Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

298 phrases, spoken as they came to mind, but when the composite delineations were laid where they belonged, they made a complete man. Skeeter Butts listened with eyes opened wide with astonishment, and when they had finished he said hastily: “You cullud folks set right here ontil I comes back. I'll see you later.” He started in a swift run to the office of the sheriff of Tickfall parish. Mr. John Flournoy listened to Skeeter’s story and then he and Skeeter got into the sheriff’s automobile and drove rapidly to the Hen- scratch soft drink stand, which was Skeeter’s place of business. They found Pink and Ledora engaged in a grumbling controversy over their failure to secure the house, the loss of their rent money, the sudden departure of Skeeter, the probable whereabouts of the man whose life they had saved. “* All dis comes from not havin’ no man- ners an’ not gittin’ raised polite,” Pink grumbled. “ Dat white man stole my rent money an’ didn’t say ‘ Thank you, dog’ or nothin’. He departed away an’ didn’t say no ‘ good-by’ or ‘ good-night’ or nothin’. Skeeter listened to our words an’ lit out an’ told us to sot here an’ didn’t say ‘ ’Scuse me’ or nothin’. °*Tain’t manners, I tells you!” “ Aw, shut up!” Ledora snapped. “I wush dat fool whut wrote dat book had to swaller eve’y word he wrote, book an’ all. He’d git sick an’ die of colic like a mule.” “TJ don’t never know a nigger dat gits a chance to git even wid a white man,” Pink growled. ‘ But I shore craves to learn dat swamp white man manners. Ef I'd ’a’ knowed he wuz gwine leave so soon, I would ‘a’ loant him my manners book to read on de way.” “Shut up!” Ledora bawled. “ Here comes de sheriff an’ Skeeter Butts. I bet you done busted some rule of manners ‘an’ de law court is atter you.” “T ain’t!” Pink snapped. Then he modified his denial. ‘‘ Leastwise I hopes dey ain’t found out nothin’ on me.” “Uh huh!” Ledora grunted. “‘ Yo’ man- ners is puffeck but yo’ cornduck is lackin’, I lives wid you an’ I knows.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. The sheriff conducted the two negroes to a back room in the Hen-scratch and asked them to repeat their story. When they had finished, Flournoy said: “This white man is a robber named Kitt Starr.” “ Suttinly, Mr. Johnnie,” Pink agreed. “Tt jes’ esplained how he robbed me of dat eighteen dollars fer my rent.” “But he also robbed a store up at Shongaloon,” the sheriff continued, patient despite the inconsequential interruptions of the negroes. “Of co’se,” Ledora declared as if she knew all about it. ‘“ Dat white man—he’ll rob anything. He’ll steal a nickel offen a dead man’s eye.” “A storekeeper up there got a lot of money to pay off the cotton pickers. This robber entered the store at noon when everybody was at home at their meals and held up the storekeeper and got the money.” ‘“Dar now!” Pink exclaimed. ‘“ He mought ’a’ stole my mule! An’ I didn’t had no notion of watchin’ dat animile like I oughter done.” “It’s a pity you didn’t watch the man closer,” Flourney grinned. “There is a reward offered for his capture and you would have received the money.” “Hear dat now!” Ledora_ growled. ‘* Read up in yo’ manners book, honey, an’ see whut am de properest words to say under dem succumstances.” Pink needed his book, for at that time he could think of no words, holy or profane, which would do the subject justice. Ledora was more voluble. “Oh Lawdy!” she mourned. “ Dar I sot up in my wagin wid dat ole blunder- buss scatter-gun loaded wid buck-shot acrost my fat legs, an’ I could ’a’ got de drop on dat white man an’ fotch him right to town.” “You lost your chance, Ledora,” Flour- noy smiled. ‘I guess he rode the truck to the river and is hiding somewhere.” The sheriff rode back to his office. Pink and Ledora, escorted by Skeeter Butts, made a tour of the negro settlements which clustered around Tickfall like pigs around the dam, drawing their sustenance there- from. ‘here were many vacant cabins, for COMIC DOOKS (EO)