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

at Uncle Ben, "unless you avail yourself OF
| your advantages now and nave one OF your
| owl. | suppose now that you are rich,
| youth marry" -.
Uncle Ben slightly changed his position
and then with his finger and thumb began
to apparently feed himself with certain
| crumbs which had escaped from the chill
dren's luncheon baskets and were still lying
| on the bench. Intent on this occupation
and without raising his eyes to the master,
he returned slowly:
''Well, you see, I'm sorer married al
ready"
The master sat up quickly.
| "What, YOU married-nowp
| "Well, perhaps that's question. Ats
| good deal like my bein' an orphan-oheer
tain and unsettled"
| He paused to pursue an evasive crumb to
the end of the bench and, having captured
| it, went on:
ut was when was younger than you be,
and she warn't very old neither. But she
knew heap more than l did; and ez to
| readin' and writin', she was thar, tell you,
every time. You'd hev admired TO see her,
| Mr.. Ford"
|, AS he paused here as If he had exhausted
the subject the master said impatiently:
"Well, where is she nowP
| Uncle Ben shook his head slowly.
Il amt seen her sens left Mizzouri, goln'
| on five wears ago"
"But why haven't yous What was the
matterY' persisted the master
"Well-you see-I ruined away. Not
she, you know, but II scooted, skedaddled
out here"
"But what forF' asked the master, regard
| ing Uncle Ben with hopeless wonder.
Something must have happened. What
was it, WASH
''She was a good schollard,' said Uncle
| &C., fn ha
all. She stood aboutso high he continued,
indicating with his hand a medium hight,
"war little and dark Completed"
"But you must have had some reason for
leaving herp
I've sometimes had an idea" said Uncle
| Ben. cautiously, 'that mebbee ruunin'
away ran in some families. Now, there
war my mother run off with an entire
| stranger, and yers me eZ run off by myself.
| And what makes il the more one-like is that
| lust as dad allus allowed he could get de-
| vorce agin mother so my wife could hev
| got one agin me for leaving her. And it's
almost an evenhanded game that she hez.
| It's there were the uncertainty comes in"
but are you satisfied to remain IN this
doubt or do you propose now That you
are able to institute thorough search for
herr
81 was kalkliatin' to look around little, ="
said Uncle Ben, simply.
And return to her if you find herr" con-
tinued the master.
81 didn't say that, Mr.. Ford"
"But if she hasn't got divorce from you
that's what you'll have to do, and what you
ought to do-if | understand your story.
For by your own showing, a more causeless,
heartless and utterly inexcusable deserUlon
than yours, never heard of"
do you think so? said Uncle Ben, with
exasperrating simplicity.
"Do think so!' repeated Mr.. Ford, in
dignantly. "Everybody'll think so. They
can't think otherwise. You say you de-
serted her, and you admit that she did moth
ing TO provoke it,"
mo" returned Uncle Ben, quickly,
'nothin Did tell you, Mr.. Ford, that sac
could play the pianner and sing"
mo" said Mr.. Ford, curtly rising impa-
tiently and crossing the room.
He was more than half convinced that
| Uncle Ben was deceiving him. Either under
the veil of his hide-bound simplicity he was
an utterly selfish, heartless, secretive man,
or else he was telling an idiotic falsehood.
u am sorry | can neither CO. graduate
| you nor condole with you on what you have
Just told me. Icannot see that you have the
least excuse for delaying single moment
to search for your wife and make amends
for your conduct. Aud if you want my
| opinion it strikes me as being a much more
|
riches than mediating in your neighbors'
squabbles But it's getting late and I'm
afraid we must bring our talk to an end. !
hooe you'll think this over before we meet
agaln-and think differently"
| Nevertheless, as they both left the school
house, Mr.. Ford fingered over the locking
of the door to give Uncle Ben final
chance for further explanation. But none
came The new capitalist Of Indian
Spring regarded him with an intensiicatlon
of his usual half sad, half emDarras ed
smile and ouly said:
you understand this yer's secret, Mr..
| FordH
Certainly said Ford, with ill-concealed
| irritation.
"'Bout my bein' sorter marriedW
Don't be alarmed he responded, drily;
''its not a talking story"
They separated Uncle Ben, more than
ever involved in his usual unsatisfactory
purposes, vending his way toward his
riches; the master lingering to observe his
departure before he plunged in virtuous
| lperiority into tn woods that fringed the
Harrison and McKinstry boundaries.
| fro BE CONTINUED