The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-18

come traipsin' back home wid de roo matis', suh, an layin' flat on he back grunttn' an groanin' lak he gwtne die ever mint, suh!''
 You're too easy on him, Mirandy. That's the trouble" laughed the colo nel. ''You ought to take a broomstick and wallop him till he ain't too proud to work, the old rascal Quit cookin' such good vittles for him, Mirandy, and let him go hungry for awhiler'
 Old Mirandy rolled her eyes heaven ward. "KunnI Todhunter,'' she gur- gled, q jes' nachully kain't do dat, suh. 'Tain't dat ole Jed. don't serve it, kase he do, but he sho kin put up sich po' mouf, suh! He's de mos mizzabu1 nig- ger on em'ty stummuck, suh. dat I ain't got de heart to fuse him when he say he hungry. Dass de fac, kunn1- jes' ain't got de heart, suh.'' ''WelI, but, good Lord, Mirandy, you must be put to it mighty hard to tend to your washin'- and look after that trtfin' old scound-el at the same hme?'
 ''I sho' is, kunn'l. I ain't nebber had no baby what's mo- trubb1e'n dat ar old Jed. Whuss doin' now, suh, but rubbin' dat ole fools j'ints wid lini- ment whilst I oughter be right at my washtub all my time, suh? I tell you, suhA got to scrabble fo' a libbin' wuss'n a scratchin' hen desc heah days, suh."
 Where are you livin' now, Miran- dyT
 "Whah I libbin'? Whah I 1ibbin'7 We'll, now, suh, mos shame fo' to tell you, suh, but men ole Jed Is jes' a-sQuattin' down wander in a serted cabin whut wuz em'ty on de Black Bottoms road, suh, 'tweIl men him jes' sorter moved into it, suh. Yass, suh, hits ercross fun whah ole MT. Rafe Doggett an he young grand daughter, Miss Lottie-May, Hbbin', suh. An hit sho' am lonesome place. Eff hit want fo' some sky1ark1n' young man a-comin' out f'um Nineveh to cote Miss Lottie-M May when her ole grand daddy ain't home, tell you p'intedly, KunnI TOdhunter, hft'd be jes' lak graveyard, suh.''
 'sI reckon so,' said the colonel. And who are the young scamps that come out to see Miss Lothe-May, Mirandy 2'
 ''Lawd bless you, suh, dey's two three uY 'em, suh- MT. Stam Fuckers one. Am Miss I-ottie-May sho' am pow'ful han some young g'yel, suh- An her ole granddad, he sutt'nly do pear to be mighty skeered 'ca'se she so gay an iirtatious-like, suh-" "WeIl, Mirandy, reckon that's only natural for pretty girl. You ain't never seen Tom Strickland cal1in' on her out there, have your"
 "No, suh; not to reckernize him, KunnI Todhunter, but dat afn't sayin' he atn't been dar whilst I been away so much O de time, kunnl. Huccome young Mir. Tom Strickland takin' to anybody but Miss Mary Todhunter, yo' own daughter, suh? Amt he jes' p'intedly head over heels in Tub wid
 Miss Mary, suh?'
 He ain't teIlin' me so, Mirandy," laughed the colonel. ''But I reckon Lottie- May ain't no more to him than any other of a dozen pretty girls. l was just wonderin', that's aIl''
 Then he put his hand in his pocket and drew out bill.
 Here. Mirandy," he said. 'I would not be surprised but what this might come in handy while you're a-wrastlin' with that old scamp Jed and his rheu- matism. And if you'll stop by and see Mrs. Todhunter next time you come to town I'll ask her if she can't give you a basketful of vitties she don't need"
 'Glory hallelooyah!' cried old Mi randy. "Dat ar money looks big as de side of a house to me. suh-it sho' do! Yass, suh, am gwine drop by you all's house, too, suh. An I ain't nebber gwine fergit you fo' it, kunn'l; I sho' ain't. Some O desc bright days gwine pay you back more'n dat ar money; you see if don't, suh!'' Sudden tears had come into the brave old woman's eyes. Pouring out a flood of thanks, bhe hobbled happily away.
 Colonel Todhunter looked after her almost sadly. Them old niggers," he said. 'I love 'em just like they was kin to me, and they love us too. But the new breed-they hate us, and l ain't got no more use for lem than have for a snake. It's curious and it's somethin' of tragedy, too, sub. I'll be dadblamed if know what's goin' to come of it all some dayr'