Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-09

lilac bushes. It's Hickey Snyder" she
said, psering out smilingly q two
children. pursued and pursuer, burst
into view. 'eHush!" she whispered;
Il wonder what they are up TO-"
| The pair came In . whirl through
the bushes. The foremost was .
sevenyear-old negro girl. in a single
short cottonade garment, wizened.
barelegged and bafeheaded, her black
wool parted in little angular patches
and tightly wrapped with bits Of cord.
| The other was white and as freckled
as . turkeys egg. with hair cropped
nke boys. She held q carving.
knife cut from . single, whose edge
had been deeply ensanguined by poke
| berry juice. The pursued one STUN
bled over q root and came to earth in
q heap, while the other pounced upon
her like . wildcat.
"Hold still, you limb Of Satan" she
scolded. 'How can do it when you
won't stay stin?"
| "Oh, lawd," moaned the PROSTATE
one, In simulated terror; "oh, Doctah,
good Doctah snydah, has All gotter
hab dat operation? IL yo' sho' gwine-
ter twitter aroun' nah insides wild
dem knives en- SAW en- things?"
1T won't hurt" treasured the would.
be operator; mo moro than it did Mis-
Poly Clifford. And I'll put your liver
right back again"
"Wait er minute All jes' remem.
bahs All fo'got ter make nah will. All
leabs-"
'.Nonsense!. objected the other irri-
| tably. You made It yesterday. They
always do Il beforehand"
NO, sub; All done clean forgot ct.
All LEADS nah thimble ter de Mefodis'
church, en- nah black en- wife kitten
ter Hickey Snyder. en-"
A twig snapped under valiant's foot.
Both scrambled to their feet, the black
girl to look at them with q wide self
conscious grin. Hickey. tossing her
short hair back from her freckled
face, came toward them.
my goodness, Miss Shirley" she
said, I'VE didn't zee you at all" She
looked at Valiant. Are you the man
that's going to az Up Damory Court"
she inquired. without any tedious for
malities.
"Yes." said Valiant.
WELL" she said critically, you've
got your fob cut out for you. But
should ray you're the Kind to do It"
"Rickey!" 6hirley's voice tried to
be stern. but there was hint Of
laughter In It.
whist did I ny now" inquired
Hickey. Tn surs. meant It to b
complimentary"
1T was" said Valiant. Il shall tzy
to deserve your good opinion"
But whAt . ghastiy play!" *
claimed Shirley. where did you
learn IT,"
I'VE were playing Mis- Poly Clifford
in the hospital" Hickey answered.
"She's got whole lot Of little peb-
bles what they cut out"
"Oh, Rickey!" expostulated Shirley
with shudder.
They did. She keeps them In .
little pastebosrd box like wedding-ca
showing 1t to Miss Matte Sue yester.
day. She was telling her all about It
She said all the women there showed
each other their cuts and Dragged
about how long they were"
you certainly have highly devel-
oped taste for the dramatic" said
Shirley. II wonder what your next
effort viii be-
IT'S tomorrow" Hickey informed
her. We're going to have the duel
between Valiant and Sassoon."
The smile was stricken from John
Valiant's face A duel-the duel-be-
tween Valiant and sassoon! He felt
his blood beat quickly. Had there
been such thing In his fathers life!
Was that what had blighted It?
"Only not here where 1t really hap
pened. but in the Meredith orchard.
Greenie's going to be-"
"Ah ain'!" contradicted Greenie.
"Ah ain gwineter DO dat Valiant, no
howl"
"You are, tool" insisted Hickey,
wrathfully. you needn't be 50 pickety
and choosety-and after she kills Sas.
soon, we put the ,bloodhounds on her
trail"
Greene Uttered. '.Dey ain no dawg
aroun' heah'd tech me-" she said, zen
sides"
But, Hickey" Shirley interposed.
that wasn't . murder. That was .
duel between gentlemen. They don't"
II know it." assented Hickey cheer
fully. "But It makes it more exciting.
Will you come. Miss Shirley, deed and
double? I won't charge you any ad'
mission"
Il can't promise" said Shirley. by
the way. isn't it about time Miss Mat
tie Sue had her teal"
1T certainly 10, Miss Shirley" said
Hickey. with penitent emphasis. i
clean forgot It. aud she'll row me ur
the gump-stump! Como on. Greene"
and she started of through the
bushes.
Shirley looked at Valiant with .
deepening Of her dimple. hickey
isn't an aristocrat," she said; shes
what we call here poorwhite. but she's
got heart OF gold. She's an orphan.
and the neighborhood in general, and
Miss Matte Sue Mabry in particular.
have adopted her"
He hardly heard her words for the
painful wonder that was holding him
His father had taken . mans life.
Was 1t this Observation-Disclosures the
provocation, however justified by the
customs Of the time and section