The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-09-23
The HOOdOO

By L. S. Bladen

Don't you ever pay him.
PAY him" she snorted. and gave Il
whitening glance before which | fed.
on sharp winter morning she an
nounced; The pipes are frozen and
| am having water carried in"
From across the alley came a line
Of boys, girls and an Italian woman
bringing up the rear, with pitchers,
buckets and jugs. Matte stood with
her hands folded and her head
thrown back marshaling them with
her military eye. All bowed profound
ly as she closed the gate on them aft
or their services.
She is a tall woman and, summer
or winter. always dresses In white,
which Is to say, wears a voluminous
white apron completely covering her
skirt and white kerchlef crossed over
her breast, the whole surmounted by
a white cap
Hardly had she solved the water
problem when some carts arrived
with coal from the mines, and these
having no Chutes, the question was
how the coal was to be got into the
cellar Voicing this anxiety, Matte
waved me indoors.
Drive up, son." she commanded
and fearing he was an Irlshman and
might brain her with his shovel, re-
| treated TO a parlor window, whence
saw the cart drivers shovellng all the
loads across the wide pavement and
doing various other services which
were certainly not in the contract
| had long observed that market
| people. groccrs, etc, would never diff
fer with her even when they were
right and she had been mistaken and
asking one with whom | was friendly
why this was, he said: "Oh, there Is
no use In making her mad she Is
| queer"
Believing that happy life consists
| in a prudent compromise, | ignored
many of the mysteries, but one day
saw Matte walking In the from
door with a nicely Drowned chicken
on plate in her hand
Il never cooked on a gas-stove be
FORE" she remarked, smiling. so
went into Bedolia's an made her hei
hers up fur me-"
| Bedclla was a first.class cook from
ireland. and this was wash day, ye'
the conjure queen still lived. 1t wal
said that Bedella was quite weak ant
nervous, however.
1t would seem as though this hoo
dooist can call GEOGRAPHICALLY nearl!
every one she has seen or talked to
One Saturday afternoon she felt thu
need of a plumber Very shortly I
plumbers boy came walking in. III
said he would turn the water of ant
make repairs on Monday
You will fix It now" decided Mat
tie, and he did, though he lost hi
half holiday
One day. feeling the need OF fash
ionable society, the conJure queer
asked my opinion MS to whether a Ger
tain Miss Loui or Mrs. Turne
would most enllven her though
Mrs. Turner would be the most ele
gantly attired, but she was at Allan
tic City.
Shell have more news. so shell
have to come up" decided Matte, an,
sure enough. about p. IN. Mrs. TUT
ner arrived IN black silk and rhine
stones. heard her say quite excited
ly: What is the matter? You KEEP
calling and calling all afternoon, III
I'll just had to drop everything an
jump on the five o'clock train"
Except long silences with folde
hands and bowed head there are N
external indications of this occul
power. though as a weather prophe
she is infallible in prediction and ha
a knowledge of sun, moon and stars
and their movements which woul
put high school graduate to tn
| hlugh