Alma record., 1914-02-05

| cup. 6OWuy uo, hhehHy'
I'VE just stopped for drink O.
good water"
The old negro nodded his head.
Good watah," he said in the gentle
ouayering tones of extreme age. "Yas,
Marse. Hep yo'sef. Come rom he
centah OBJ de yerf, dat watah. En- dahs
folks say de centah Of de yerf is all
fab Yo' reck'n dey's right, Mars
! Chahmahs?"
Now. 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 year"
The ebony head moved slowly from
side to side. "Op Ant'ny don need
no eyes," he said, touching his hand
to his brow. "He see ev'ything heah."
The Judge beckoned to the others
and they trooped inside the paling.
i've 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.'
"I 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 a 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 lii mistis,' he
muttered, "ain' afeahd oh OF Ant'ny.
Dah's fab en- she ain afeahd, en- dah's
watah en- she ain afeahd. Wondah
whut All gwine tell huh? Whut de
coIoh oh yo' hath, honey?'
Black" put in Chilly Lusk, with a
{ Old Anthony's hand fell back to his
knee. Young mars laugh at de OF
mau," he said, "but he don know. Dat
de coloh dat buhn nah han's-de coloh
oh gol, en- eyes blue like er cat-bird's
aig. Dah's er man gwine look in dem
eyes, honey, en- 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 fom," he said. zen heah"-his
arm veered and he pointed straight
toward the ragged hill behind them
''he stay
/ Lusk laughed noiselessly. He's
pointing to Damory Court he whis-
pered to Nancy Chalmers, "the only
uninhabited place within ten miles.
That's as near as he often hits it,
fancy"
'Heah's whah he stay" repeated the
old man. Heap OBJ trouble wait heah
TO him too, honey.-heap OBJ trouble,
heah whah liz mistis ftp 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 top
off with, at least!"
! But Anthony paid no heed. "Gr'et
trouble. Dahs fab en- she ain afeahd,
en- dah's watah en- she ain afeahd. En-
All sees yo' gwine ter him, honey. All
heah's de co'ot-house clock a-strikin' in
de night-en yo' gwine. Don wait,
don wait, lii mistis, er de trouble
cloud gwine kyah him erway fom 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 a 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 a dollar bill on the
step and weighted it with a stone, as
the rest remounted. well, good-by,
Anthony he said. We're nightly
obliged"
He sprang into the saddle and the
quartette cantered away. my expert
ment wasn't a great success, I'm
afraid, Shirley" he said ruefully.
"Oh, think it was splendid!" cried
Nancy. do you suppose he really be-
lieves those spooky things? declare,
at the time l almost did myself. What
an odd idea-'when the clock strikes
thirteen which, of course, it never
does"
Don't mind, Shirley" bantered
Lusk. When you see all dem trou-
bles' coming, sound the alarm and
we'll fly in body to your rescue"
They let their horses out for a
pounding gallop which pulled down
suddenly at muffled shrek from Bet
ty Page, as her horse went into the
air at sight of an automobile by the
roadside.