The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-11-06

Both of them obeyed, and then returned
and stood silent; they could not tell him
no.
Presently the woman said: "Don' you
warn put you' shut on?"
"Wbat did you say my name wasp he
said.
"Ole str" She paused at the look of
pain on his face, shifted unensly from one
foot to the other, and relapsed into embar-
| rassed silence.
"Nem mini dee'll know it-dceI know
me 'dout any name, oon deeW He APP
pealed wistfull to them both. The woman
for answer unfolded the shirt. He moved
feebly as IL in assent.
~ so tired waitin'," he whispered
"done mos gin out. an he oon come; but
thought 1 heah little Eph to-dayW
There here was as ,n. faint ,q inquiry in his voice.
"Wuz heS" The langud form became
In stantly alert, the tired face took on n
look of eager expectancy. nieah, gP my
shut quick. 1 knowed It. Wait; go over
dyah, son, and git me dat money. He'll
mind wandered, and merely followed the
direction of his eyes with theirs. "Go
over dyah quicls-don't you heah mep"
And to humor him Ephraim went over
| to the corner indicated.
onder de second jicc. It's all in dyah,"
he said to the womnn-"twelve hundred
dollars-dat's what dee went for. wuck-
ed night an day forty years to save that
money for marster; you know dee teck all
he land an AL he niggers an turn him out
come. You ain' know he comm dis even
| in Is you? Heah, help mo on wild dat
shut, gall stan'in heah talkin' an may
be ole mnrster waitin'. Push de do open
murmured, as Polly jambed the door bncl,
and returned to his side-"forty years
| ago dee come an levelled on me: marster
sutny did cry. "Nem MINI he say, 1
comm right down in do summer to buy
you back an bring, you home: He's com
comm dis evenin'. Make 'aste." This in
tremulous eagerness to tho woman, who
had involuntarily caught the feeling, and
was now with eager and Intellectual haste
trying to button his shirt
An exclamation from her husband
| caused her to turn around, as he stepped
into the light and held up an old sock
| filed with something.
"Heah, hol' YOU apron" said the old
man to Polly, who gathered up the lower
corners of her apron and stood nearer the
bod.
"Po' it in dyah." This to Ephraim, who
mechanically obeyed. He pulled or the
string, and poured into his wife's lap the
heap of glittering coin-gold and silver
more than their eyes had ever seen before.
|
fidentially, as IL he were rendering an ac-
count ~ been savin' it ever sence dee
took me way. l SO busy savin' 1t aim
had time to eat, but aim hongry now;
have plenty when get home" He sank
back exhausted. "Oon marster be glad to
see me?" he asked, presently, in pathetic
simplicity. "You know wo growed up
togerr? been waitin' so long feared dee
mos done forgit me. You reckon dee is?"
he asked the woman, appealing.
"No, sub, dee 'ain forgit you," she said,
comfortingly.
81 know dee AIM" he said, reassured.
| "Dat's what he tell me-he aim nuver
gwine forglt me-" The reaction had set
in, and his voice was so feeble now it was
scarcely audible. He was talking rather
sank into a doze. A painful silence
reigncd in the little hut, in which the only
| sound was the breathing of the dying
man. A single shaft of light stole down
under the edge of the slowly passing
cloud and slipped up to the door. Sud-
denly the sleeper walked with start, and
| gaZed around.
"Hit gittin' mighty dark" he whisper
TO dark?,
"Ephum," said the woman, softly, to
her husband.
The effect was electrical.
"Heish you heah dat?" exclaim the
| dying man, eagerly.
"Ephum =" she repeated. The rest was
drowned by Ole 'Stracted's joyous e1cla-
nation:
"Gord knowed t~ he cried, suddenly
rising upright, and, with beamng face,
stretching both arms toward the door.
"Dyah dee come! Now watch 'em smile.
All y'all jes stand back Heah de one you
lookin' for. Neutrality-suspicious. lit
tie Ephum!" And with a smile on his
face he sank back in his sons arms.
The evening sun, dropping on the in
stant to his setting, flooded the room with
light; but as Ephraim gently eased him
it was the light of the unending morning
tha was on his face. His Master had at
last come for him, and after his long
waiting Ole 'Stracted had indeed gone
home Thomas Nelson Page, in Harper's
MagaEine.