Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-07-19
From the Youths Companion

rTOIu ne 1Outu y SoIlpdulOn.
THE most embarrassing thing tina ever
happened to me-" said Mrs. Peters when
the Ibsen club was exchanging narrowing
experiences, happened, of course, in
church while / was wearing black for my
father-in-law. / was leaning forward dur
ing prayer one morning, when my new
heavily-trimmed hat fell off, dropped to
the floor of the pew ahead and rolled out
OF sight.
Fortunately. l had an umbrella. Get
ting down as flat as could | reached UNI
der the next, reached out with the
umbrella handle and fished for the hat.
When my hand finally touched 1t knelt
In my place, closed my eyes-I suppose l
reasoned as an ostrich does that if / could
see nobody nobody could see me-and tried
to look as deyout as If my mind had never
been off the service.
with my eyes still devoutly closed 1
pinned that wretched hat in place, using
a hairpin because the hatpin was missing,
and feeling quite proud Of myself that I
had managed the affair so well.
when we stood up for the last hymn
I suddenly became conscious that all the
women in the congregation were staring
at me and trying hard not to smile. The
moment / got outside I took that hat off
and loked at 1t. My dears, it wasn't my
hat at all. / had helped myself TO little
Flossie Slocum's bright red sunshade
trimmed with infantile white daisies-and
me in black"
A White Man With a Negro Woman
In the Tune American Magazine Ray
Stannard Baker tells more stories OF race
difficulties in the south. He went to the
police court In Atlanta and sat on the
bench with the judge-so hat he might
look into the faces of the prisoners and
hear all that was said. Here is one of Mr..
Bakers police court stories:
IAN old white man, much agitated and
very pale. was brought before the Judge.
With him came a much younger, comely-
appearing woman. Both were well dressed
and looked respectable. AS they stood in
front of the judges desk the old man
hung his head, but the woman looked UP
with such an expression, fearless and
tragic, as 1 hope 1 shall not have to see
again.
What's the charger asked the Judge.
Adultery said the officer.
THE woman WINGED, the old man did not
look up.
THE Judge glanced from one to the
other in surprise.
why don't you get marriedT he
asked.
woman said the officer, IS a
niger
"She was as whiteaas I am, probably an
octoroon; | could not nave distinguished
her from a white person and she deceived
even the experienced eye Of the Judge.
lis that so?' asked the Judge.
THE mar continued to hang his head.
the. woman looked up; neither said a word.
1t then came out that they had lived to-
gether as man and wife for many years
and that they had children nearly grown.
Some neighbor had complained and the
mar and woman were arrested,
lis this all true?' asked tho Judge.
Neither said a word.
You can't marry under the Georgia
law said the judge; I'll lave to bind you
over for trial in the county court
They were led back TO the prisoners
rooms. "A few minutes later the bailif came
out quickly and said to the judge:
The old man has fallen In q faint
mot long afterward they half led, half
carried him out across the court ROOM"
-
Treating Him Like a Private.
Brighten. Andrew s. Burt of the United
States army is an enthusiastic sportsman.
His hobby is baseball. Prior to 1898, when
he became q brigadier, he was the COM
handing officer of a negro regiment of
regular infantry. Each company had it's
ball team and the colonel was an enthus-
iastic rooter at the games.
One day a contest, was on which was
marred by the poo playing OF a member OF
one OF the company teams. Burt, dis
gusted, volunteered to take the place OF
the incompetent. No one objected. At
the bat the colonel was given a base on
balls. He noted that the men on the
coaching lines kept silent while he was
on the bases, and after he had made the
circuit he demonstrated.
See here he exclaimed. slipping out
OF his coat. i've taken of my shoulder
straps now and you fellows want to treat
me just as II l was a private
Again Burt was at bat. He hit the bali
and started for first.
Run, you gimpy legged. sawed on mud
turtle. Run, you -- miserab Bile -
-" howled one of the caachers.
Burt reached nrst safely turned and re-
garded the coacher for an instant, then
left The base, walked over to where his
discarded blouse lay and put II on. He
said morning. but the negroes understood.
u was TOO much.-De. roIt Free Press.