The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-06-29
ABE'S
CONVERSION
By ELMER TROOP SAWYER
Copyright BY American Press Asso-
citation. iall-

4 FtfeltF OF ~-~s Vee Nfc~tHSs Arptt t~n ~
send note to a young girl who lived
some distance buck OF the college build
ings. l asked Abe. the sweep. who
took care Of my room. 10 take 1t for
me
I'm IN q hurry for a reply 10 this.
Abe" | said Go straight back over
the campus and through the grounds
beyond. and II won't take you half an
hour to 20 and come"
Eyes. sahr replied Abe. and. taking
the note. be departed.
waited an hour for him. at the
end Of which time he came In pant
ing.
Were you kept waiting, Abeg'
asked
NO, sab. wasn't KEEP waitin'"
~Thea why were you gone SO Iongs"
81 didn't 90 the way 20 told me to
60. sab"
why notT
= nebber go dat way. sab had
a bad sperience on dat route once"
Experience. what kind Of an ex-
perienceT'
= don't mind telIin' You about It II
80 won't tell any OBJ de students. Dey
don't b'leIbe nothin' about hants, and
dey laugh at me- But tell you. sab.
dere hants on dat road and dey get In
side de statutes IN de park and raise
de debbiip
''Get into the statuesT
yes. sab I'm gwine TO tole yo'
about one OBJ 'em. He make me a
good man. though. | own up TO dat.
But hain't got conscience enough to
20 that way any mo nohow.
4 war de wickedest man anywhar.
l war a liar and q thief and every
thing that was bad. Yo' know Pro
fessor BarnacIes He was student den.
His fader had chickens. All us Mig
gers iub chickens and watermIllIons.
When de broiIers git plenty big used
to steal 'em. and when de chickens
war big and de watermiIIions war ripe
I used to 60 home past the Barnacle
place, and take a chicken under one
arm. with ma finger pressed on its
throat to keep 1t from squawkin, and
under de udder arm ! had water
million.
when I'd committed tls.i depre
datlons lots oh times Mr BarnacIe
he says to me. Abe. what yo' stealth
our chickens for Go long | says: 4
hain't got no use TO yo' chickens,
We'll. Abe. all hab to say is dat
heard 4 clatter in de chicken house one
night and went out to see what was
de matter saw somethin dark
walIin' away and follered It. saw
It 60 into yo' house
"sFo' Gawd. Mr., BarnacIe. | baln't
teched chicken meat in rear. rs too
poor TO buy EN-. and is too honest to
steal 'em'
ABE. he said. 'yo're sacrilegiouH
II larfed when ne said dis. To- /
wasn't convicted OBJ sin. as de minister
says. but ! got convicted sho' enough
mighty quick arter dat. De water
millions war gittin' ripe. and one night,
asissin' de Barnacle place. TUX big
watermilion nnder my arm. and l
thought how good fried chicken would
taste TO breakfast. Den went into
de chicken house to git one OBJ 'em.
Dere war SO much squawkin' dat lit
out fo' awhile aud hid In de bushes.
saw somebody come out Oh de house
and look around. den go away. !
waited fo' awhile; den sneaked In.
got ma chicken and went of towards
ma cabin
Il war passin de statute OBJ General
Somebody or odder who ft 70 dis state
In de rebelution wheEf de statute called
out:
"'Halt thar. You Aber
Il stood still as ! could 70 do shak
In oh ma legs.
".Drap de chicken. says de statute.
81 hain't got no chicken
"De right arm oh de statute raised
and frowed somepin at me. | heard It
spIosh on de groun', reckon it was
an egg
II was so skeered at seem de statute
frow somepin dat le go de neck OBJ
de chicken. and It began to squawk.
lyon say so haint got no chicken,
ehT says de statute.
z didn't say nothin' to dis.
'Drap de chicken and de water
million. says de statute.
Il dropped 'em bofe. and de chicken
went of squawkin'-
Abe. says he statute. I'm hant
what TUX up inside dis statute 70 TO
convict yo oh chicken and watermil-
lion stealin. and I'm gwine to stop yo'
doin' it.
How you gwine to do dntT ! says
I'm gwine 10 kill yo'
"Dat statute be just lifted up his
arm ag'in aud fired pistol and de
ball sung right up above ma head
Fo' Gawd. ar. Hant. says.
I promise not to steal chickens or
watermillions no mo II yo'll spa ma
life.
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