Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-06-04
The WAY WI OF
/ a WOMAN X *
~ PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR.

~ earnest, or thOugnC SO, KNOWS
how hard it is to have his suit re.
pulsed time and time again. How
4 ever the capricious one may smile
At times, one mo" upsets the mem
ory 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-
~ 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 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 a 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 we'll 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 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-"
Anna Maria froze at once. She
grew as rigid as the seams in her
newly starched calico.
"W'y-w'y, what's de mattah, Anna
Maria?" stammered the discounted
Gabe.
'Scuse me, Mistah Ha'is," said the
lady, with dignity, "but Use not in de
habit OBJ bein' spoke to in dat man
nah."
"W'y, what's I done, Anna Maria?"
'What's 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 we'll as it's stiffness would allow
into the house.
Gabe scratched his head. "Well.
I'll be 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.
"What's de mattah, Brothah Gabe?"
he questioned.
"W'y, Unc' Ike, I done axed Anna
Maria to may, an she say Use insulted
an scandalized de neighbo'hood. Hue
come dat?''
"Tsch, tsch, tsch, Brothah Gabe; you
sholy doesn't know de pherloserphy oh
oomankin'"
~ reckon amt up on dat, Unc' Ike;
seems aim had de spe'ence dat hab fell
to yo'lot."
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'
i
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 widdah lady;
dey bein' easiah to please an mo- un-
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 a good per-
wider; dat satisfy huh SOUL"
"Yes, sab; she smile wen I was a.
tallzin' to huh, an dat what max me
fu'git myself"
'Uh-huh," said the old man, Wagering
his head sagely and stroking the stray
Cling beard upon his chin, "uh-huh, dat
mean dat you chawm huh yeah; but
hor on, hop on, dey's one mo- ting.
How in de name Oh common sense you
spec to please huh eye a-comin' byeah
in SIGH toys ez desc? Hi, vi, now you
see"
Again Gabe had recourse to his Sig
nal Of perplexity, and woolly head and
grimy nails came together in a half
hearted scratch.
"Unc' 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 a
buggy not yet too rickety to awe some
of his less prosperous neighbors,
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, a gala-day, she tossed her
head and stepped out bravely.
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-
quisements laid down by Uncle Ike,
and Uncle Ike knew. He had already
satisfied her soul; he had done his duty
as to "Shawmin' huh yeah" now he
went forth a potential conqueror for