Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-04-03


the front. The boys got In front of
Sarah James one looking.glass and
danced about laughing with glee.
We're like the twinses what was
growed together like mamma read me
bout" declared the younger child.
Presently they began to feel I'M
comfortable, especially Jimmy, whose
fat, round little middle was tightly
compressed.
Here, unlock this thing, Billy, and
les take her of" he said. I'm
bout TO pop open"
"All right" agreed his companion.
He tugged and pulled. but could get
only the top and bottom hooks UNI
clasped; the middle ones refused to
bulge.
Il can't get these-here hooks to
come loose" Billy said.
Jimmy put his short, fat arms
around him and tried his hand, but
with no better success. The stays
were such snug fit that the hooks
seemed glued.
I'VE sho' is in a fix" said Billy
gloomily; Took like God all time let
tin us git in trouble"
you think of more fool stunts to
do, William Hill, than any boy they
u.s." cried the other; you all time
want to get us hooked up in Sarah
James corset and you all time can't
get nobody loose What you want to
get us hooked up in this thing for?"
"You done 1t yo'self," defended the
boy in front with rising passion.
Squeeze in, Jimmy; we jes boun to
git outer this fore somebody finds
it out"
He backed the other child close to
the wall and pressed so hard against
him that Jimmy screamed aloud and
began to pound him on the head with
his chubby fists.
Billy would not submit tamely to
any such treatment. He reached his
hand behind him and gave the
smaller boys cheek a merciless pinch.
The fight was on. The two little boys,
laced up tightly as they were in a
stout pair of stays, pinched and
scratched, and kicked and jerked.
Suddenly Billy, leaning heavily against
Jimmy, threw him fiat on his back
and fell on top Of him
Bonnie Dick, sitting on the floor,
had up to this time watched the pro-
ceedings with an Interested eye; now,
thinking murder was being commit
ted, he opened his big, red mouth and
emitted a howl that could be heard
half a mile. 1t Immediately brought
his mother to the open door. When
she saw the children sQuirming on
the floor In her only corset, her indig-
nation knew no bounds.
"You, Jimmy Garner, an you, too,
William Hill. yuh little imps o. Satan,
what you dom in my house? Didn't
yo' nanny tell you not to tamper
wild me no mo-? Git up an come here
an femme git my co'set off O. yuh."
Angry as she was, she could not
keep from laughing at the sight they
presented, as, with no gentle hand
she unclasped the hooks and released
their imprisoned bodies.
Chilly all time" began Jimmy.
BILLY all time nothin," said Sarah
Jane, faint no use TO to try to lay
dis-here co'set business onto Billy;
both o. yuh is ekally in 1t. An me
a-aimin' TO- to go to three fun'els dis
week an a baptizin' on Sunday
S'pose y all d bruck one O. de splints
how'd I look a-presidin' at a fun'el
'thout mare co'set on, an ME shape
like what l is?"
Who's dead, Sarah Jane?" asked
Jimmy, hoping to stem the torrent o.
her wrath.
sis Mary Ellen's las husban'
Brudder Littlejohn--dat' a-who," she
replied, somewhat Modified at his in
terest.
when did he dieT'-Jimmy pursued
his advantage.
"He got way f'om here Bout moon
down las night" she replied, losing
sight of her grievance In his fiatteT
ing interrogations. "You know Sis
Littlejohn, she been married soin' OF
five times Dis-here Il mahe TO- gen
tlemans she done buriet an dey ain
nobody can manage fuRSei Nike sh
kin; pears like hit jes come natche
to her. She sho' is done a good par
by eb'ry single husban' too, an sh
8 fggerin' to Guido all the yuther
wild Erudder Littlejohn's co'pse.
Sarah Jane almost forgot her little au
dience in her intense absorption o
her subject, "She say to me dis morn
in, she say, Marri'ge am a lott'ry, ST
Beddinfier, but l sho' is drawed som
handsome prizes She got 'em al
laid out side by side in de buryiI
groun' wild err little imige on ebr
grabe; an Sis Mary Ellen, SEEM a
she can't read de writin' on de toni
stones, she got diff'unt little anima
a-settin' on eb'ry head res SOS sh
kin tell which husban' am which
| Her fus' husban' were all time a-hun
in, so she got a little white marbl
, partridge a-restin' on he head, an hi
I am a mighty consolement to a p'
widda oman To- to know dat she ca
r tell de very minute her eyes light o
or grabe which husban' hit am. He
[ secon' man he got er mighty hnk,
Hoolly head an he mighty meek, 6
no be Contiuned)