnnin' to end-all in my wife's rap
idly changin' expression.
Now the youngstahs leave the pad
COCK ION the post-that's what Mahy's
race says as she takes down huh
glasses for a second. Then I see Mahv
SIT up an huh face take on a look of
Int 'est-'About ready, thinks / In
a minute huh expression changes to
one OF anxiety, an 1 know theah's
Trouble ABOUT the Staht. The next
moment theah's as fine pictuh of pain
as evan 1 hope to see, an 1 suhmise
Chetah's got a bad staht. Then
theah's dead calm of tense suspense
an feel that Chetah must be maxim
an effoht to ketch up with the bunch
a pallah ovahspreads Mahy's lovely
lace, an feel l mus run up an ketch
nun to keep huh fom fallin'. Face
not so plae-Filly mus be comm on
thinks l. a blush O. crimson an a glad
Ight IN my wifes eyes-hoorah fob
Chetah! Wife's eyes focused on the
bunch o leapin squirrels. Wife on feet
an smilin'-'Wish I'd put anotbah
hund'ed on that puss!' Chetah, che
tan! an hams goin pitapat. an the
nan soonest woman in KaintuckvG in
teams, but lookin as sweet as the dav
led huh TO the attah!
But, said the colonel, bowling apol-
ogeucally pardon me a thousan'
times, sub, Heah I've been a-bIowin,
away, an you've not had yoh mawin'n
this mawnin'!"
Smoking Under Water.
From London Answers.