The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1903-05-15
THE WAY OF
a WOMAN ~ ~
fy PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR.
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NOW IldFu IL Is 10 HIVE IllS SUN
pulsed time and time again. How
ever the capricious one may smile
al 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 Gstless-
y and mechanically enough, until
one momentous day, when it seemed
fallen for good.
He had come by, as usual, upon hls
cart that evening after work, and
paused. rs 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 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. lnstinctively
he held out his arms to her. They were
in the front yard. too. "Nc'n-w en-
YOU ovyine may me, honey? Tell me.
with a rush to her. They were i'll the
front ward. too. "We'n-w'en you
guine 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
Gab@.
..Scuse me. Mistah IIais," said the
lady. with dignity. "but lse not in de
habit oh bein' spoke to in dat man
nah"
wy. what's l done, Anna Maria 20
whats YOU done, sab: What's
Won dune? Wy you's scandalizcd me
TO de ewes oh de whole neighbo'-
hood and the calico swished itself
as we'll As its stiffness would allow
into the house.
Gabe scratched his head. We'll,
III bc daGburned!" he ejaculated.
lust 1hcu Uncle Ike. Anna Maria's
father. came up. He was Gabe, $
friend and ally. and the youn" fell
lows bcwildermert was not lost upon
him.
What's de matteh. Erothah Gabe -
he questioned.
IVY. Ucc' Ike. | done axed Anna
Maria TO may. an she say Ise insulted
an scanda!ized de neighb0' hood. Hue
come dat -
..T>ch. sch. rsch. Brothah Cabe; You
sho1y doesn't know de pherloserphy Oh
oomankin'.'
Il reckon | amt up on dat Unc' Ike;
seems ain had de spe'ence Cat hab fell
to yo' lott >
The present was Uncle likes fourth
matrimonial venture. and he was sup
posed TO krow many things. He went
on: Nov. Brothah Gabe. in co'tin' a
CONAN. less'n shes a widGah CONAN,
dey's thee t'ings 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, l
gay. 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 10 Anna Maria. She know you
been a-wo'kin, anil max a good per-
wider; dat satisfy huh soul"
Yes, sab; she smile wen | was "a
talkin' 70 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
hol' OF, 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 togs ez desc? Ki, vi, now you
see"
Again Gabe had recourse to his sig
nal of perplexity, and woolly head and
grimy nails came together in half
hearted scratch.
..Unc' Ike. you sholy hab opened my
eyes, be 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 riekety to awe Some
of his less prosperous neighbors,
started toward the Eeme of his inamo-