The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-03-31
Im rnL9 Yon LOO fool. ReekyI'l

head, an him long.tail coat, an him
wouldn' wear dat week day II him
didn't oourtln'! Dem say is you mud
der him gone see. An min you, Son
son, big tamarin' tree grow at him
door mouth"
Becky watched with delight the
cloud which gathered on the boys
face and she laughed aloud when he
shook his fist and said: Lard II
ever catch him courtin' my mudder
beat him till he mash up fine!"
son-son fairly boiled with indlgna.
tion and Becky, feeling that, her mis-
sion had been accomplished. said gay
| ly: "Gocd-by, me buoy! I'm sorry for
you from me heart!" ana turned up
narrow pathway
He deigned no answer but walked
on, switching viciously at the wild
flowers along his path AT his moth
er's gate Francella met him, her face
! wreathed in smiles and brimming over
with news. A mule was hitched to a
tree in the yard and before the little
girl had time to speak her brother de-
manded, sternly, "Who for dat mule?"
'Is Missa Methuselah mule. Him
inside the house with ma Dem court
in. Son-son!" she added. excitedly
"Courtin'! Dat ole lightnin' fool
something, tink say ma going married
him?"
yes! she jus finish tell him so
now! Look here, Son-son. you ought
TO see de gran flourishin' bow him
meek to ma wen him come in fus'.
Den him say, Mistress Rachel, / come
10 meek a supposition to you, mann
Ma. she says, Wat is dat, Mistah Me.
thuselah?' jes like she didn't know
Den him knock him hand pom him
shirt front, BRAN! an say, Mistress
Pachel dis heart is underneath you
foot. VIII you teck me for better an
for worse, mann? Ma, she begin to
laugh, an twis' her neck like chicken
got staggers, den Alissa Methuselah
meek 10 come up TO her, an him dat
hurry him nebber see Maria TIL him
mash off de ting five toe Look here,
Son-son, de poor puss mos spit him
self to death, as him meek for de door
pom de tree foot leffen to him. I dat
frighten | has to run out an didn't
see de endin' Of it,"
"Wha' dem doin' now?" inquired her
brother, whose frown had relaxed at
the recital of Maria's woes.
81 dunno, but / goin' look t'roo de
wattlin', and see if can see any
ting"
81 comm wild you"
The two little imps stole round to
the back of the thatched cottage,
where's they knew that a hole in the
wall of interlaced laths would afford
an opportunity for observation. There
was a struggle to be first at the hole
and of course Son-son won. He took
off the straw brim which did duty as
a hat and applied one eye to the hole.
The happy pair were sitting on a
bench on the opposite wall, Methuse- |
lahs puny shape and deformity max
ing strange contrast to the woman's |
ample development. Suddenly he |
kissed her and she returned the salute
with a robust fervor which made Son
son exclaim, Lard! Francella, you
hear dat? Dat is 'nough to meek de
cluckin' lizard in de thatchin trim
ble!" Hardly had the words been
spoken when a scream from within
made him return his eye hastily to
the hole. His mother stood upon the
bench, horror-stricken, her skirts gath
cred round her and her gallant lover,
armed with a broom, was peering on
the ground with his short-sighted eyes
for the disturber of his bliss.
"W'at me did tell your" the boy de-
manded excitedly of his sister and
rushed round to the door, shouting
stop, Missa Methuselah! Stop, sab!
will kill him for you!"
Francella followed as she always
did when her brother led, though in
truth she knew nothing Of what had
happened On the floor lay a large
lizard, which, stupefed by its fall, was
turning rapidly from gray to brown.
Snatching the broom from Methuse-
lah's hand, Son-son lifted the stick
high in the air and was about to de-
moljsh the intruding reptile at blow,
but the cats breakfast had been for
gotten that morning and she, recog-
nizing a chance of filling the void,
darted softly forward, then out of the
door with the prize dangling from her
mouth. Quick as flash the boy was
after her, but his mother stopped him.
saying, Look here, buoy, lef dat puss
alone, an go bring wood to cook the
dinner"
81 did jes' teck aim for the middle
of the lizard backbone, an if Maria
didn' come / would have nail him to
de floor! Puss is de trifiness ting in
de worl'!" muttered Son-son, still
after the disappearing cat.
Then he went off to do his mothers
Francella following at a re-
5pectful distance.
When they were once more alone
Rachel said to her affanced husband, ,
I got something to show you, but you
nusn' tell nobody. You hear?"
He promised and she stepped out :,
side for a moment, returning with a ,
small, rustic ladder, which she placed
irmly against the waited wall, and I
up drew from amid the T
hatch of the roof wooden money .
)ox. This she showed to Methusaleh 6
saying 81 got 10 pound in dis box, an
goin' spen some of it on de dress y
'or de Weddin'."
Ten poun'!" he exclaimed, with =
vide eyes of establishment, you is ,
'ich woman, Rachel" :
She put the box carefully back in g.,
is hiding place and came down the a
oJJo,-