JOHN CUTTS'S SECRET.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 459, 30 June 1871, Page 2

JOHN CUTTS'S SECRET.

"Is Mr. Cutts in ?" asked a gentleaat who, having, knocked at a door, ra: saluted by a woman from an upper wipcovi with, "Well, what's a wanfcin' naowP'1 " Yes, he's in or about somewkee, jj suppose," she replied ; " but I'm Mr. fail.'

when any business is to be done, lei ', Mr. Cutts eatin' and drinkin', and slcpii1 sometimes." j I " Well, my good woman," said ikfyn. tleman, " I think he will be Mr. Cuafbl my business too. I wish to see him' i " What do you want of him ?" askd/lu j shrew, thrusting her head still furtbijiri of the window. [ 11 "To do something for me. ButifnAt see him myself," was the reply. "Is it raal business, for pay, or only t ' favor you want; I can let your hoi hn; a pack of oats, or I can direct youto tie ' shortest road to the Four Corners,r len ! „ —I can—why I can do anything ir yo ■ that he could, and a good deal me. I t take the money and write the iceipj, . and pay the men, and I take offjfe p». i duce. I'm as good a judge of stokas c 1 is, and I can't be beat onhorsefledl" "But," said the gentleman, Itavitj - do-vrn his fnoe solemnly, ' you cffi'iS /ale i his place now. Find him for me gosfcef The shrew was baffled. " Lod'|a fen, ? Mister, may be you don't know &eicircumstances of the case. This hai jtortn ' is mine, and it was my father's ale'roe, and Cutts he haint no more claim Jitlhan the hen down there has. And bfldeTm ! seven years older than he is, a foongher, and weigh twenty pounds more. Mat's your business on my place, if I m hake so bold?" j*l " To see and talk with your hp|nd," ' replied the gentleman, getting oi of his chair and. hitching his horse to aosit, as L if ho meant to stay until he did s|Mm. " Be you a doctor? 'Cause theriint a • living thing the matter with Cutty He's ( the well lest man in the town, and me I," , said this " woman for the tjnes.'^.: [ "No, my good woman, I'njnot foctor. t Do you think your husbam wi'be in , soon P Send that boy to finl Jhjt'' said , the stranger «j The boy looked up in his nothfa face , but he knew his own interejt tooTgll to start without orders. " Then, you're a ministerjl supse, by • your black coat. I may aslvell w you and save time, that we don) go t'meeting and don't want to. Itim'tnU-sefor you to leave no tracks nor: nothi^, for I've got a big dairy and han't noimeto idle away readin', and I tf'ep hiriabout so early and lato that wheahe's doswork he's glad to go to bed anpest!" 7 "I'm no minister, __mam;T<'ish I was though, for your safi," said ts gentleman. I " Send for your husbad; I canit wait much longer. I must ste him at ice." j The boy started to hi» feet agas and I looked in his mother'! fre, but it fro no j marching orders. J. " Look here, miste'r'^-hoyv appefing at the door and looking /lefiantly atiim— " you're a sehoolmastf huntin' upi district school, and you tfink he's a emmitteetnan, but he ain't fiis year." ! - " Ma'am Cutts," a-fheneighborpalled her, dropped her harts at her sic.' and heaved a groan. Bhfiad found a nih she couldn't manage. I | • " See here, now, Mster," said sl)» "I can read a boy rightHirough, and Iknew what you was the blefecd minute leaped my eyes on you. I fen tell you by your everlastin arguin' tf you are a Wjer. We haint got no qufrrels, don't w»t no (leads drawed or will made—go if ou're Iranian a job of myjusband, you i*y as well hitch your hojf and drive on. Wekuow euougfi to mai a little moneyed I: knowenougii to. h-.£ on to it " j " My good wonff you entirely mis-|J understand my effftd, I can tellnoperil son but himadlf .wlitit fe, a , ld mab tell, urn in confidence Jone. If he chooses « lie m,.y break it tofou the best way h<|c .can. • ■■' p. .... .;. | t t "Ph my S°odl4 sal: «s alive ! Btot# if ? Si° Wi ed Up iv, f 0 Mississippi bolt, Id bet! Oil, la me, tljpoor follow !He left ft h ule somethuuJidu't h e ?•' I 7I never heard f him, and nobolyf j Mowed, up that I bow of "replied tbf gentleman. 0 ' r »| jl . " Oh, now I kU] Y ou , ro t he m J I whatwantsjo g o| Congress, ha! aj||

