The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-05-17
CHAPTER xvlI-Continued.

| 'front.' steps looking down the rOau
Now and then her waving handker
chief went 10 her eyes. Uncle Pea
body came down the standard off hi
load and walked toward me.
"Say, stranger, have you seen any
thing Of Teller by the name O. Bar
Baynesf" he demanded.
"Have your" / asked
mo, sir, / amt. Gosh almighty
Say what have ye done with that DO!
Of Our'nP
what have you done to our houseT
/ asked again.
Built on an addition"
That's what I've done TO your boy
/ answered.
Thunder an lightnin'l How you've
raised the roof he exclaimed as he
grabbed my satchel. Dressed like @
statesman an bigger'n a bullmOOse
/ can't 'rastle with you no more. But
say, I'll run We race. i can beat ye
an carry the satchel, too"
We ran pell-mell up the lane to the
steps like a pair of children.
Aunt Deel did not speak. She just
Gear old head upon my breast. Uncle
Peabody turned away. Then what a
silencei OF In the edge of the wood
land ] heard the fairy flute Of a wood
thrush,
"Purvis, you drive that load on the
floor an put up the hosses," Uncle
Peabody shouted In q moment. IF
you don't like 1t you can hire mother
man. ! won't do no more till after
dinner. This slave business is played
out"
"All right" Purvis answered.
"You bet it's all right. I'm fer abo-
lition an I've stood your domineerin',
nigger-driver ways long enough fer
one mornin'. If you don't like It you
can look for another man."
Aunt Deel and i began to laugh at
this good-natured. make-believe scold-
Ing Of Uncle Peabody and the emo
tional strain was over. They led me
into the house, where a delightful sur
prise awaited me, for the rooms had
been decorated with balsam bOughs
and sweet ferns. A glowing mass Of
yiolets, framed I'm moss, occupied the
center Of the table. The house was
filled with the Odors of the forest,
which, as they knew, were dear to me.
l had written that they might expect
me some time before noon, but I
begged them not to meet me In Can
ton, as / wished to walk home after
my long ride. So they were ready for
me.
i remember how they felt the cloth
on my back and how proudly they sur
veyed II.
Couldn't buy them goods round
these parts" said Uncle Peabody.
"Nor nothin' like 'em-no, SIR"
"Feels leetle bit like the butternut
trousers" said Aunt Deel as she felt
my coat.
ayes, but them butternut trousers
amt what they used to be when they
was young and limber," Uncle Peabody
remarked. Seems so they was get
tin kind o. wrinkled an baldheaded-
like, specially where I set down."
Ayes! Wal / guess a man can't
grow old without his pants CROWN
old, too-ayes said Aunt Deel.
"If yer legs are In 'em ev'ry Sunday
they ketch it of ye." my uncle an
swered. Long sermons are hard on
pants, seems to me-"
San the longer the legs the harder
the sermons-in them little seats over
t the schoolhOuse-ayesp Aunt Deel
added by way of justifying his COM
plant. There wouldn't be SO much
wear In ten-mlle walk-nop
The chicken pie was baking and the
strawberries were ready for the short.
cake.
tive been wallerin' since the dew
was off gittin them berries an VII.
lets-ayes!" said Aunt Deel, now busy
with her work at the stove.
AUNT, you look as young as ever" I
remarked.
She slapped my arm and said with
mock severity:
"Stop thatl W'yl You know better
-ayesp
How vigorously she stirred the fire
then.
Il can't return the complimentary
soul /! how you've changed-ayes =! she
remarked.
u hope you amt fit no more, Bart.
/ can't bear to think O. you flynn at
folks an poundin' of 'em. Don't seem
right--no. it don'tl"
why, Aunt Deel, what In the world
do you mean?' asked.
Its Purvis' brain that does the
poundin'. / guess" said my uncle. |
Its kind o. got the habit. It's a reg
lar beetle brain. To hear him talk
ye'd think he an you could clean out |
the hull Mexican nation-barrin' acct
dents. Why. anybody would suppose
That yer enemies go to climbin' trees
as soon as they see ye comm an thar
you pull the trees up by the roots to
git at EN-"
"A certain amount of such deviltrv
. necessary to the comfort of Mr..
Purvfs," i remarked. "If there is no
body else to take the responsibility
Tor II he assumes it himself. His mag
nation has an intense craving for
Mood and violence. It's that type of
American who, egged on by the slave
power, Is hurrying us into trouble
Nth Mexico"