The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-08-15

UnOsuy mlStS nad begun TO swing
lazily across the marsh, touching here
and there a reed which reared its tas-
seled head above its fellows.
AS though it were vespers signal
for the marsh frogs, rambling chant
slowly gathered volume. 1t swelled
into chorus and soon swallowed all
other noises of the night in a grand
wave of sound which reverberated
back and forth between the black for
ests, circling like giant sounding.
boards upon either side of the marsh.
The sound waves rose and fell like the
breathing of surf. Once, in a lull, a
single voice, deep AID rolling, left the
others and sounded several sonorous
notes. as though leading the chant.
The old resident had been listening
for that. He laid his hand suddenly
upon the visitors shoulder and whis-
pered eagerly: you heard it,"
His companion nodded.
That's the last of the 'Reedville
quartette," said the old resident, as
he rested his arms upon the top rail
Of the little causeway, and settled his
pipestem comfortably in the dropping
corner of his mouth.
Il know his voice all right. I'd
know it in q thousand. That's Bill,
the basso, out there.
You surely must have heard Of
'Padgett's Reedville Quartette'? Why,
man, the fame of that little band
spread for miles around and there's
few in this part Of the eastern shore
WHO haven't heard II sing.
when old Abe Padgett came from
down east to live in Reedville, he
brought with him about the most COM
plete menagerie that was ever seen
about these parts. His monkey was
educated better than some of the folks
who laughed at it, and the parrots
could say about anything they wanted
to. There was ciphering pig and two
white rats that could play on the pian-
ner|a real little one, you know, about
AZ big as harmonica.
"Padgett had a mania for training
animals, and the more difficult they
were to handle the better he liked It.
He had been with a circus most all
his life, but had become too old for
the road, and had come to Reedville
to wait around until time to shufie
OF the coil.
We'll, Padgett and his animal family
settled down at the old Rutherford
Place, over there where you see that
light at the end Of the marsh. They
lived happily for while, and then dis
aster overlook them. The climate, or
maybe the malaria, proved too much
for the menagerie, and one by one q
little row OF graves over on the brow
Of that Hill marked the resting place
OF Padgett's friends.
1.-THE old man was all broken up by
his loss. The neighbors offered him
other pets-cats and dogs; but he
didn't take any shine to them at all.
ut was while Padgett was listening
to the marsh chorus one evening that
he suddenly conceived an idea. He
called 1t an inspiration, and began to
perk UP right away. After this he
was away from home more than ever.
When occasionally a visitor would
drop In, lusty halloo would bring
Padgett splashing from the marsh,
muddy and wet from head to foot, but
looking as happy as 12-year-old
school boy on Friday evening. He al
ways carried a net and a closed basket
during his prowls, and some Of his
neighbors wanted to know If he was
going to start frog farm.
Along in the middle of the summer
1t was noticed that all of the best frog
music was over on Padgett's shore.
There was still some musical croaking
at other parts Of the marsh, but It
sounded weaker than before, and was
usually drowned out by the melodies
chorus from Padgett's.
Ray Slocum. the miller's son, sprang
3 sensation about the postoffice one
day by saying that he had been up by
Padgetts the evening before and had
heard band playing somewhere
around there, and had seen the ola
man jumping around the yard waving
his arms like mad, but saying not 4
word. Someone suggested that the
place was haunted and that its pro
pffetor was out or his head.
Curiosity began to get keyed up
pretty high when one morning Padkett
marched up TO the postoz1fce and ASKED
for hia NAH. He hadn't been there
Since the oiphering pig died. There
was quite q number of letters, but
Padgett paid little attention to them,
showed them carelessly down in the
tail Of his coat and said to Perkins,
the postmaster: I would like to rent
your hall for next Saturday night, az
! want to give concert there which
win kinder shake up Reedville bit,
! reckon, the idee being new an origi-
nal