Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 219: what you’re looking at

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

ODD AND BEAUTIFUL. lady actually coming into Callahee horse- back, and in a habit of years ago too many for memory. “Why didn’t yo’-all use ouh lawn, deah?” Blalock had asked his daughter. “ Some of them might not like you, dad,” ‘shte had said gently. 6¢ So?” _ It was the firsf time such a thought— that so terrible a thing cauld be even pos- , Sble—but no matter now; all the town had been invited—to look on from beyond the low church hedge, and the fact that the colonel was the only visitor privileged inside reassured him somewhat. Everything went off beautifully. The one kick heard was the town-objector’s remark that the guests were all too old to ftirt—which saves de- scribing him a bachelor. “We break up this party early,” said the girl hostess, as she passed refreshments —ice-cream and the spongiest of cake; and if ene old lady was able to take only thin gruel, another seyerely insisted on having cheese and two bananas.. * All you darlings must be started back home ta bed before nine,” Nancy told them. The evening star shining gloriously above, the colonel took one eye off the moon in Leo that he might meet the very oldest lady. She was ninety- -four; had been chair- ridden for years. “‘ How come yo’-all to come, col’nel?” she quavered at him. ‘“ Yo’ ain’t seventy-five yet?” “No,” he replied, “ I’m still pretty faihly young.” He waved his white hand aloft, explaining: “I am bere at the behest of Venus yonduh—to help ministuh to the wants of huh sweetest sistuhs!” For, in age toward age, the antebellum _ chivalry is beautiful—and habitual. ““T hated fo’ to come,” she went on. -“ Lookin’ so bad— “ S’pose yo’ to? ve nevuh seen yo”all locking bettuh,” and he howed low, ‘Nancy nudged him. “‘ That’s how Ill be, dad, before you ever let me have Tom—won’t I? But I’ve just about decided to marry him t in spite of you, tyrant!” ‘Then she tiptoed inside the church, to the . cracked and ancient pipe-organ. The ob- Ss ee, en se —-_=— See ee 501 jector pumped it—-he really was a valuable man—while the girl played and sang Stephen Foster through the window into tired yet eager ears, into the patiently ready souls out m that sandy yard. “ Hard Times,” she sang, and “Old Dog Tray,” and— And the old Iady who lived in a chair said the singing brought her out of it, tet- tering and clutching tight upon the col- onel’s arm. ‘“ Reckon she’d go to huh tomb,” she said, “ a-thankin’ little Nancy fo’—fo’ bringin’ back—” but nobody ever knew what. It happened just then. It was an odd manner of passing on—the other old ladies said that she died beautifufly. And the party broke up then, at eight forty-five. They were all sure of it, exactly, for the doctor had looked at his watcl that he might record the death—another inno- vation in Callabee. ‘“‘ Some day—” mused the colonel on his way toward home; a trifle agitated, he seemed to be—‘‘ some day ouh pisth rate heah might ’most catch up.” Two shots were heard that evening, very soon after the churchyard party. Colonel Trahern Blalock was arrested the next morning, while superintending his log- loading for the market. Himself, he turned never a white hair; but his man let go the chain, and two fat logs rolled off the . wagon. ‘“‘ That may hint at my not selling them on this juhney,” observed the colonel, sur- veying the fallen monarchs in the road. _ ““We’d have come an’ got yo’-all last night,” he was informed in a raucous tone from behind, “ but the constable heah had went to bed an’ wouldn’t git up.” At sound of the hated reached toward his hip-pocket—but Con- stable Fortin was awake now.and quick enough. , “ Bettuli not, suh,” he advised. ‘“‘ Killin’ is right bad, col’nel, but Palley heah says yo’-all has done a heap moah.”’ ‘* Stealin’ is what yo’ stands accused of!” — Homer Palley came around and directly in front of his enemy. “ An’ it’s me what’s got the document this time!” He was careful te shake the warrant in ee hy hs - Keo) AN). (C IME OU HO Ss AIE IN FNS f aD) =) voice Blalock had SS CO