Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-06-01
MISS AMY'S DIAMOND RING,


Aunt Dilsey sat on her little front
porch and sewed quilt ;,:eces. The after
noon sun impaired brilliancy to her
purple cotton gown and red bandana
kerchief, and to the Kaleidoscope pieces
upon her lap which would have delighted
| her radiance loving soul if she could have
stood off and seen herself. Even without
this gorgeous color effect, she and her
yine-c covered cabin would have made a
perfect picture-of all of which she was
utterly unconscious as she rocked back
and forth and sang an ancient negro
hymn designed to strike terror to the
ungodly, to the effect that 1.-THE angel
Gabriel had a sword in his ham, an
gwine ter use it." Indeed, so absorbed
was she that she did not even see Miss
Amy until that young lady greeted her.
'I.awsy, honey! | cert'ny is glad to see
you Wait till ] git cheer" and she
hurried into the house for her best rock
er, shedding quilt pieces right and left
as she went
Next time | come, Aunt Dilsey, I'm
going to bring my camera and take a
picture of you and your cabin, just like
You were just now. Pve been intending
to do it for a long time"
You'll hat to femme know befo' han,
so me an Ca'line can git on our bes'
clo'es," said the old woman, much flat
tered.
II don't want you with your best
clothes on want you lust like you are
now. By the way. where is Ca'line?"
II dunno. ] amt seen her sence she
started to de white house wild de basket
of elo'es. Amt she brung de clo'es home
all right?"
"Oh, yes, and done up as nobody but
you can do them. She left there some
time ago"
1t was evident that Miss Amy's mind
was troubled, and even narrowing tale
of how coon had made away with
most of Aunt Dilsey's promising flock
of chickens failed to hold her attention.
When twilight began to fall, she arose
to go. Il cannot wait any longer for
Ca'iine," she said Il was anxious to
see her, too" Her tone was so signifi-
cant that Aunt Dilsey noticed it,
"Caline amt been gittin' into no bad
ness, has she, Miss Amy she asked,
anxiously. =
"To tell you the truth. Aunt Dilsey,
I'm afraid she has. | wanted to see her
about it first, and hoped she could ex-
plain it without my having to trouble
you, but she hasn't come, and it is some
thing that must be attended to at once.
The fact is-she-I-" Miss Amy
stammered and looked really distressed
l.. 4.
showed you last week? Well, it disap-
peared this afternoon and | cannot find
it anywhere, and / wanted to ask Ca'line
about it."
Aunt Dilsey's ample frame seemed to
dilate and culver with an Indignation
that all her respect for white folks
could not suppress. Does you mean to
say dat my chile stole dat ring Miss
Amy2"
NO. no. / don't think that Ca'line
meant to do anything like that | don't
think she realized what she was doing
think she just meant to play with it
a little while, or---or something of that
sort" tloundered Miss Amy, helplessly
You see, Aunt Dilsey, it was this way
took the ring or after dinner when |
started to peel peaches, and laid it in
the pintraN on my bureau. When Ca
line brought the clothes / sent her up
stairs with them, and she stayed so long
that | called her. When she came down,
she ran right out of the door. instead of
stopping to talk like she usually does
told her that | would give her a piece
Of cake If She would wait but she said
she was in a hurry and ran on"
Miss Amy" said the old woman. look
ing straight before her and speaking with
Il great deal of both dignity and pathos.
we've done lived on dis place, me au'
my nanny befo' me, wild YOU an wore
nanny and grandmammy befo' YOU
desc many years, an Use done raise
family of to'teen childen. an dis is de
las one of EN-. an dar amt nary one
of us ever been 'cuscd of meddlm' wild
white folks things bcfo', an now it's
done happen dat my eve lam is 'cused
ot stealn' from de young Miss what's
always been so good to her an what she
always think 50 much of. Dis thing Is
monstous bitter To -monst'ouS bit,
ter"
II know it il, Aunt Dilsey," said the
Young lady, almost in tears. "aud | am
sure If You speak IN her about it when
she comes IN, II will be all right" and
Miss Amy hurrlCdly took her leave.
Aunt DilSey went into her cabin and
began her preparations for supper, we'll
knowing that the "spooks" and "hants"
of the pine woods would soon drive Ca
line in, nov that dark had fallen
e Presently the door opened and a very
black little darby of about Il years OLD
came in humming tune. She was clad
in a calico dress Of vivid pink, and her
hair, released from its weeks contine
mcnt in plaits, stood cut all over her
head like CircasSian beauty's, and was
tied into two punches on each side with
green ribbon.
suddenly the storm broke, "Whar's
dat gor brea>tpm what You stole from
Miss Amy :" thundsred Aunt Dilsey
rWarnt no brcaSt-l never stole
uotma' from Miss Amy" said Calne,
falling promptly into the trap Aunt
Dilsey laughed sarionic laugh Oar
now, thought you wouldn't have no
-.,sse.N Z