The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-04-07
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sight, fer you don't shoot off yore ba-
zoo on one side or tother. an that's the
habit Pm tryin' to quit. Eff | could
hold In when Dole gifts to spoutin'. I'd
be better man. think I'll do better
now. I've got a tenpenny nail in my
pocket. an whenever he starts in I'm
goin' to bite it an keep my holt on it
till he stops Yes you are jest my
sort of a Christian. You believe in
breathin fresh air into yore windpiDe.
thankin' God with clear eye an good
muscle an takin' what he gives you
an akin i'm to pass more eff it's han
dy. You know the Lord has sent you
a invite to his table, an you believe in
eatin' an drinkin' an maxim merry.
jest like you'd have body do that
was stoppin' over night with you. Yes,
wanted to say some'n' else to you.
AS l got to the Wilder Snowden's
house. mile this side o. barley, she
came out an axed me eff I'd object to
deliverin' a couple o. smoke cured hams
to n Teller in town that had ordered
'em OF course that's what old bach
like me s beer fer. so let 'er fling 'em
In the back end"
The speaker paused and smiled know
ingly. and Alan noticed that he slowed
his horses up by drawing firmly on the
reins as If he feared that their arrival
at the farmhouse might interrupt what
he had to say.
WELL" said Alan. you delivered the
hams?"
"Yes." Abner was looking straight
ahead of him. "They was fer Colonel
Seth Barclay. l driv' up to the side
gate, after I'D helloed In front till l
was hoarse, an who do you reckon
come trippin' out o. the dinin' room?
It was her. Eff you hain't never ketched
Ter offn her guard round the house.
you've missed a treat. burned eff l
don't like Ter better without a hat on
than with all the fluffy famdoodle that
gals put on when they go out. She was
as neat as a new pin, an seemed pow
erful glad to see me. That made me
bless the Wilder Snowden fer sendin'
me thar She said the cook was off
som'er's. an that old niger Ned, the
stableman. was In the garden patch
behind the house. so she was thar by
'erse'f. She actually looked like she
wanted to tote in the hams erse'f
ruther'n bother me- but you bet my old
bones hoped ofr'n this seat quicker'n
you could say Jack Robinson with yore
mouth open.
III was afeerd my team wouldn't
stand, fer fellers was a-scootin' by on
bicycles. but | tuck the hams to the
back porch an put 'em on a shelf out'n
reich o. the dogs. Then | went back to
my wagon. She follered me to the
fence, an | noticed that some'n' was
wrong with 'er. She looked so funny
an droopy about the mouth, an kept
a-talkin' like she was afeerd I'd fly of.
She axed all about Adele an how she
was a-makin' out down in Atlanta. an
said she'd heerd that Sis was mighty
popular with the young men. an from.
that she axed about my craps an the
meetin' goin on at Big Bethel. Finally
she got right white about the mouth
an said kinder shaky that she was
afeerd you was mad about some'n' her
pad said about you. an never seed a
Wrsln us mgn cryin' as she was with
out dom of 1t.
81 told 'er was at the fust of 1t. but
I'd noticed how worried you've looked
heer of late. an so ! told 'er I'd been
afeerd some'n' had come betwixt you
two. Then she put her head down ON
the top rail o. the fence an belt 1t thar
fer Il good minute. After awhile she
looked up an told me all about it an
ended by akin me eff thought she was
to blame in the matter. | told 'er no.
but hersold skunk of daddy had acted
sech n fool that | couldn't hold in. /
reckon | told 'er jest about what
thought o. i'm, an the more | raked
up. agin i'm the better she seemed
pleased. | tried to pin er down to what
she'd be willin' to do In pinch eff 'er
pa continued to hold out agin you. but
she was too sharp to commit 'erse'f. 1t
lest hooked like sbs wanted to make up
with you an didn't want no row
nuther."
The horses stopped to drink at q
clear stream of water which ran across
the road on a bed of brown pebbles.
The brides were too tight 10 allow
them to lower their heads, so Alan
went out on the heavy tongue between
the pair and unfastened the reins.
When he had regained his seat. he told
the old man In detail all that had hap
pened at the dance at the hotel, ending
with the advice he had received from
Rayburn Miller.
II don't know about that" Abner
said Maybe Miller could call halt
like that an go on like nothin' had hap
pened. l don't say he could nur
couldn't; but it's fool advice. You
mought miss it. an regret it to yore
dyin' day"
Alan looked at him in some surprise.
He had hardly expected just that stand
on the part of confirmed old bachelor
like his uncle. The old mans glance
swept dreamily over the green fields
on either side of the road across which
the red rays of the setting sun were
streaming. Then he took a deep breath
md louer.ad tha rpins fill they rested