The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-14

We sat there and swung our
legs and munched our apples while
Pete rustled trunks and began
making remarks about my not help
ing him.
Your business. young man
Your businessl" says she. and
waves the green umbererl
"Yessum." says'Pete and hustles
without more argument. She had
a way of telling you what to do
that didn't admit of argument.
Aunt Johanna and me hoped
into the blackboard and was off
and away i'll jigtime.
What might your name be,
young mani" she asked, me.
Bill Saunders-Red Saunders. y
The old lady looked off in the dis
lance. Il s'pose," she says, they
call you Red" here she stopped
and | kinder begun to get my back
up-I amt stuck on people throw
ing the color of my hair at me
They call you Red she says, be
cause of your rosy complexion ?"
| looked mighty hard at her. Eyes"
says /, that's it-Ex-actlyp &.
And she begun to laugh. Tell
me honest" she says, did you ever
meet up with a red-headed person
who wouldn't get mad if you men,
toned their hair"
Then l began to laugh, and said
l hadn't, and me and Aunt Johanna
was on a friendly basis. 1t weren't
any time before she wanted to
drive. No, you couldn't ask for a
nicer little pair than Bud and Dan
dy-there weren't no real sin in
'em-but they was three-year-olds,
and a forty-mile trip. going along
easy. was just enough to wake 'em
up, and make 'em playful. So |
kinder hesitated. Sonny" says
Aunt Johanna, Don't fear, but
hand me them lines"
"All right, nowp i says, but if
happens, your blood be on
your own sun-bonnet"
She said nothing, but gathered
up the ribbons like a horse-jockey,
and believe what I'm telling you'll
With the whip in her good right
hand and the brake under her good
right foot, Aunt Johanna fooled
them babies up hill and down in a
way to make Black Hills stage
driver look. She sfuckled in her
fat neck when she see how sur
prised l was.
Born and raised in a colt pen,
boyr says she, Il could live on
pats or mares milk, either one, but
can't eat hay"
She sure was some surprising
looking old lady. with her riot-in-
l-parrotcage hat. and her big specs,
driving away like somebody that's
paid by the piece for it. And you
bet | liked her more'n more all the
time. 'Jeehosophat!" l thinks,
what made Amelia want her here?
They don't rhyme no more than
nothing"
AS if she smelt what | was think
ing of, she turns student, and says,
Everything moldy about the
ranch, l suppose?"
Flows that l says.
why, the place is rank with
nildew, amt it,"
Excuse me-" l says, but you'll
nave to flag again-I've missed
your train of thought"
Amelia, man! Amelia!" she
;ays, impatient, "She amt dried up.
las she?"
"Ohp says l, flabbergasted |
Amelia! Yes. Mrs. Arbuth. Oh
yes! Why she-er-er"-
Young man. says Aunt johann
la, Facts is facts, and facts is
stubborn things, whereby they amt |
rot any edge on Amelia, whatso-
.ver. Be she my niece, or be she
| stee-total stranger, gotter say
he's positive the most aggervatin' |
ritter anybody ever passed line
,ver, and don't you go for to try
o be pretty because she's lady,
because she amt. Now l ask you
,nce more, amt Amelia still ashed-
lin tears worse'n a pet tarrier
heds hairs?"
"Yessump / says-that's one of
he best answers you could give
AUNT Johanna-and usually il was
he right answer, at that.
HUH" says Aunt Johanna, and
1--WE her attention to the team for
bit. you Buddy hawssp says
he. Come up on the traces, Their
md quit a cheatin' Dandy! Foxy
title critter, that Bud. amt he?
likes to run on the level and lay
ack on the hills. WE'LL" says she,
S she give Mister Bud taste of
he bud, they don't always work
hat on your Aunt Johanna !" Then
he swung to the subject that was
eally on her mind.
"She was always like that, Ame-
a. The hull darn Universe just