The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-02-21
ave An heard Of John Jasper"

He was the author Of the famous
sermon on The Sun do Move He
used to prove it by bucket of water
that he set beside his pulpit Saturday
night. AS it hadn't spilled in the
morning he knew it was the earth that
stood still"
Betty nodded laughingly "Ah re-
member now, Ia Mad Anthony really
mad?"
only harmlessly," said Shirley.
Hes stone blind. The negroes all
believe he conjures-that's voodoo,
you know. They put a lot of stock
in his 'prophecisms.' He tells for
tunes, too. SSH" she warned. Hes
sitting on the doorstep. He's heard
u.s."
The old negro had the torso of a
black patriarch. He sat bolt upright
with long straight arms resting on
his knees, and his face had that Pc
culiar expressionless immobility seen
in Egyptian carvings. His age might
have been anything, Judging from his
face which was so scanned and crew.
iced with innumerable tiny wrinkles
that it most resembled the tortured
glaze of some ancient bitumen pot
terry unearthed from a tomb of Kor.
The Judge dismounted, and tossing
his bride over a fence-picket, took
from his pocket a collapsible drinking
cup. "Howdy do, Anthony" he said.
I'VE just stopped for drink of your
good water
The old negro nodded his head.
Good watah,' he said in the gentle
quavering tones of extreme age. "Yas,
Marse. Hep yo'se'f. Come f'om he
centah oh de yerf. dat watah. En- dah's
folks say de centah of de yerf is all
fab. Yo' reck'n dey's right, Mars
Chahmahs?"
Nov, how the devil do you know
who I am, Anthony" The Judge set
down his cup on the well-curb. Il
haven't been by here for a year."
The ebony head moved slowly from
side to side. "Ol Ant'ny don need
no eyes, he said, touching his hand
to LIS brow. HE see evything heah."
The judge beckoned to the others
and they trooped inside the paling.
tive brought some other folks with
me, Anthony; can you tell who they
are?"
The sightless look wavered over
them and the white head shook SLOW
ly. Don know young mars" said
the gentle voice. "How many yuddahs
wild yo'? One, two? No, don know
young mistis, eidah.''
II reckon you don't need any eyes,"
Judge Chalmers laughed, as he passed
the sweet cold water to the rest "One
of these young ladies wants you to tell
her fortune"
The old negro dropped his head,
waving his gaunt hands restlessly.
The Judge beckoned to Betty Page,
but she shook her head with little
grimace and drew back.
You go, Shirley" she whispered,
and with a laughing glance at the
others, Shirley came and sat down on
the lowest step.
Mad Anthony put out wavering
hand and touched the young body.
His fingers strayed over the habit and
went up to the curling bronze under
the hat-brim. dis de Ill mistis," he
muttered, "ain' afeahd OBJ OIL Ant'ny
Dah's fab en- she aim afeahd, en- dah's
watah en- she ain afeahd. Wondah
whut All gwine tell huh? Whut de
coloh OBJ yo' hath, honey?"
Black" put in Chilly Lusk, with a
wink at the others. "Black as a crow"
Old Anthony's hand fell back to his
knee. Young mars laugh at de Of
man" he said, "but he dom know. Dat
de coloh dat buhn nah han's-de coloh
OBJ gol', en- eyes blue like er thirds
aig. Dah's er man gwine look in dem
eyes, honey, Ell gwine make 'em cry
en- cry" He raised his head sharply,
his lids shut tight. and swung his arm
toward the North. "Dah's whah he
come rom." he said, zen heah"-his
arm veered and he pointed straight
toward the ragged hill behind them
"hc stay"
Lusk laughed noiselessly. "Hc's
pointing to Dauory Court" he whis.
pered to Nancy Chalmers, "the only
uninhabited place within ten miles.
That's as near as he often hits it, I
fancy"
"Heah's whah he stay" repeated the
old man. Heap Oh trouble wait heah
TO- him too, honey,--heap oh trouble,
heah whah lii mistis fin him"
Come, Anthony" said Judge Chal-
mers, laying his hand on the old mans
shoulder. That's much too mourn.
full! Give her something nice to ton
off with, at least!"
But Anthony paid no heed. "Gr'et
trouble. Dah's fab en- she ain afeahd.
en- dah's watah en- she ain afeahd. En-
An sees yo' gwine ter him, honey. All
heah's de co'ot-house clock a-strikin' in
de night-en yo' gwine. DON wait,
dom wait, iii mistis, er de trouble
cloud gwine kyah him erway f'om yo'
. When de clock strike thuh-
teen-when de clock strike thuh-
teen"
The droning voice ceased. The
gaunt form became rigid. Then he
started and turned his eyes slowly
about him, vague look Of anxiety on
his face. For moment no one
moved. When he spoke again it was
once more in his gentle quavering
voice:
"Watah? Vas, Mars, good watah.
Hep yo'se'f"
The Judge set q dollar bill on the