Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-05-29

WASH I'LL late uno next morning JnaG
they reused up. Old Dunning woke
first. an started up ON deck with a
goose's drumstick in his hand. He
rubbed his eyes when he got there and
wasn't sure but what he was dreaming.
The sloop hadn't stirred one inch. 1t
was dead calm, and there they were
not thirty rods from shore, an them
shucks and feathers jest lynn on the
water tellin' their own story. An be-
fore he could make up his mind what
he'd better do he see the man pulling
off from shore and the Sheriff along
with him.
''They say the devil helps his own,
an it does look that way sometimes.
What do you thinkP Old Dunning went
forward an helped them aboard, an
he points to them shucks an feathers,
an he says:
"' Ye see, I've jest lain in right here.
L told them boys when they come
aboard with that corn an them geese,
I said to them, ''Boys, sez l, you was
hungry, an we hadn't lain in enough to
last, an there's some excuse for you,
bein' boys, but I tell you this, cook
what you've got, but here stay, an in
the mornin' I'm going ashore to pay
for every mite you've taken. Robin
sons a fair man, an when he sees I'm
fair he won't want to prosecute; but, by
the Lord Harry! I'll give you to the
Sheriff mysel fif ever catch you at such
doings again." That's what / said to
the boys
Fer moment Robinson looked at
They was master hands for joke, an
They burst out laughing, an Robinson
says, well, Dunning, wen let it GO
that way this time. Hand out you1
money
s'Old Dunning kind of WINGED, but
he took out his wallet and paid two dol
lars and fifty cents.
"sCan again, Dunning,' the Sheriff
says, as they pulled off. I've got some
pretty good geese myself, and fll trade
all you like on the same TERMS
"Dunning grinned, but he looked
pretty black; an them boys of his n was
black and blue too, when he got through
with 'em. First thing they knew he
had 'em out on the cabin floor an was
given it to 'em with ropes end. Still,
they was used to that. an it soon passed
over when they found out what he was
at them for. They was reasonable
enough to see foggin' 'em was the only
thing to ease his mind. Anyhow, that s
the way 1 account for their always stick
in together. The house burned down
one night in one O. their frolics, OF. after
it, when they was both drunk, an one
o. 'em was burned pretty bad, an died.
Then the rest come down here-Pete
Dunning an what children there was.
That's their place half way up the east
bank as you go down towards the island y
Then these boys are not old Dun
ning's boys at all?''
ssNo, not his'n, but Pete's. There
amt but two boys; but there's four OF
five gals all livin' in them two rooms,
an how, the Lord only knows. They
don't beg, that's one good thing about
them; but they're wilder than hawks,
an they amt as civilized as heathen.
don't suppose one of 'em can read; an
them two boys, Antoine and Pete, they
ravage round in all the gardens, an
they've got all the cuteness of their ia
ther an their grandfather, too, and you
can't catch 'em. I've knowed folks
with grapes sit up three nights running
with shot-guns, an no sign of 'em; an
the fourth night there wouldn't be a
bunch left. Now what say is: What
you goin' to do with 'em? If they
been this side the line, they'd had to
learn to read, anyhow; but even when
they were burned out they hung on, fo1
them French are clannish, and tain
long that they've been here. Some
thin's got to be done soon.n
Old Hiram hobbled away as the
twelve o'clock horn sounded from the
farmhouse just across the river and
Ruth walked out to the gate and stood
looking down the village street toward
the .'Fork" and the little library build
ing. That at least was an accomplished
fact, but how many could it influence
What power could touch this strange
hybrid population over on Johnnycake
Hill, or down in the valley beyond East
Lowgate?
She walked slowly up and down the
long piazza as she thought. These
boys had been on her mind a long
time, and she knew them far better
than Hiram supposed. From the be.
ginning, in spite of their reputation,
there had seemed more in them
than the majority, even of those bet
ter born. She had met them often,
sometimes coming with string of fish
from the river, sometimes with berries
from the pastures, and felt certain that
bad as they might be, they were the
scapegoats for many not yet suspected
The boys eyed her suspiciously in theil
first talks, their brilliant, dark eyes an.
swering hers with less of real human
feeling than came from Phil the point
er's. But Ruth had been content TO ge
slowly, and welcome the smallest chang,
as evidence there was something t6
work upon. She felt an envious draw
ing toward both. as if, in spite of every
thing against them, something nigh
still be done to make men of them. A
thirteen and fourteen they could not b,
hopeless cases, vet who was there II
give them chancep
Captain Rushmore, passing by tht
garden, stopped and leaned over th'
fence-with him the usual fashion o
calling. To have asked him in woult
have sent him away at once, ant
Ruth, having learned this, sat dow
| on the steps and waited for what sh,
| saw was coming. AS she stood tn,
Dunning boys passed, but without look
ing up, and Ruth's eyes followed then
wistfully.
"Captain Rushmore," she said, care
| those boys past helping?''
The Captain looked up uneasily.
Helping?" he said. +" Why shoul,
they be he1pedp"
"Only on the same ground we al
have to be-because we and they nee'
it,
: I was goin' to tell you," the Cap
tain said, after moments silence
'' The fact is, they've just been to m,
house, an l was more beat than Fv
been in long spell. What do yo1
s'pose they wantedp Wanted shoul'
take 'em on my boat! sez to 'em
You must think Pm crazy, KNOWN
the name you've got. Don't you kno,
you amt to be trusted further'n one XII
see you? What you thinkin' about t
suppose anybody'd have you where yo
could pick up as fast's they laid down
Antoine spoke up. He's got the quick
est tongue. Pm worse'n PIERRE h
says, but if ! got a chance to g
on your boat, or anybody's, r
promise there'd be no trouble wit
US, an we'd keep it too 'Whs
put it into your heads?' sez 1. 'We'v
been watchin' for chance SAYS Al
tome, AN soon as l heard 'em say i
the store Johnny Hanson was dead, al
you were goin' to have two instead {
one, Pierre said now was the time.
could take Johnny's place in the cabir
e