The Man Thou Gavest by Harriet T. (Harriet Theresa) Comstock
page 11 of 328 (03%)
page 11 of 328 (03%)
|
bantam and scattered some corn on the floor; then she sat down and
laughed like an imp when the foolish thing hopped up to her and flopped onter her lap. Well, I kept the sassy little hen--there wasn't anything else ter do--but one day Marg, she followed Nella-Rose up and when she saw what was going on, she stamped in and cried out: 'So! yo' can have playthings while us-all go starved! Yo' can steal what's our'n,--an' with that she took the bantam and fo' I could say a cuss, she wrung that chicken's neck right fo' Nella-Rose's eyes!" "Good Lord!" exclaimed Conning; "the young brute! And the other one--what did she do?" "She jest looked at me--her eyes swimmin'. Nella-Rose don't talk much when she's hurt, but she don't forget. I tell yo', young feller, bein' a sheriff in this settlement ain't no joke. Yo' know folks too well and see the rights and wrongs more'n is good for plain justice." "Well?" Jim rose and stretched himself, "yo' won't go on the b'ar hunt ter-morrer?" "No, Jim, but I'll walk part of the way with you. When do you start?" "'Bout two o' the mornin'." "Then I'll turn in. Good-night, old man! You've given me a great evening. I feel as if I were suddenly projected into a crowd with human problems smashing into each other for all they're worth. You cannot escape, old man; that's the truth. You cannot escape. Life is life no matter where you find it." |
|