Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-02-01

compressed.
Here. unlock this thing, Billy, and
les take her off," 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 I'm.
ciasped; the middle ones refused to
bulge.
L 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 stavs
were such a snug fit that the hooks
seemed glued.
we sho' is in a fix" said Billy
gloomily; look like God all time let
tin us git in trouble"
You think Of more fool stunts TO
do, William Hill, than any bow thew
Is 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 it 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 bovs
laced up tightly as they we're in a
stout pair of stays, pinched and
scratched, and kicked and ierked
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. It 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 doin' in my house? Didn't
20 nanny tell you not to tanner
wid me no mo-? Git up an come here
an femme git my coset off O. yuh."
Angry as she was, she could not
keep from laughing at the sight they
presented, as, with no gentle hand
she unciasped the hooks and released
their imprisoned bodies.
Billy 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 It. An me
a-aimin' TO to 90 to three fun'eIs dis
week an q baptizin' on Sunday.
S'pose y all d bruck one O. de splints.
how'd l look a-presidin' at a fun'el
thout mare co'set on. an me shape
like what is?"
Who's dead, Sarah Jane?" asked
Jimmy. hoping to stem the torrent Of
her wrath.
sis Mary Ellen's las husban',
Brudder Littlejohn-dat' a-who," she
replied, somewhat Modified at his in
terest.
when did he die?"-Jimmy pursued
his advantage.
He got way f'om here bout moon
down las night" she replied, losing
sight of her grievance in his fatter-
Ing interrogations. "You know Sis
Littlejohn, she been married goin' on
five times. Dis-here IL make TO- gen
uemans she done buriet an dey amt
nobody can manage a fun'el like she
kin; pears like hit jes come natchel
to her. She sho' is done a good part
by eb'ry single husban' too, an she
S hggerin' to Guido all the yuthers
wild Brudder Littlejohn's co'pse."
Sarah Jane almost forgot her little au-
dience in her intense absorption of
her subject. "She say to me dis morn
in, she say, 'Marri'ge am lott'ry, Sis
BeddinfeP, but 1 sho' is drawed some
handsome prizes She got 'em all
laid out side by side in de buryin'
groun' wild err little imige on ebry
grade; an Sis Mary Ellen, seem as
she can't read de writin on de tomb
stones, she got a diff'unt little animal
a-settin' on eb'ry head res SOS she
kin tell which husban' am which.
Her fus' husban' were all time a-hunt-
in, so she got a little white marble
partridge a-restin' on he head, an hit
am mighty consolement to po'
widda oman 70 to know dat she can
tell de very minute her eyes light On
er grade which husban' hit am. Her
secon' man he got er mighty kinky,
woolly head an he mighty meek, SO
she got little white lamb a-settin' on
he grade; an de mex husban' he
did mt have nothin' much TO- to dis
gueese him fom de res 'cepin' he so
slow an she might nigh rack her brain
on, twel she happen to think bout
him bein' a Hardshell Baptis' an so
powerful slow. so she jest got little
tarrapin an sot it on him. Hit sho'
am a pretty sight jes' to go in dat
|G.yin' groun' an look at 'em all. side
by side; an new she got Brudder Lit
tlolOnn to add To de roc, I1a do o,1i