The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-16

Come be said. impulsively taking the
paper from Uncle Ben's reluctant hand,
how much of this is a connection of yours
aud Rupes-and how much is true story!
Do you really mean
Hold on, Mr.. FordW interrupted Uncle
Ben, suddenly fumbling in the breast
pocket of his red shirt, 81 reckoned on your
being little hard with me, remembering
our first talk bout these things-so l al
lowed I'd bring you some proof.
Slowly extracting a long legal envelope
from his pocket, he openedlt, and drew out
two or three crisp certificates of stock and
handed them to tue master.
"Thers one hundred shares made out to
Benz Daubigny. I'd hey brought you over
the deed of the land too, but ez it's rather
hard to read Off hand, on account Of the
law palaver. I've left it up at the shanty to
tackle at old times by way of practising.
But eff you like Wen so up thar, and I'll
show it to you"
Still haulted by his belief in Uncle
Ben's small Duplicates, Mr.. Ford hesltated.
The were certainly bona fide certificates
Of stock made out to "Daubigny." But be
had never actually accepted Uncle Ben's
statement of his identity with that person,
and now it was offered as a corroboration
Of a still more improbable story. He looked
at Uncle Ben's simple face slightly deepen
with conscious guilt.
Have you made anybody your conf
dant? Rupe, for instanceM he asked, sig
nificantly.
SIN course not" replied Uncle Ben, with
a slight stiffening of wounded pride. "On'y
yourself, Mr.. Ford, and the young Teller
Stacey from the bank-ez was obligated to
know it. In fact, wos kalkilatin' to ask
you to help me talk to him about that yer
boundary land.n
Mr.. Fosd's scepticism was at last stag
gered any practical joke or foolish com
plicity between the agent of the bank and a
man like Uncle Ben YVES out of the question,
aad if the story were his own sole inven-
ton, he would have scarcely dared to risk
so accessible and uncompromisng denial
as the agent had it in his power to give.
He held out his hand TO Uncle Ben.
"Let me congratulate YOU" he said,
heartily, and forgive me if your story
really sounded SO wonderful | couldn't
quite grasp it. Now let me ask you some
thing more. Have you had any reason for
keeping this secret, other than your fear
of confessing that you violated few
bigoted and idiotic mining rules which,
after all, are binding only upon sentiment
and which your success has proved to be
utterly impractical"
"There was another reason, Mr.. Ford"
said Uncle Ben, wiping away an embar-
raised smile with the back of his hand,
thought of consultin you. | didn't keer to
have McKinstry, and"-he added, hurried
ly-"iu course, Harrison, too, know that L
bou ght up the title to thar boundary"
81 u"derstand,n nodded the master. 81
shouldn't think you would"
'Why shouldn't yeF' asked Uncle Ben,
quickly.
"Well-I don't suppose yo1 care to quar-
rel with two passionate men,"
Uncle Ben's face changed. Presently,
however, with his hand to his face, he mau-
aged to manipulate another smile, only it
appeared for the purpose of being as awk-
wardly wiped away.
SAY one passionate man, Mr.. Ford"
'Well, one if you like,n returned the
master, cheerfully. "But for the matter of
that, why any? Come-do you mind telling
me why you bought the land at ala You
know it's of little value to any but McKin-
stry and Harrison"
''Soppose," said Uncle Ben, slowly, with
a great affectation of wiping his ink-spotted
desk with his sleeve, ''soppose that l had
got kinder tired of seein' McKinstry and
Harrison allus fghtin' and scrimmagin
over their boundary line. Soppose l kali
kilated that it warn't the sort o thing to in
duce folks to settle here. Soppnse | reck-
oned that by gettin' the real title in my
hands I'd have the dead wood on both o
them, and settle the thing my own way,
eh''
"That certainly was a very Iaudable in-
tentiou." returned Mr.. Ford, observing
Uncle Ben curiously, land from what you
said Just now about one passionate man, |
suppose you have determined already who
to favor. l hope your public spirit will be
appreciated by Indian Spring at least-it it
isn't by those two men,"
"You lay low and keep dark and you'll
see,n returned his companion with hope
fulness of speech which his somewhat anx-
ious eagerness, however, did not quite bear
out. "But you're not goia' yet, surely, he
added, as the master again abstractedly con-
suited his watch. "It's only half past four
It's true thar amt any more to TELL" he
added, simply, "but had an idea hat you
might hev took to this yer little story O
mine mora than you pear to be, and might
be askin' questions and kinder be-
devlin' me with jokes ez to what | wos goin
to do-and all that. But p'raps it don't
seem so wonderful to YOU arter all. Come
to think of it-squarely now, he said, with
a singular dependency, Pm rather sick OF
it mysele-ehm
"My dear old boy" said Ford, grasping
both bis hands, with a swift revulsion OF
shame at his own utterly selfish abstrac-
ton; II am overjoyed at your good luck.
More than that, | can say honestly. old fell
low. that it couldn't have fallen in more
worthy hands, o. to any one whose good
fortune would have pleased me more.
There Aud if rve been slow and stupid in
taking il in, it is because it's 50 wonderful,
so like a fairy tale of virtue rewarded-as
if YOU were kind of male Cinderella, old
manw
He bad no intention of lying-he had no
belief that he was; he had only forgotten
that his previous impressions and heslta-
tiops had arts IN from che very fact that he
did doubt the consistency of the story with
his belief in Uncle Bens weakness. But he
Thought himself now so sincere that the
generous reader, who no doubt is always
ready to hail the perfect equity OF his
neighbours good luck, will readily forgive
him.
In the plenitude of this sincerity. Ford
threw himself at full length on one Of the
long benches, and with gesture invited
Uncle Ben to make himself equally at his
ease
Come he said, with boyish gaiety, ''let's
hear your plans old man. To begin with,
who's to share them with you! or course
there are the old folks at home, first; then
you have brothers-and perhaps sisters.
He topped and glanced with smile at
Uncle Ben; the idea of there beng posi-
ble female of his species struck his fancy.
Uncle Ben, who had hitherto always ex-
ercisea a severe restraint-partly from re-
LONG limbs in the school house. here slowly
lifted one leg over another bench, and sat
himself astride Of it, leaning forward on
~. ol1,n.,, his chin ragfinV bqtWeen his