Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-04
CHAPTER IX-Continued)

CHAPTER IX-Continued)
This matter having been arranged.
they started jogging down the green
bordered road, the bulldog prospecting
alongside. A meadowlark scared
somewhere in the overarching blue,
dropping golden notes; dusty humble
bees doomed hither and thither:
genial crickets turned their fiddles in
the "tickle-grass' and hawking
dragon-fy paused for an impudent
siesta between the mules gyrating
ears.
"s'pose'n de Co'ot done ben sold en-
yo' gwineter fix it up TO de new
ownah." hazarded Uncle Jefferson
presently.
Valiant did not answer directly.
"You say the place hasn't been oc-
cupied for many years" he observed.
"Did you ever hear why Uncle Jetfer-
SOM"
"Ah done heerd." said the other
vaguely, "but All disremembahs.
Sump'in dat happened befo' All come
heah f'om OF Post-Oak Plantation.
Reck'n Maiah Bristow he know erbout
it, err Mis- Judith-dat's Miss Shirleys
mothah. Her fathah WIS Genl TaWm
cambridge, en- he died TO- she was
bawn."
Shirley Dandridge, A high-sound-
ing name, with something Of long
linked culture, of arrogant heritage. In
some subtle way it seemed to clothe
the personality of which Valiant had
had that f1eeting roadside glimpse.
Uncle Jefferson stared meditatively
skyward whence dropped the bubbling
lark song. "Dat-ar buhd kin sing!" he
said. Queen dat folkses cyan do dat,
dey so moughty much smahtah
Nevah knowed nobody could, dough,
cepn ony Miss Shirley. Tain er
buhd nowhah in de fiels dat she cyan
mock
"You mean she knows their calls?'
"Yas, sub, ev'y SCUM. Done fool me
heap er times. Dah's de cooks iii
boy te Rosewood dat wus sick las
summah, en- he listen ev'y day ter de
mockin'- buhd dat nes' in one OBJ de
tulip-trees He jes' love dat buhd
next ter he nanny, en- when ct come
fall en- ct don come no mo-, he ha'at
mos broke He jes' lay en- cry en- git
right smaht wussur. Et las seems
lax de lii boy gwine die. When Mis-
Shirley heah dat, she try en- try till
she jes' git dat builds song ez pat ez
de Lawd's Psayah, en- one evenin' she
gwine en- say ter he nanny ter tell
him he mockin -buhd done come back,
en- he nanny she bundle him all up in
de Quilt en- open de winder, en- sho'
nuff dah's Mistah Mockin' -buhd benin
de bushes, jes' bus'in' hissef. Well.
sub, seems lax dat chile hang on ter
living jes' ter heah dat buhd, en- ev'y
evenin', way till when de snow on de
groun', Mis- Shirley she hide out IN
de trees en- sing en- sing till de po' iii
Teller gwine ter sleep"
Valiant leaned forward, for Uncle
Jefferson had paused. did the child
get well?" he asked eagerly.
The old man clucked to the leisure
w mule. "Yas, subj" he said. He
done git we'll He bout de on'riest
young'un roun' heah now!
"Reck'n yo'-all come f'om New
York;" inquired Uncle Jefferson. after
a little silence. 80! Dey say OATS
err pow'ful big place. But An reck'n
OIL Richmons big ernuf TO- me- He
clucked to the leisurely mule and ad-
ded, "Ah bin ter Richmon' onct. Vas,
sub! All nevah see sech houses-mos'
all bigger'n de county co'ot-house.'
John Valiant expressed somewhat
absent interest. He was looking
thoughtfully at the blossom in his
hand, in an absorption through which
Uncle Jefferson's "reminiscences oozed
on:
Mos cur'ousest thing was how
e'vybody dar seem ter know e'vybody
else. Dey got street-kyahs dar, no
boss en- no mule, jes' shoot up de hill
en- down ergen, lax de debble skinnln'
tan-bahk. Well, sub, All got on err
kyah en- glib de man whut stan on de
.atfawm er nickel. en- All set dar
lookin' outer de win'ow, till de man he
call out Adams en- err gemman whit
wah sittin' ercross fom me, he git up
en- git off. De kyah start ergen en- de
mex conan dat ar man on de flatfawn
he yell out Monroe En- Mistah> Mon
roe, he was sittin' up at de end, en- he
Jump up en- git off. Den de kyah took
anuddah staht, en- Dress nah soul, dat
ar man on de f1atfawm he hollah
'Jeffe'son.' All clah' ter goodness,
sub, All nebbah skeered so bad en- nah
life. How dat man know me, sub?
Well, sub, All jump up lax All ben
shot, en- All says, 'Fo' de lawd, boss,
All want gwineter git off at dis co.
nah, but eff yo' says so, All reck'n An
got teri So All git off en- All walk
erbout TO- miles back ter de deepo!"
Uncle Jefferson's inward and vol
canic amusement shook his passenger
from his reverie. EN- dat ar want de
wust. When All got ter de deepo, An
didn't have nah pocketbook. Err burg
lar had escaped off wild it en- lef' me es
nickelless ez er convic'."
CHAPTER X.
What Happened Thirty Years Ago.
When Sharley came across the lawn
at Rosewood Major Montague Bristow
sat under the arbor talking to her
mother.
The major was massive-framed,
with a strong jaw and rub1-
cund complexion-the sort that might
be supposed to have attained the ut
most benefit to be conferred by con-
sistent indulgence in mfnt-juleps His
blue eyes were piercing and arched
with brows like sable rainbows, at
variance with his heavy lron-gray
h,;r ,nd ip,roria1 His head was