The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-05-12

1
| thought you were bound In the other
direction"
No. sub. Aim gwine ba :, whah 1
come fom. All JUS druv out hyuh
case Miss Shirley done met me, en-
she say, 'Unc' Jeffe'son, yo' go 'treckly
out de Red Road, case er gemman
done got stalled-ed''
"Oh-Miss Shirley. She told you.
did she? What did you say her first
| name was?"
OATS huh fust name, Miss Shirley.
Vas, sub! Miss Shirley done said f
me ter come en- git de gemman whit
-whut kinder dawg is yo' got dar?"
It's a bulldog Can you give me a
lift? I've got that small trunk and"
Oats right fine dawg. Miss Shir-
ley she moghty fond OBJ dawgs, too"
Fond of dogs, is she?" said Valiant.
Il might have known it. 1t was nice
of her to send you here, Uncle Jeffer-
son. You can take ne and my traps,
l suppose?'
Pens on whah yo' gwineter," an
swered Uncle Jefferson sapiently.
A kind OF shocked surprise that was
almost stupefaction spread over the
| others face, like oil over a pool.
Danny Coot! OATS de old Valiant
+, place. Ain nobody lives dar All
reck'n ain nobody live dar fer mos er
| hun'erd yeahs!"
The old house has great surprise
coming to it," said Valiant gravely.
| "Henceforth some one is going to oc-
| cupy It, How is it anyway"
'Measurin' by de coonskin en- th'ow-
| In in de tail, cts erbout two mile.
Ain gwineter live dar yo'se'f, sub. is
yo'?"
Il am for the present" was the
crtsp answer.
Uncle Jefferson stared at him a mo-
| ment with his mouth open Then ejac-
ulating under his breath, "Fo' de
| Lawd! Whut folks gwineter say ter
dat" he shambled to the rear Of the
motor and began to unship the steam
| er-trunk. Whit yo' gwineter do wild
| dat-ar?" he asked, pointing to the car.
| "Ah kin come wild ole Sukey-da.'s
NAH mule-en fotch it In de mawn-
in. Amt gwineter rain ter-night no.
how
This matter having been arranged,
they started Jogging down the green
| bordered road, the bulldog prospecting
alongside
| "Spose'n de Coot done ben sold en-
yo' gwineter fix it up fo' de new
ownah, hazarded Uncle Jefferson
} presently.
Valiant did not answer directly.
| You say the place hasn't been occu-
pied for many years." he observed.
Did you ever hear why, Uncle JEFF
| ferson?"
"Ah done heerd," said the other
| vaguely, but All disremembahs.
| Sump'in dat happened befo' All come
| heah fom OF Post-Oak Plantation.
| Reck'n Majah Bristow he know erbout
| it, er Mis- Judith-dats Miss Shirley g
mothah Her fathah wus Gen1 Tawm
| cambridge, en- he died TO she was
| bawn.''
| Shirley Dandridge. A high-sound-
| linked culture, of arrogant heritage.
In some subtle way it seemed to
| cIothe the personality of which Va
liant had had that feeting roadside
| glimpse.
"Reck'n yo'-all come fom New
York; inquired Uncle Jefferson, after
| a little silence. so. Dey say OATS
| er pow'ful big place. But All reck' n
OF Richmon's big ernuf fo' me-" He
clucked to the leisurely mule and
added "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
| ITO PIE CONTTNITED