Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-02-19

to rifle him up!" R-emorselessly went
on the ~rejuvenated Darby;
"Hain't a,goin' ter sit up. hehi Yew
old ~mollycoddle! Yew babyl Old
Lady 81 Kiny calf! But / hain't
a-blamln' yew; eff had lived in this
here place = year an q half. I'd be
stark. starin' mad! Leetle tOotsie-
wootsie! Git up!"
Abe had opened his eyes and a
once more staring at the other. his
mind slowly coming to the light Of the
realization that Samuel might be more
sane than himself.
That's what / told Angy all along
he vsntured. Il told her, | says. says
l. 'Humbug! Foolishness! Ye're a.
maxim q regular baby Of me. Why
l says. what's the difference between
me an these here women-folks except
that l wear a beard an smoke q piper
Then why don't yew git upf" de-
manded the inexorable Samuel. Cit
up an fool EN-: or. gosh all hemlock!
they'll be measurin' yew fer yer coffin
next week. When | come inter the
hall, what dew yew think these here
sisters O yourn was a,discussin'i They
was a-arguin' the pint as to whether
they'd bury yew In a shroud or yer
Sunday suit"
Abraham put one foot out Of bed.
Samuel took hold Of his arm and with
this assistance the old man managed
to get up entirely and stand, though
shaking as II with the palsy, upon the
floor.
Feel pooty good. don't yewr" de-
manded Samuel, but with less sever
ity.
"A leetie soft. q leetie SOFT" NUT
tered the other. Gimme my cane.
Thar. Of n o them women comes In
the door TM-I1E" Abraham raised
his stick and shook II at the innocent
air. "Whar's my piper Mis- Holman.
she went an hid It last week."
After some searching, Samuel found
the pipe In Abe's hatbox underneath
the old mans beaver, and produced
from his own pocket a package Of to-
bacco, ~whereupon the two sat down
for a quiet smoke, Samuel chuckling
to himself every now and again, Abe
modestly seeking from time to time to
cover his bare legs with the skirt of
his pink-striped nightrobe, not daring
to reach for a blanket lest Samuel
should call him names again. With
the very first puff of his pipe, the light
had come back into the invalid's eyes;
with the second, the ashen hue COM
pletely left his cheek; and when he
had pulled the tenth time on the pipe,
Abe was ready to laugh at the sisters.
the whole world, and even himself.
"Hy-guy. but it's splendid to feel
like a man agin!"
The witch Of H~awthorne's story
never gazed more fondly at her
"Feathertop" than Samuel now gazed
at Abraham pulling away on his pipe;
but he determined that Abraham's
fate should not be al poor Feather.
tops" Abe must remain q man.
"Naow look a-here, Abe" he began
after a while, laying his hand on the
others knee. dew yew knaow that
yew come put nigh gittin' swamped In
the big breakers? III l hadn't come
along an throwed out the lifeline,
yew-"
"Sam1." interrupted the new Abra-
ham, not without q touch Of asperity.
"whar yew been these six months?
A-leavin' me ter die OF apron strings
an doctors! OF course l didn't 'speot
nuthin' O yew when ysw was fist q
bachelor, an we'd sort O. lost sight er
each other fer many a year. but AFTER
yew got connected with the Hum by
marriage sorter-"
Connected with the Hum by mar.
riage!" broke In Samuel with q snort
of indignant protest. Mel" Words
failed him. He stared at Abe with
burning eyes. but Abe only insisted
sullenly:
"Whar yew an Blossy been all this
timer"
Dew yew mean ter tell me, Abe
Rose, that yew didn't know that Aunt
Nancy forbid Blossy the house cause
she didn't 60 an ask her permission
ter git spliced7 Oh. I forgot" he
added. "Yew'd gone upstairs ter take
a nap that day we come back from
the minister's"