The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-04-18

play de PLAINLY sence de day aftah d.
ball. Me en- Daph moght1y pestered
bout him"
'Pshaw!" said the major. .-Touch
OF spring fever, I rackon. Aunt DAM
feeds him too we'll. Give him lesa
fried chicken and more ash-cake ana
buttermilk. Make him some juleps.s
Inc 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
sumpia' gwineter happen"
"Nonsense!" the major shifted
What fool IDEAS got under your wool
now! Been seeing Mad Anthony
again, I'll bet a dollar"
uncle JEFFERSON swallowed once OF
twice with seeming difficulty and
turned the gravel with his toe. Oats
Co." ne said gloomily. "Ah done see
de old man de yuddah day bout ct
Ant'y. he knowi He see trouble en-
comm en- trouble er.gwine. Dat same
night de hoss-shoe drop ofren de
STABLE do. en- dis ve'y mawnin' 81
buhd done fly inter de house. Das
or mighty bad hoodoo. or mighty bad
hoodoo!"
"shucks!" said the major. YOU'RE
as loony as old Anthony, with YOU,
inrernal signs. II your Mars Johns
been out all day I reckon he'll turn
up before long. Ill wait for him 3
while" He started in, but paused on
the threshold. did you say-ah-
that mint was all gone. Unc; Jeffan
SOM"
Uncle Jefferson's lips relaxed In .
wide grin. "Ah reck'n dah's er few
stray sprigs lef', sub. Step in en- meh
yosef ct home. Ell Mars John see
yo', he be mought'ly hoped M. All
gwineter mix yo' dat julep in two
shakes!"
He disappeared around the corne,
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.
c'ent hall. He fell to thinking of the
many times. Of old. when he had sat
tnere. The house was the same again.
now 1t had walked from a thirty.
years slumber to 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
roses and music! He remembered
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 kent
that old darby SO 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. a stealthy football
he had heard. 1t came from the
library, where shabby figure
crouched, listening. in the corner be.
hind the tapestried screen-a man
evilly clad, with SCARED cheek.
1t had been with no good purpose
that Greet King had logged the major
these last few days. He Rugged hot
hatred grown to white heat in six
years Of prison labor within bleak
walls at the clicking shoe-machine. or
with the chain-gang on blazing OF
frosty turnpikes. He had skunk be.
hind him that afternoon, creeping uu
the drive under cover of the bushes.
and while the other talked with Uncle
JEFFERSON, had skirted the house and
entered from the farther side, through
an open French window. Now as he
peered from behind the screen. a
poker, snatched from the fireplace.
was In his hand. His furtive gaze fell
upon morocco-covered case on a
commode by his side. He lifted its
lid and his eyes narrowed az he saw
that 1t held pistol. He set down
the poker noiselessly and took tho
weapon. He tilted fit was rusted,
but there were loads in the chambers.
He crouched lower, with whispered
curse: the major was coming into the
library, but not alone-the old Niger
was with him!
Uncle Jefferson bore tray with q
frosted goblet over whose rim peeped
6AOoA ACdSC5 huu WHICH, 6pT0du dUEO6U
an ambrosial odor, which the major
shifted approvingly as the other set
the burden on the desk at his elbow.
"Majah," said the latter solemnly,
you reck'n Mars John en- Miss Shir-
ley"
Good lord!" said the major, wheel
ing to the small ormolu clock on the
desk. Its most four o'clock. Haven't
you any idea where he's gomez"
mo, sub, less'n he's gwineter look
ovah dem walnut trees. Whut Abs
gwine ter say-yo' reck'n Mars John
en- Miss"
walnut trees? Is he going to sell
them?"
"Tree man come rom up norf some
whah ter Sc erbout ct yistidday, Vas,
sub. Yo' reck'n Mars John en-"
Mice pot of money tied up in that
H3||:I1TN 1 /