The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-01-30
A WON ANS
"SOTNESS"
BY M. QUAD
BY NJ. QUAD
Copyright, 1912. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

and then asked for story. He hung
off bit and then began:
When built my first cabin on this
we're mounting it was clus up to the
foot OF a hill. Folks told me that a
landslide would come along some time
and make matchwood Of that cabin
aud bury us thirty feet deep. but |
wasn't to be skeered out Of good 10
cation on that account. | was buildtn
SO as to he nigh a spring and a road.
you see. Once In awhile as time went
on thar'd be a slip to the right or left
OF us. but nothin' to do any hurt.
I'VE kept taIkin' bout movin', but
also kept holdin' on, and so a week
passed. Then spring sot In, and II
rained and rained. | never did see II
pour down 50 stidy and 50 long.
Reckoned Ii rained fur bout 'leven
DAYS without a break. One mawnin
lest befo' daylight the ole woman
woke me up Jest as | was dreamin' of
cuttin down tree with thirteen coons
roostn' Oh the limbs, and she SEE to
me, SEE she:
"'Rube Jones, git up"
What furI'
"'Bekase you wanter be a-gittin.'
"'A-gittin' fur what?
"A -gittin' outer this yere cabin. I've
heard the trees and rocks crackin' UP
thar fur the last hour. and | tell you
We are gwine TO hev n landslide
"'Whar cid you make a study OF
landslides?' SEE |. feelin mortal mean
bout losin' all them coons.
"'Rube. don't he n fule!
"'One in the family Is nun.
reckon
That fired her up Deed. but | felt
so mean bout them thirteen coons
with coonskins bringin' six bits In cash
that var. that I sorter wanted to 81,
I'D a row. 1t didn't take long. She
Jumped outer bed with her jaw sot
aud when | got up she was sitttn' on
stone out In the yard with an umbrella
over her head.
"'Ole woman. we hain't got ten min
its to git outer this. Grab up what 20
kin and foller me!
whats the rumpus, RubeT she
calmly asks as she begins to hum a
tune.
levine to hev a landslide. an II
may cum any mint!
"'Whar did 20 make a study OF
them air laudslides. Ruber
Don't make no fule Of yo'self. ole
woman, fur things up thar Is already
shakin'.'
lone fule in the family Is nun.
reckon. Yo' go right on. My ole man
says thar's no danger Of a landslide
and so Tn goin' to sot right yere.'
"'Ole woman. are you sotT
""Deed | are. Rube.'
land are you gwine to take chances
Of beln' buried under a millyon tons OF
dirt and rockT
81 reckon | ann
"'And won't nuthin' move yo'r
".Nuthin' but that thar landslide
which my ole man says hain't a-cum
in. Goodby. RUDE. Better be gwine!
"'Yo' are sot. ole woman SEE |. and
yo' are fule to boot. but can't leave
yo' to perish. Up 20 git and cum
alongr
But 1t was no use When I tried t
lift her up she bit and kicked anc
wouldn't be budged. was powerfully
skeert, and | knowed the old woman
couldn't be unsot Of her sotness.
got the clock and the feather bed anC
rushed up the road to the bend, and
hadn't only jest slowed around wheI
the mounting moved.
1T was sight to lift yo'r heels
| all that rock and dirt and trees ant
bushes rushin' down. and the ole wo
man sot on the stone as stiff as poke
and waited fur II to reach her. 1t wa
rollin' over her when ! closed my eye
and sunk down. When l cum to ev
erything was hurry burly-wife gone
cabin gone. land buried out OF sight!
"Mebbe yo' can imagine my feelin's,
said the old man as he stopped (
knock the ashes out Of his pipe an
scratch his leg. IL kinder tainted an
fell down: then sot up and cried; the
l stood up and cussed. Reckon | wa
crazy fur bout an hour. I was sittiI
down and weepin' and groanin' when
heard a step and looked up to find m
ole woman not ten feet away. he
clothes was a leetle dusty. and tina
was a leetle blood on one ear, but sh
was mighty peart as she sez to me, sc
she:
stranger. yo' mought be acquain
ed round these we're parts?
stranger, marm-slightly,' sez L.
"'Do 20 happen to know a fam'l
named Jones-Rube Jones. the gre;
hunter arter b'arsT
81 do. marm.'
"'Got a fule In the family. I'm told
"'Yes, marin. he has,
(which is it-Rube or his wifer
ats Rube. marin. and dod rot h
ole skin If ! don't lick him to squas
the fust time | meets himp"
And she had escaped?" queried.
stranger. the hand of the Lawd W;
in it. She was carried a distance
fifty feet and Slowed into a ditch wit
, two logs across it. When the stu
quit fallin' she was buried ten fe
, deep. but she got out between tv
rocks and cum walkin' up to me
, calm as a mewl gwine to water"