Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 129: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WINNIN’ WAYS They were fed and flattered, and fresh, fra- grant leaves were gathered for their couches. Fhe women ceoed and lisped sweet nothings, indulging in those delicate, intimate little rhapsodies that only a woman can devise—and she with the hope of a new spring bonnet! Ne one slept. When a new day dawned the beach was lined with sleepy men who, like Adam, had surrendered unto woman’s pleading. The movement started and recruits scon swelled the ranks. The tom-tom rolled its stirring clarion, and while the sun still cameoed a fringe of palms against the eastern sky, huge logs began to swing aboard the waiting steamer, V. SASSAFRAS strode the beach with glow- ing satisfaction. On every hand he was beset with ravishing glances. Great heaps of food were brought and he was fed until he had to fight away their offerings. “ AVays had a winnin’ way wid wim- min’,” he confided in the attentive ear of Sliver, his faithful friend. ‘‘ "Tain’t the fust time I has had to bresh ’em off mah coat!” He paused to meditate upon the rapture. ‘““Wimmin’s mah downfall!” But he erinned. “ Slivah, sonny, I might considah resignin’ mah position on the steamboat an’ takin’ up mah res’dence in this heah woman infested po’t!” They were interrupted. A chattering group approached. It was a special dele- gation. Sliver strode forward pompously to receive them. He translated briefly. The crux of their petition was that inas- much as the men had taken up their labor Sassafras might be lenient and pass out the hats without delay. The seaman shook his head. He grinned. “JT knows mah colah. Pay ’em in advance, and when the wuk time comes they ain’t no- where to be found!” The women turned to Sliver for an ex- planation. ‘““N’mind tellin’ ‘em what I sez,’ Sas- safras cut in crisply. “ Le’s see, now. You jes’ tell them wimmin they’s goin’ to look so han’some when they weahs them bonnets that the men can’t wuk no mo’ fo’ thinkin’ ‘bout ‘em. Be sho’ an’ ’splain ‘tain’t that WiD WIMMIN. 119 i ain’t willin’ to trust ’em. Al’ays trusts the wimmin, ‘“ But the men’s all wukin’ on mah ship —-sho’ly now, the ladies doan want to be struttin’ ’round wid nobody to look at ’em? You tell ‘em I thinks it’s bes’ fo’ all that we waits till mah vessel gits her load.” Sassafras was feasted, waited on, and smiled at. Such popularity would have turned many a good man’s head. It was the morning of the fourth day that he went on board for orders. ‘“ Hold ’em till to-night, Sassafras,’ Cap- tain Elknur directed. ‘“‘ If the work keeps up at the rate it’s going we’ll have our load by then.” “Get ’em in the pa’m of mah han’,” Sassafras answered proudly. “ Only them wimmin is gettin’ turruble anxious and on- easy fo’ to weah them bonnets. ‘Specks, bein’ as you is goin’ to be thoo by to-night anyway, I might as well han’ ’em out their prizes? Coaxinist wimmin, Mistuh Cap’n, suh. Effin I hadn’t of been a bear fo’ re- sistance, we might of got no mo’ than halfa load!” Sassafras descended to the waiting Sliver. ‘Roun’ up the wimmin!” he directed when they reached the shore. ‘“‘ Roun’ ’em up, Slivah, sonny. Tell ‘em Ise ready to boom ‘em wid the bonnets. Hurry up, pa’dnah, I’s sortah anxious mahse’f to see jes’ how they’s goin’ to act.” The word was greeted with a wild com- motion. There was a scramble for posi- tion, and the wizen Sliver was nearly tram- pled under foot. But Sassafras insisted upon order, and counted heads. “°Fo’ Gawd, Slivah,’ he announced when the count was taken. ‘“‘ Got almos’ twice as many wimmin as I has hats!” But this was no time for procrastination. A brim here, a crown there, ta one a pompon or a feather, to another a veil, a bit of rib- bon or a gay rosette—Dame Fashion was in a fickle mood! | For the model of the first evening’s ex- hibition, she with the washers around her neck, Sassafras reserved intact the gold- cloth turban. He placed it carefully upon her bushy head and watched her preen her- self and strut to join the gay parade. “Aw, m-a-n!”’ The seaman kicked the oO CoOMmmiclooo S (C@)