The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-04-28
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ILLUSTRATED 81 LAUREN STOUT

thing of crusty citizen, the doctor,
but he's all to the good"
A heavy step came along the porch
and Uncle Jefferson appeared with a
tray holding covered dish with a
plate of biscuit and round jam-pot.
Look here" said John Valiant, IT
had my luncheon three hours ago, I'm
being stuffed like milk-fed turkey"
The old man smiled widely. "Et's'
jes' er III snack er broth" he said.
"Reck'n ETH kinder float eroun' de
yuddah things Dis yeah pots dat
apple-buttah whut Miss Matte Sue
SEN yo' by Hickey Snyder"
Valiant shifted with satisfaction.
I'm getting so confoundedly spoiled"
he said "that I'm tempted to stay sick
and do nothing but eat. By the way,
Uncle Jefferson, where did Hickey
come from? Does she belong here?"
mo, sub. She come fom HelPs-
Half-Acre."
Whats that?"
Oats dat ornery passle O. folks
yondah on de Dome" explained I'm
Gle Jefferson. 'Dey's been dab longs
All kin recommembah-jes' er ram
shackle lot O. shif'less po'-white trash
whut git erlong anyways t all"
That's interesting" said Valiant.
$50 Hickey belonged there?"
"Yas, sub; nebbah d a-come down
heah 'cepfn' TO- Mis- Shirley. She de
enc whut fotch de iii gal outen dat
place, en- put huh wild Mis- Matte Sue,
three yeah ergo"
liant's cheeks. Tell me about it. !"
His voice vibrated eagerly.
well, suh," continued Uncle Jeffer-
son, "dey was one O. dem low-down
Hell's7Half-Acrers, name Greet King,
whut call hese'f de mayah OBJ de
Dome, en- he went on de rampage one
| day, en- took ahtah his wife. She was
er po' sickly CONAN, wild er III gal
! five yeah OF by er fust husban'. He
done beat huh heap O. times befo', but
dis time he boun' ter finish huh. All
reckn he was too drunk TO dat, en-
she got erway en- run down heah. Eft
was wintah time en- dah's snow on de
! groun'. Dah's er road f'om de Dome
! dat hits de Red Road clost' ter Rose
wood-dat ar's de cambridge place
en- she come dab. Reck'n she wuz er
pitiful-lookin' obstacle. 'Peahs lax
she done put de lii gal up in de
cabin lof' en- hid de laddah, en- she
mos crazy fo' feah Greet git huh. She
! lef' he huntin' fo' de young 'un when
she run erway Dey was on'y Mis-
Judith en- Mis- Shirley en- de gal EN-
line at Rosewood Well, sub, dey
want no time ter SEN TO- men. Whut
yo' reck'n Mis- Shirley do? She ain
afeahd O. muffin on dis yerf, en- she
! on'y sebenteen yeah OF den, too. She
dom tell Mis- Judith-no, sub! She
run out ter de stable en- saddle huh
boss, en-. she gallop up dat road ter
He'll -Half-Acre lax er shot outen er
shovel"
Valiant brought his hands together
sharply. Eyes, yes" he said. And
them"
when, she come ter Greet King
cabin, he done foun' de laddah, en- one
er he foots was on de rung. He had
er ak in he han. De POI iii gal was
peepin' down thoo' de cracks O. de
flo. en- prayin' de bestes' she know
how. She say afterwards dat she
reck'n de Good Lawd SEN er angel,
TO- Mis- Shirley were all in white
she didn' stop ter change huh close.
She didn' say muffin, Mis- Shirley
didn'. She on'y lay huh han on Greet
Kings ahm, en- he look at huh face,
en- he drop he AK en- go. Den she
clumb de laddah en- fotch de chile
down in huh aims en- take huh on de
boss en- come back. Dat de way ct
happen, suh."
"And Hickey was that little child"
"Yas, sub, she sho' was. In de
mawnin' er posse done ride up ter
Hell's-Half-Acre en- take Greet King
in. De majah he argyfy de case TO
de State, en- when he done git thoo'
dey mos put de tow eroun' Kings
mex in de co'ot room. He done got
six yeah, en- ct mos broke de majah's
ha'at dat dey couldn' give him DC
mo-. He wuz cert'n'y er bad aig, dat
Greet wuz. Dey say he done swan
he gwineter do up de majah when he
git out"
Such was the story which Uncle
Jefferson told, standing in the door
way. When his shuffling step had re
treated, Valiant went to the table and
picked up a slim fooled volume that
lay there. 1t was Lucille" which he
had found in the hall the night of his
arrival. He opened it to page where
pressed and wrinkled but still retain
ing it's bright red pigment, lay what
had been rose.
He stood looking at it abstractedly
his nostrils widening to its crushed
spicy scent, then closed it and slipped
it into his pocket.