The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-08-11

! |''''''S~ SlinuDa y best h.It
Win d"ilberAte energy
Now Amelia" she said "d,n.t vou
s"o'' gran pas day. Hes fcrliro ro.I
NF'' aga R"hin'~ folks are r>,n,.ti,,..
''l"'' ANA W" re gong to drIy,, owe, ms,
as soon | Eet ready It's yoinr tn H..
h"ANtiiul day " She s1uiln,I ,,,,,.,,,,,.
aS'hHIy at grandpa. whose wrjn,;In1
Aace frightened in SYMPATHY with her
rosy, SMILING rOuutrnnnrr "YI,yc Won
.au DAD news. AInrlin: see yo1lr
black bnunit on The. line"
NilleIla coughed nprv0uS!v. II nin1
nad any direct news" she said with ,
sue Glanre at grandpa'S rptrpotinr
FORM hut the signs are bad
ureamt or white horse last night
and yesterday see mourning
white dove amounting Oh your cher
ry tree. and Jim Boilers dog pinted
his nose directly at Gran'pa and howl
Ell. and them's all signs Of denth Nv
ear ruhg dreadful when / sut up this
morning, and | knew I'd hear bad
news. She sighed despondently.
| And what bad news did you hear?"
demanded Phoebe with unaccustomed
severity. rs 1t bad news beca use
gran'pa amt dead? Is 1t bad news be.
cause he's we'll enough to drive over to
Chester. where he amt been for two
years? "Taint likely gran'pa will die
because Jim Boilers dog barked at
him. and II you think our old white
hen looks like mourning dove you've
got more imagination than you have
common sense. Amelia Skinner"
Miss Skinner was stepping down the
path with stiff dignity. her sunbonnet
poked dejectly forward and her limp
skirts f1uttering. Phoebe watched her
In silence for moment and then fol-
| lowed her with slow. numbering move
ments Of her great bulk Of flesh. When
they reached the gate she laid a detain-
ing hand on Amelia's thin shoulder:
| amelia" she said commiseratively.
| II wish you didn't take such q lot of
comfort believing in signs and dreams
and such things. It's dreadful heather
/ ish. and | never knew any of your bad
signs to come true anyway. and | de-
e.
| You don't seem to know many good
signs either. but I've heard so much
about good signs and bad signs and
dreams and weather signs and snakes
and black cats and bowling dogs that
| feel just the same as old Mr.. PEBBLES
down to the mill-the only sign | be-
lieve In is the dollar sign and her fat
shoulders shook mirthfully.
Amelfas farce peered out of the sun
bonnet, wrinkled with unusual emotion.
i've had good reason to believe in bad
signs" she said bitterly. And l
sha'n't change my eelief till l have
good reason to-
Phoebe watched her curiousIy as she
recrossed the road. "Amelia's terrible
changed" she murmured reminiscently.
'She used to be so pretty. and she was
real shaney. too, and now she's like a
clothespin she's that thin. And a0ays
a-moping. | wonder IL she and Madi
son Cook ds1n't have quarrel or some
thing. Everybody thought 1t was all
settled between them. ana all of a
sudden he went out to Ohio and Anne
Tia just Snoped at home with Aunt
PhAemie. / guess Aunt Pheemie Just
drove all her beliefs into Amelia, and
its maze Amelia just as queer as she
was. and guess Aunt Pheemie didn't
like Madison any too well. I'll bet she
was at the bottom OF Che soluble II
there was any. All right. gran'pa. I'm
coming"
With prudence born of infinite faith
in premonitions Amelia carried the
bennet and veil within doors, for. in
spite of the blaze of sunshine and can
opy Of blse sky without, the prophesy
Of rain remained to be fulfilled. and
probably there would be need Of the
bonnet. for indeed 1t was inviting ca
lamity to take Grandpa Wood to Ches.
ter In the face Of an impending storm
and, above all things. behind q white
horse.
She busted herself about the house.
mechanically noting the hundred and
one omens OF good and evil that were
manifested In the course Of the morn
ing and which were interpreted BY her
according to Aunt Pheemie's teachings.
Finally Amelia dropped fork. She
knew company would inevitably fol-
low. and she hurried TO the front room
and opened the windows. As she peer.
ed through the stats Of the blinds she
saw Pheemie Wood and grandpa driv-
Ing by. Old white Ress was hitched
to the buggy, and grandpa's face wore
beatiic smile Of contentment.
The tortoise shell cat watched her,
blinkingiy, ~ she ate her lonely dinner.
She spilled some salt and hastily threw
u pinch over her left shoulder to avoid
quarrel When she found two spoons
in her saucer she was visihly excited.
New somebody's going TO get married.
| shouldn't be surprised IL Il was Mel
lie Harper and David They're keep
ing steady company. but he's got dread
fui poor health. III go over to Mrs.
Harrer's. and maybe she will tell me
some news
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