The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-06

crap line ana tenQ the lily doom, ano
every minute l says, 'Yere / be down
in the swamps where / never surren.
dered and up Nawth's the Government,
and it amt never surrendered, but
now Michigan's comm to bring the
child that'll lead the ole gray line to
occupy the land! How'd you find him
Michigan? Did he done come RICH,
out O. cloud O. glory?"
Michigan pushed aside the mosquito
bars under the palm thatch where a
tiny FIRE fickered in the clay furnace
He famed it with his hat and the child
graveiy watched one old man and then
the other. One was tall and the other
short, but each had lost a leg! The
two brass bands shown valiantly. She
smiled out of her dark-eyed. thin lit
tie face which looked upon much brief
change and indifference in a meager
little life and was not given to whim-
pering.
Wasn't no cloud of glory" answered
Michigan Yournfully. Il done couldn't
get hold of a child anywheres till along
come lot of orphans with them con-
vent sisters. And l see the littlest one
and just then the sisters got fustered
with all the Mardy Graws BLOWN
horns and yellin'-"
Done know'd itp crowed Old Man
Captain delightedly. "A cloud O. glory
or some excitement
old Man Captain, l got to tell YOU
something. l grabbed the Titles one
with the little blue pants; but we made
an awful mistaken
"Huccome mistake, Michipan?"
She's girl?"
Old Man Captain looked fearfully at
Aurelie in the gloom of the falling
night. Go on, now'-he murmured
go on, nowp
How could l tell when she had on
them little blue pants? Just like boy,
Old Man! And We got way down in
the swamps before | found out"
Old Man Captain could hardly whis-
per. He peered at his partner doubt
fully; "Huccome you find out, Michi-
GAM
Michigan was more terribly embar-
raised than he had been since the Sur
render. His pink cheeks burned, while
his partner pulled his own white beard
nervously. "Huccome. Michigan"
easped Old Man Captain.
oh, well,' equivocated Michigan, 81
see little chain with a silver cross
hangin' about her neck under her
dress. so | just got to peellin' 'round!"
Old Man Captain was terribly
shocked. He spat off in the swamp as
he squatted by the fire. The serpent
had entered Eden. In twenty-five
years of wandering they had their first
dilemma. "How's a girl goin' to lead
'em? asked Old Man Captain mourn
fully.
Michigan raised his ewes with a
great idea. Who said a girl couldn't?
Reckon nothin' was said in YOUR reve-
childl"
Old Man Captain stared. The great
idea was too big for him. The mo-
squitoes were drifting in with their
nightfall singsong, and when they bit
Aurelie she whimpered, and her dark
eyes sought Old Man Captains ap-
pealingiy. She put out a trustful hand
to touch his wooden leg. That was
too much. He smiled. She crawled
over and patted Aiichigan's wooden
leg. The two shy old swampers
laughed together.
We done got babby, Michigan"
We done have, Old Man! All along
o yore crazy notion! You wouldn't
let me alone till l go to N'Awlyns and
get child to bring up"
Want no crazy notion. 1t was re-
vealed to me, l done tell you. But I
reckon it didn't say it had to be a boy
Exactly"
Well, Old Man, if we keep this
girl we got to quit driftin' round the
swamps. No more bush-cattin' up
river when the big waters comm, or
turtlin' down the lakes, or diggin' up
shells for pirates hide-ups. No. sir
If we keep her We got to stay here like
We was family"
Old Man Captain stared again. This
was sudden turning of the long road
Of romance. Thirty years he and
Michigan had hshed and seined and
trapped and drifted logs and prospect
ed pirates treasure from Grand Isle |
TO Butte La Rose, and this was the
hrst time fate had put a finger across |
the path. He rubbed his head. "Reck-
On so. Bein' its girl, l reckon sol"
Got to stay right yere," pursued |
Michigan. relentlessly, "and make a |
lOlne ana get woman
"A woman" That was too much. |
Did Man Captain was dismayed.
Yes, sir. How's two old fool John
1ies like you and me goin' to raise her
% be lady if we amt got a woman ?"
Now you begin to raise problems
when | thought everything was CAM"
luavered his partner.
We'll, how's she goin' to lead EN-
f she amt raised to be Lady," |
Old Man Captain could not answer.
1 reckon he murmured. "Only yere's
rou and me hung together year in and
ear out since the surrender, and ev-
ry Christmas, Michigan, / white out
new leg for you and you white out
me for me, and nary a word O VIM
min. Twenty-eight legs we cut out
or each other, and nary a word O
We'll, yerc we are retorted Mich
gan helplessly, got to have a woman.
'iebbe we can get one of the Chino
rimmen from the platforms or mebbe
re can get the Bia woman"
And the next morning, after the
hid had breakfasted on condensed
nix and mush and was playing with
he hound pups before the palmetto
hatch, Michigan stole out of the food
d forest with the Bia woman in his
irogue. She came to stand over the
hid listening to the confused tales
{ the wooden-legged swampers who
id their best to explain. And the
romises they made! If she would only