The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-03-19
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CHAPTER K.
The Hunt.

He awoke TO a musical twltterinR
and chirping, to find the sun pouring
into the dusty room in a very glory
lie rolled from the blanket and stood
upright. filing his lungs with long
deep breath OF satisfaction He fell
singularly light-hearted and alive. The
bulldog came bounding through the
wineow. dirty from the weeds, and
flung himself upon his master In a
canine rapture.
Get QUIT" quoth the latter, laugh
ing Stop licking my feet How the
dickens do you suppose I'm to get into
my clothes with your ridiculous antics
going on? Down, say! Harkl" He
broke OFF and listened, who's that
singing?"
The sound drew nearer-a lugu-
brious chant, with the weirdest minor
reflections, family suggestive Of the
rag-time ditties of the music-halls, yet
with a pleintive cadence.
Good morning, Uncle Jefferson"
The singer broke of, set down the
twig.broom that he had been welding
and came toward him. "Mawnin', sub.
Mawnin" he said Hopes yo'-all
slep' good All reck'n dem ar birds
woke yo' up; dey's maxim sch er
'miration"
Thank you. Never slept better in
my life. Am / laboring under a delu-
sion when imagine | smell coffee?"
Just then there came a voice from
the open door of the kitchen: Calls
yo'sef er man, 20 trifiin recon
structed niggahl Wen marstah gwine-
ter git he brekfus wild 20 ramshack-
lin eroun' wild dat dawg all his
Gawd s-blessid mawnin'? Go fotch
some mo lakewood dis minute. 70
heah?'
A turbaned head poked itself
through the door, with a good-natured
leaf-brown face beneath it, which
broadened into wide smile as its
owner bobbed energeticaily at Va
liant's greeting. 20 de Lawdl" she
exclaimed, wiping foury hands on a
Bingham apron. "Yo' sho is up early,
but All got yo' brekfus' ready, sub"
"All right, Aunt Daphne. I'll be
back directly"
no bilbQ hpNu " TIT ltht 70 HlullS1
his head into the cool water and there
by sharpen the edge OF an appetite
that needed no honing.
He came up the trail again to find
the reading stand transferred to the
porch and laid with a white cloth on
which was set a steaming coffee-pot,
with fresh cream, saltless butter and
crisp hot biscuit: and as he sat down.
with a sigh OF pure delight, IN his
dressing-g,SNn - a creepy Japanese /
thing redeemed from womanishness 1
by she bold green bamboo Of its de-
sign Uncle Jefferson planted before |
him a generous platter OF bacon eggs /
and potatoes. These he attacked with 4
surprising keenness. AS he buttered |
his fifth biscuit he looked at the dog, .
rolling on his back In morning costa /
sy, with a look OF humorous surprise.
"Chum," he said, what do you
think OF that? An my life a single
roll and a cup OF coffee have been
the most | could ever negotiate for
breakfast, and then II was apt TO taste
like chips and whet-stones. And now
look at this platei" The dog ceased
winnowing his ear with a hind foot
and looked back at his master with
much the same expression. Clearly
his own needs had not been forgot
ten.
'Reck'n All bettah go ter git dat ar
machine thing said Uncle Jefferson
behind him "Or CONAN, heah, she
low ter fix up de kitchen dis mawn-
in en- we begin on de house dis eve
min"
"Right-o" said Valiant Its all up
hill. SO the motor won't run away
with you. Aunt Daphne, can you get
some help with the cleaning?"
"He'p?" that worthy responded with
fine soorn. mo, sub. Moughty few.
in de town 'cepn low-down yaller new
issue trash Diet ain wu'f killin'l All
gwineter go TO dat house mahsef 10
long, hannah en- tongs. en- git IL fix
up!"
Splendid! My destiny is in your
hands. You might take the dog with
you. Uncle Jefferson; the run will do
him good"
When the latter had disappeared
and truculent sounds from the Kitchen
Indicated that the era of strenuous
had begun, he reentered the
changed the water in the rose
glass ana set IL on the edge OF the
shady front porch, where its Haunting
blossom made dash Of bright Grim
son against the grayed weatherbeaten
brick This done, he opened the one
large room on the ground-floor that he
had not visited.
1t was double the size OF the library,
a parlor hung in striped yellow silk
vaguely and tenderly faded, with a
tall plate mirror set over marble
topped console at either side. In one
corner stood grand piano OF Circas-
sian walnut with keys of tinted
motherof-pearl and a slender music
rack inlaid with morning-glories in the
same material From the center OF
the ceiling, above an oval table, de-
pended a great chandelier hung with
glass prisms The chairs and sofas
we're covered with dusty slip-covers of
He lifted one of these The