"Yes, an' I'm what give it to her--me, an' nobody else. I'm a purty
thing to be talkin' that way, but it's the livin' truth. I caused it.
When I seed her git up an' go acrost to you and drive you clean off, I
got so mad I could a-choked her. I wus sittin' by Brother Tim
Mitchell. You don't know 'im, I reckon, but he's the biggest bull-dog
preacher 'at ever give out a hymn. He's a ugly customer, not more'n
thirty, but he's consecrated, an' had ruther rake a sinner over the
coals of repentance 'an eat fried chicken, an' he's a Methodist
preacher, too. He's nearly six foot an' a half high an' as slim as a
splinter; he lets his hair run long an' curls it some. He's as dark as
a Spaniard, an' his face shines like he eats too much grease an' sweats
it out through the pores uv his skin.
"Well, he seed me a-lookin' at Mis' Dawson, when she went to devil you,
an' he bent over to me an' sez he: 'Sister Bradley, what ails that
woman anyhow?'
"'What ails her?' sez I. 'What'd you ax that fer, Brother Tim?'
"'She don't do nat'ral,' sez he. 'I've been talkin' to 'er about 'er
speritual welfare ever sence I set down heer, an' she won't say one
word. She ain't a bit like the gineral run o' old women; an' what's
more, she hain't doin' one bit o' exhortin' that I kin see. I don't
know whether she's in the vineyard or not.'
"Then, John Westerfelt, I jest come out an' tol' 'im about 'er. Of
course I never give no names; but I made 'im see what ailed her, an' I
never seed a man look so interested. 'Sister Bradley,' sez he, rubbin'
his hands, when I got through, 'I'm going to wade in an' get hold o'
that woman's soul.'
"'Well,' sez I, 'you may have to wade purty fur an' dive consider'ble,
fer she's about the toughest snag you ever struck.'
"'I'm a-goin' to have 'er _soul_,' sez he, an' he laughed. 'I'd ruther
make that sort of a struggle for the Lord 'an to put out a burnin'
house, ur keep a pizen snake frum bitin' a baby. You watch my smoke.
Is she a-comin' back heer?'
"'I kin bring 'er back,' sez I, 'fer right this minute I'd ruther see
that woman a shoutin' convert 'n to have a meal sack full o' gold
dollars.'
"'Well,' sez he, sorter jokin' like, 'you fetch 'er heer an' set 'er
down whar she wus a minute ago, an' I'll put a plaster on 'er back
that'll make 'er _think_ she's shoutin' whether she is or not.'
"Well, I went to whar she was outside an' tol' 'er Brother Mitchell
wanted to see 'er. 'I jest ain't a-goin' a step,' sez she, 'so I
ain't,' an' she looked sorter suspicious.
"'Well, I don't railly see how yo're goin' to help yorese'f, Mis'
Dawson,' sez I. 'Goodness knows yo're showin' mighty little int'rust
in the meetin' anyways. Looks like you wouldn't insult one of the most
saintly men we got by turnin' yore back on 'im. Mebby he wants to ax
about startin' a meetin' over yore way. You'd better go.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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