The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-12-18

AAAN lMrettuNshh ~ MNhAlAuN Nrftfrhes VI
.ysFY hair sioei on snd. lie shar'
nrss ~ eild ihiass brought Suddenly |
uoninni civilization, II aas-I'rte roul
seaIesiy heliese HE eyes-ii sas-
l.assam'
Since many yaaIs sishi II that delight q
ilse daIaey had not slaaldeBod fcie's eye
The OH nesfa leaked with an eager que,
lioning At the small evalur-, which q
lunel his look In Kind
Il Wunlrf." aurtiel lele ia a very ana
l-iy II desire, III yon is a sho' 'naug
l..s'u,a. y sou ANT, you look might
Tie opos.um Iwilsl,sd hi. nose closer Il
earth.
"Nou actin shame LAX 'passum, too
Hat den | dunno. Dis hrah New iorl
hits cn'ns place Tor folks and critters,
Pete solilolnised, a. be gard across Al tn
coveted creature, u made me nifty cent
once moyln' boNes fall u animals al daI
llipladfum land dey l.als de drum dal
tool, Hut ! ain'l wait Ia set dat hii,
cents, 'caxe time | get done my job and
WAS dodgin bout 'case oi ~ many AMI
mals and GURUS critters, daf come up 90
nae. right on me. lion. Aud dat lion hs
sleak 10 ne - naichel a. a man. Nothin
amt skeor me sinoe den, not much, Sel
dat lion, sez he, Hello, old man Seq !,
soiteT side slsppin', ears a lion Is a lion
any way yer iacc him and any way yer
place hlm-srK I. Mighty well, Bw'T l.ion
mighty well bat some hony. long Of low
ioodin' llcn dat hon h. sat right down
on his behin' irg.. be- did, aud put hi- head
IN hi. bcio' paws aud laughed. lie did de-
same a. a matched man. Sex dat lion, "a
be. Come back. ole man. Sea l. 'lirc'r
LION, my loh hone now and my folks
'spectin' me home ldc which | amt got
30 folks and no home, hut | don't scsso
dcnl. Seq l. 'far'wrll Bm'r Lion. | wish
You mighty well. ! holcs Your consti,u,
ton eNpo-tulairs suiiocatlngly, aud hopes
your folks ckAlly bcalihablc.' scz |, aud
pulls my iorlock 10 dat lion same a. hc
was white folks. Dat lion he scz, lleah
come my folks nov. Bless dc gracious! !
look, and hcah come some several forty.
'lcycn lions, mos oh en- walking on dey
benin legs too. Den ] never tarfied no
mo. ! was clean gone 10 YOU could say
de name or jock Robinson, and dc las
look back | tuck dat lion yet sittin' dar
on his benin legs laughin 10 10 kill, j"
AZ the sound Of Pctc's voice purfing
along in monologue. the opossum covered
closer to the rock Ia overwhelming shy
mes. Pete looked at Il IN increasing
desire.
Honey" he calculated you look lone
some. and | feels lonesome" With that
he crcpt across, holding the opossum's eve
with his, and murmufing: you look
mighty lax possum. You gittin shameder
ana shamedcr. Shame 10 run, shame
10 walk. Darl lie gone ter laughin' lax
rale ole Brc'r Postum. lluh-dar ] got
him. Heah you is now quoiled M in a
Knot, yo' teef GRIMM now. aud yo sides
5l.l Fl.a La s.,a..
speak now lax dat lion. Fat So fat |
Good thing | got dis cyarpct sack. lie
unit spoke yet. But den he mought. sab. |
Bier Postum. 'scuse me. sab, but tier |
lut YOU in dis bag. kin tote you better
lat way. He amt say nothln yet, hut |
lat amt no sign he amt gwine to-
Pctes prize was heavy, and he knew,
wen though his feet were Injured 10 long
distances, that he could not afoot reach
he lower part OF the city with the burden.
'eated on the ear, schemes began To re-
olive in his brain. He held a prize he
eemed priceless. Yet 1t had price. AT
lst he held something OF real cash value.
: he could sell IL II he could eat 1t!
The poor, half.staryed negros mouth
yatered as he felt the luscious fatness
under his arm.
Yet if he could sell il for five dollars. il
e could find another-his brain whirled
nth the thought-he might, after all, get
he coveted fifteen dollars which would put
is old mistress again on Virginia soil.
Once there she might send for him, and
here were grandchildren there-boys to
e taught to fish and swim and hunt. He
'ould find purchaser for his treasure,
nd make beginning toward those de- j
'ctable possibilities.
The old darkey rode even to Wall street, /
,volving these projects in his mind /
Walking up that narrow way, where
ANY millions. the old man was sick at !
cart for just three five-dollar bills which /
ould bring life and happiness to an.
her. But he was cheered somewhat as
e felt the weight of his precious burden. /
here the crowd was thin Pete stopped.
| believe | DIES look at him." Suiting y
le action to the word, he carefully opened I
lie bag and peeped in. Oar done drop t
ughin ag'in:" il
"A possum" exclaimed a voice at his ear
a soft southern voice. The voice be. T
aged the delight that the young southern
wyer felt at finding an opossum in Wall n
rect. He was just arranging to entertain r.
party of friends at his apartment on \
lristmas Eve. and this opossum was the
ny thing to give the perfecting touch to 4
5 preparations. Five dollars? Good. The h
d negro had a good face. He was surely
Here was the address. These
rections to the negro cook, whom Pete n,
)uld find at the apartments. Here was a,
e dollars here car-fare. :,
With five dollars in pocket and the q
ossum still in the bag, Pete turned back -
Broadway. II
Could mortal man have resisted such i,
mptation? Pete came into Broadway n,
ar where he knew was the office of a ~
ltherner noted for his wealth, good fell y,
vship, and hospitality Why not make .,
other five-and now? f.
Entrance to the office was gained. Who /,
aid refuse admittance to negro and 81 81
ssum with tomorrow Christmas Eve! II
The trade was made, but no five dollars M
s Immediately forthcoming. Pete must H.
to the home of the purchaser, deliver 10
/, opossum and a note which would bring Ia
price. III
When Pete reached the house, the after. ~ ~
On sun glittered on the wel-appointed b.
iipage into which the Good Fellows III
e was stepping. jv
low she laughed when she saw the old aIn
key and his possum! lat
James must go in for the maid to come CO.
special directions to the cook concern IN
the keeping of Bre'r Postum till his '"
TIL hour. Here the five dollars. 70,
he was about to drive on when the n NJ,
repit appearance Of the old negro at Fl,
cted her attention. Probably, she NJ, n,l
ught, he was selling for another, and ~
little or none of the price came home his
him. m i,s
Stop here, old man," she called, We
res lagniappe. You know what that
La, vas, mistis; thanky, ma am" shut ke'
. his hand over the coin. thu
a another instant the equipage had Di'
rled around the corner and was lost in the
concourse of vehicles on Fifth avenue. Blu