have tiome here a httntin' after votes. Hte hall not vote for you! I hate politicians; specially them that goes again women, 1 >nd thinks they were made to drudge, and 7 lolhin' else ! I go in foi free and etpiaL lights for white folks—men ahd women— fir tfbriptur says: * there isn't neither men U>r Woman, but all's One in politics.' I*<j blieve the day is comin' whan such as you aid "me will have to bow the knee to wo n. n, afore you can get the big places ant' Igh places that's a eatin' us up with taxei s>u c_tn't see my husband. We arogoii t<the polls on the way to the mill, and II pomise you that he votes right." "I'm no candidate, and I don't know , \*o you are talking about. Ah! there cmes the man I want." And the strangr went toward Mr. Cutts, who had just Jiped a pair of bars which led from'the jtato-patch int6 the lane. Mrs. Cutts flew into the house for her Eii-bonnet, to follow them ; but by the pc she got to the bars, her mysterious ■sitor and Cutts were driving rapidly iwn the road. The strong-minded woman shouted after ir husband, " You'd better come back, tell you !" but the wind was the wrong iiy; and carried her words into the pota--patch. " Sir,'* said the gentlemkn to hohcit ltts, " I have a very simple question to k you, but I shall have to ask you in mfidence, and I shall give you five dolrs if you will promise not to repeat my ords until to-morrow." " Well, sir," said Cutts, " I shouldn't te to answer any questions that would kke trouble among my neighbors. I ive my hands full, I can tell you, to sep out of scrapes now, but I've done j and hain't an enemy ih the world, its 1 flow/ I" But,' sir,you needn'treply to my quesran unless you are perfectly willing," said le stranger. |" Ask your question," said Cutts, " and twill not repeat it." I" Well, Mr. Cutts,. I am laying fence on jie Brisley place, tbatl Lave.just bought, [id I was directed to inquire of you where lould buy cedar posts. A fellow in the lore said, ' Cults can tell you, if his wife | ill let Lim, but she won't. She'll insist < telling you herself, and perhaps offer 1 drive you wherever you go to order fern.'"

" I told them I would see you and ask ra only, and the fellows bet on it. They & to give you ten dollars, and to two or jree widows in town a cord of wood each il succeed in asking you this question' one, and making sure your wife oes not know my business until after leakfast to-morrow morning." 'Cuttp knew his wife's " standing" too ell to'feel very sensitive, and taking the (11 from.the stranger, he smiled and said, " I'll go with you to look out cedar psts and keep dark, for the joke's sake ; {kt I don't know as she'll let me stay in . ile house to-night ; I don't own it," relied the good natured Cut^s. | Suppose you go to the place and see to fitting the posts. I will send a boy to tell k you had to go off suddenly, on a little hsiuess, and will be back in the morn|g," said the stranger. "I'll do that," replied Cutts, "for I Iver quarrel with her, but let her have i'er own way. I don't want to worry myself about trifles." m • . " Good man," said the stranger, " there re no trifles in this life. The smallest st is important, and the easy good nature i yours will ruin your family. Baffle |at spirit to-day, and next Sunday lake lur boys and go to the house of God, ijhatever she says, and be a real man—at le head of your Own house and family." : I "" It's rather late to begin,," said Cutts, taking1 his head in a way that would have timed others from the trap in which his fet were fast. '"You see the purse is hers," he added, 'And that has been a crueller fetter.than , ir will to me. But I will try to begin |iew, for her good, and the children's." |Thehoywas sent with the message, It he wasn't sharp enough. Madam hits discovered the whereabouts of her Ira, tackled up and went after him/1 ; ill the way home and far into the night, Reused her eloquence, both in pleadings .d threatenings, to find'out the my sterns errand of that hateful town nabob ho hid come into the country to separate 4npyjfami]ies. ■Bus Cutts yielded himself up to a * fiumb spirit" for the night, and, no meajlres wuld induce him ito talk on any sublet lest she should pry ; the mighty secret v ~'.,. ~ .-,... // ~ j Aboit midnight she wore herself out id wmt to sleep; but at daybreak she ilgan again. He then ventured; to say, %s s»on as breakfast is over, I'll break _te n«ws to you." ;;.. : r i never eat a morsel in my Musej' I can tell you,'-' cried Xantippe,! nil jou tell me what the man wanted of ,}u." s i id I' Then you'll wait a good while to hear if said Cutts, " for I have vowed I'd .veritell it till I had first eaten my break-' at/and with these words he went out. JMaflam Cutts endured the torture as ng as possible, and then got breakfast, he called at the door, to no one in partijar, <" Come." . kt J jßttj Cutts didn't come. After awhile- " le Went out to the barn, and found him ft iatel on an upturned half-bushel meaure, calmly peeling and eating a raw turlp. I : . . I*' It does seem as if this ere man had f)ss«ssed you. Your breakfast is cooliu"; B aome in. M Here was a point gained. I Chtts went in as directed, and ate his %ejkfast. When that was over, ma'am 1 _ ttjed. herself back in her chair, with her ;_c.full of expectation, and said, 1.7 I "Now begin. Whatdidthat ere ma" "" ur ;1 I "He wanted some cedar posts," repbf Aujts, calmly, without "looking up, '". at tkat was all." 7 /fan arrow had struck Madam Cut sic could not have manifested more su^ frise and shame. I" lam the laughing-stock of this to n" v ■ a aided Cutts, " and from this hour I m *er anew leaf. \l'mh«nceforthhea of ! dy family, and unless this house is mad* ttine, I shall finishVpff a room in the barn 4-jvhich is mine— an\d you will be welcome tojshare it withme. \if not, I will Jive.;", , here with my boy& &nd you will fihd'me'J Nivil neighbor.-" V. \ ' '■'.'.*■ [ Jfa'am Cutts's power wkas broken. Sinte ' Mn tho farm has belten called "Jolk DJtts's place," and ke's€he htad of thej * l£Be. .y'yy Ls U «3- — — -