Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-04-23

laugh no mo-, don sing no mo-. Ain
play de PLAINLY sence de day aftah de
ball. Me en- Daph moghtIy pestered
bout him."
'Pshaw!" said the major. "Touch
OF spring fever. rackon. Aunt Daph
feeds him too we'll. Give him less
fried chicken and more ash-cake and
buttermilk. Make him some juleps."
The old negro shook his head
"Moghty neah use up all dat mint.
bald All foun'." he said, but ain do
no good. Majah, Abs sho' 'feahed
sumpin' gwineter happen"
"Nonsense!" the major shifted.
What fool Ideas got under your wool
now? Been seeing Mad Anthony
again. I'll bet dollar"
Uncle Jefferson swallowed once or
twice with Seeming difficulty and
turned the gravel with his toe. Oats
So" he said gloomily. "Ah done see
de old man de yuddah day bout ct.
Ant'y. he knowl He see trouble err
comm en- trouble er-gwine. Dat same
night de hoss-shoe drop often de
stable do. en- dis vey mawnin' er
buhd done fly inter de house. Das'
err mighty bad hoodoo. err mighty bad
hoodool'
"Shucks!" said the major. You're
as loony as old Anthony, with your
internal signs. If your Mars Johns
been out all day l reckon he'll turn
up before long. I'll wait for him a
while" He started In, but paused on
the threshold. did you say-ah-
that mint was all gone. Unc' Jeffer.
SOM"
Uncle Jefferson's lips relaxed in a
wide grin. "Ah reck'n dah's er few
stray sprigs lef', sub Step in en- mex
yo'se'f ct home. Ell Mars John see
yo', he be moughtly hoped up. All
gwineter mix yo' dat julep in two
shakes!"
He disappeared around the corner
Of the porch and the major strobe into
the hall, threw his gray SLOUGH hat
on the table, and sat down.
1t was quiet and peaceful, that an.
cient hall. He fell to thinking of the
many times, of old. when he had sat
there. The house was the same again,
now. 1t had walked from a thirty.
years slumber to a renewed prime
Only he had lived on meanwhile and
now was old. He sighed.
How gay the place had been the
night of the ball, with the lights and
! fAf L.
what the doctor had said about Val
liant and Shirley-it had lain ever
since in his mind. painful specula-
ton. The recollection reused another
thought from which he shrank. He
stirred uneasily. What on earth kept
that old darby 80 long over that julep
A slight noise made him turn his
head. But nothing moved. Only a
creak Of the woodwork, he thought
and settled back again In his chair.
1t was, in fact, stealthy football
he had heard. 1t came from the
library, where shabby figure
crouched, listening. in the corner be
hind the tapestried serena mar
evilly clad, with a SCARED cheek.
II had been with no good purpose
that Greet King had logged the major
these last few days. He Rugged no
hatred grown to white heat in ST,
years of prison labor within bleal
walls at the clicking shoe-machine, Of
with the chain-gang on blazing Of
frosty turnpikes. He had skunk be
hind him that afternoon, creeping III
the drive under cover OF the bushes
and while the other talked with Uncl,
Jefferson, had skirted the house anC
entered from the farther side, through
an open French window. Now as ht
peered from behind the screen,
poker, snatched from the fireplace
was in his hand. His furtive gaze fel
upon a morocco-covered case on
commode by his side. He lifted III
lid and his eyes narrowed as he saw
that it held a pistol. He set dow
tho rOlyar pOfealacclv and fOok IN.