The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-05-01


Cetewayo. He wore the most remark.
able coat that ever had seen or ex-
pect to see. 1t reached to his ankles
and had once been q Confederate gray
in cOlors. But rain and sun and age
had so variegated it that Josephs coat
beside it would have faded to q pale
monochrome.
Once it must have been the military
coat of an officer. The cape of it had
vanished, but all adown its front it had
been frogged and tasseled magnificent
ly. But now the frogs and tassels
were gone. In their stead had been
patiently stitched u surmised by some
surviving "black mammy'') new frogs
made Of cunningly twisted common
hempen Irvine. This Irvine was frayed
and disheveled. 1t must have been
added to the coat as a substitute for
vanished splendors, with tasteless but
painstaking devotion, for it followed
faithfully the curves of the long miss
ing frogs. And to complete the comedy
and pathos Of the garment all it's but
tons were gone save one. The second
button from the top alone remained.
The coat was fastened by other Irvine
strings tied through the buttonholes
and other holes rudely pierced in the
opposite side. There was never such Il
weird garment so Enthusiastically bedeck-
ed and Of so many notified hues. The
lone button was the size of half dol
lar, made Of yellow horn and sewed on
with coarse Irvine.
This negro stood by carriage so old
that Ham himself might have started
a hack line with it after he left the ark
with the two animals hitched to it.
As approached he threw open the
door, drew out feather buster, waved
it without using it and said in deep.
rumbling tones:
"Step right in, sub; amt speck of
dust in titus got back from a fu-
neral, subj"
II want to go to S61 Jessamine
street." said and was about to step
into the hack. But for an instant the
thick. long, gorilla-like arm of the old
negro barred me. On his massive and
|
picion and enmity flashed for mo-
ment. Then, with quickly returning
conviction, he asked blandishingly.
what are you gwine there for, boss?"
"What is that to your" asked. a lit
tie sharply.
"Nothin', sub. JUS nothin'. Only it's
lonesome kind of part Of town. and
few folks ever has business out there
Step right in. The seats is clean-jes
got back from funeral, sub"
A mile and half it must have been
to our journeys end. could hear
nothing but the fearful rattle of the
ancient hack over the uneven brick
paving; could smell nothing but the
drizzle, now further favored with coal
smoke and something like mixture
of tar and oleander blossoms. All l
could see through the streaming win
dows were two rows of dim houses.
The city has an area of ten square
miles. 1S1 miles of streets. of which 10,
miles are paved; a system Of waterworks
that cost 100000. with seventy-seven
miles Of mains.
Eight-sixty-one Jessamine street was
a decayed mansion. Thirty yards back
from the street it stood. outmerged in
q splendid grove of trees and untrim-
med shrubbery. A row of box bushes
overfowed and almost hid the paling
fence from sight; the gate was kept
closed by rope moose that encircled
the gate post and the first paling of
the gate. But when you got inside you
saw that SCI was shell, shadow, q
ghost Of former grandeur and excel
lence. But in the story 1 have not vet
got inside.
When the hack had ceased from rat
Ting and the weary quadrupeds came
to rest handed my jehu his so cents
with an additional quarter, feeling a
glow of conscious generosity as did
so. He refused it.
Its 81. subj" he said.
"How's that?" asked. II plainly
heard you call out at the hotel, Fifty
cents to any part of the town."
Its 50. subj" he repeated obstinate
y. Its a long ways from the hotel"
1T is within the city limits and well
| "AIAAA IASAAs dASucu. DOu Luluk
that you have picked up greenhorn
Yankee. Do you see those hills over
there?" went on. pointing toward the
east u could not see them myself for
the drizzle,. well. was born and
raised on their other side. You old fool
niger, can't you tell people from other
people when you see 'enrc''
The grim face of King Cetewayn
softened. els you from the south. sun:
l reckon it was them shoes Of yourn
fooled me. They is somethin' sharp in
the toes for southern genl'man to
wear"
Then the charge is so cents. sup.
pose?" said inexorably.
Boss" he said. 80 cents is right
but needs 50, sub. I'm oblccged to
have So. amt demandin' it now
sub. after l knows whar you's from
I'm JUS sayin' that has to have s.
tonight. and business is mighty po'."
Peace and confidence settled upon his
heavy features. He had been luckipr
than he had hoped. Instead of having
picked up a greenhorn. ignorant OF
rates, he had come upon an inheritance
'You COMPOUNDED old rascal" said.
reaching down into my pocket, "you
ought to be turned over to the police"
For the first time l saw him smile
l In vr,, H.