The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1911-09-14
ABE'S
CONVERSION
By ELMER TROOP SAWYER
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

send a note to a young girl who lived
some distance back of the college build
ings. asked Abe. the sweep. who
took care of my room, to take 1t for
me-
I'm In a hurry for a reply to this.
Abe" | said go straight back over
the campus and through the grounds
beyond. and 1t won't take you half an
hour to go and come"
"Yes. sab" replied Abe. and. taking
the note, he departed.
I waited an hour for him, at the
end Of which time be came in pant
ing.
Were you kept waiting, Abe? l
asked.
mo, sab. ! wasn't KEEP waitin'."
Then why were you gone so longT
81 didn't go the way yo' told me to
go, sab"
why not?"
81 nebber go dat way. sab. had
a bad sperience on dat route once"
Experience! What kind of an ex-
perienceT'
81 don't mind tellin' you about 1t If
yo' 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 debbil"
Get into the statues?
Eyes. 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
go that way any mo- nohow.
81 war de wickedest man anywhar.
war a liar and a thief and every
thing that was bad. Yo' know Pro-
fessor Barnacle? He was student den.
His fader had chickens. All us mig
gers Tub chickens and watermillions.
When de broilers git plenty big ! used
to steal 'em. and when de chickens
war big and de watermillions war ripe
/ used to go home past the Barnacle
place, and take a chicken under one
arm. with ma finger pressed on its
throat to keep it from squawkin', and
under de udder arm l had a water
million.
when I'd committed these depre-
dations lots OBJ times Mr.. Barnacle
he says to me, Abe. what yo' stealin'
our chickens for Go long l says; 1
hain't got no use To- yo' Chickens
We'll. Abe. all hab to say is dat l
heard a clatter in de chicken house one
night and went out to see what was
de matter saw somethin' dark
walkin' away and follered it. ] saw
it go into yo' house.
"'Fo' Gawd. Mr.. Barnacle, ! hain't
teched chicken meat in year rs too
poor to buy 'em. and rs too honest to
steal EN-
ABE he said, 'yo're sacrilegious'
81 larfed when he said dis. TO
wasn't convicted OBJ sin. as de minister
says. but ! got convicted sho' encugh
mighty quick arter dat. De water
millions war gittin' ripe. and one night,
passin' de Barnacle place. | TUX big
watermillion under 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 l lit
out TO awhile and hid in de bushes.
saw somebody come out OBJ de house
and look around, den go away.
waited 70 awhile; den ! sneaked In.
got ma chicken and went off towards
ma cabin.
Il war passiD' de statute OBJ General
Somebody or odder who fit TO dis state
in de rebelution when de statute called
out:
Halt thar, you Aber
II stood still as / could To- de shak-
in OBJ ma legs.
"'Drap de chicken says de statute.
81 hain't got no chicken
de right arm OBJ de statute raised
and frowed somepin at me- l heard it
splosh on de groun'. l reckon it was
an egg.
II was so skeered at seem de statute
frow somepin dat | le' go de neck OBJ
de chicken. and 1t began to squawk.
"'You say yo' hain't got no chicken.
ehT says de statute.
Il didn't say nothin' to dis.
"'Drap de chicken and de water
Million says de statute.
II dropped 'em bofe, and de chicken
went of squawkin'
ABE says he statute. I'm a hant
what TUX up inside dis statute TO- to
convict yo' OBJ chicken and watermil-
lion stealin', and I'm gwine to stop yo'
doin' it.
"'How you gwine to do datT I says.
I'm gwine to kill yo'.
dat statute he just lifted up his
arm agin and fred a pistol. and de
ball sung right up above ma head.
$50 Gawd. MIR. Hant.' l says,
4 promise not to steal chickens or
watermillions no mo- If yo'll spa ma
life
Abe said the hant. 'yo' not only a
thief; 20 liar. How ! gwine know
yo' keep yo' promiseT
I hope ! may die eff I ever do