The Opelousas courier., 1891-10-31

hose Dixes they might bury their littl
babby there, and what did they do
Laid it right on great-grandaunt Liza
I went and told them they'd go
to take that baby of. But j
warnI pleasant. / won't accommodate
aoain.
s.And you amt ever COINS to sell
Colonel Jayf'
tsLook here, Jo,n said the colonel.
testify, how old are you2 EighteeI
years. Well. / guess you remember nj
as 0 as you remember anything. Die
you ever know me to change m,
minda That ground ain't-ever-to-be
disturbed =
Joe turned his full blue eyes on the
colonel.
aHow about when you die, Colonel
Jaylp be asked in his most deliberate
speech,
The colonel was staggered and
showed it..
IF | were you," 10 went on, now
looking over the water, &c fix that
while I was able. There's a whole acre
there, and there amt but one end of il
in graves. I'd sell it all under a deed
that would make the ma who bought 1t
keep the grave end nice and clean, and
the grass cut-and perhaps flowers"
Colonel Jay rose from his chair.
boy he cried, you're right Why
didnt | think of that2"
Then his face fell suddenly.
@But who'd be fool enough to buy2"
~ would, . answered 10, stolidly and
if / don't pay you a hundred dollars for
it in a years time, you car take the
ground back ana all the improvements on
it,
What the improvement meant, the
whole works o knew.
40 Tolly's store was the talk of the
place. 1t was little more than a shanty,
but the laborers 1907 learned that the
shanty had goods of better quality and
lower prices on its shelves than the COM
pany's handsome storehouse had on
theirs.
1T amt very pretty outside, but |
tried TO have it good ID, said 10, mod
estly, looking at the Well-stocked walls.
II spent all my money there"
The money referred to was a small
sum which he had gotten by auctioning
off the worn-of roof which covered him,
and the bit Of land on which he stood.
The rest of the tract had been sold al
most TO the very door step long before.
There had been no one to interfere in
his reinvestment, his father having per-
formed the first graceful act in his
worthless life By stepping out of it at
this opportune time.
Don't spend it all in shoestrings and
rock candy, Tolly,'' the superintendent
had sasd. nPut it in bank and try to
keep aiding to your bank book. That's
the way
YES, SIR said 10, subnissively but
at the same time it was not his way, mol
did he follow it.
At first the Tolly stnre was only open
at n;oht.and 10 waited on the customers
after hours, but as the business grew q
small boy kept store BY day and was as
sistant to the proprietor at night.
II shouldn't think you'd dare, 10; /
shouldn't, indeed said the weakened
clerk. who came to inspect his enterprise
by stealth and after nightfall. HWhy,I
wouldn't even like the chief to see me
come in here. And how can you sleep
right next to those graves2"
~ like them,a said Jo, showing the
first sign of interest. sI'm getting real
fond OF them. / like Aunt Liza, and I
feel like / knew Aunt Jane.
Dear frienIs, repent; no more delay,
For death will come to take no nay;
Be always ready, night and day,
~isuddeniy was snatche5 away
I feel just like she was saying it to me
every time I read it.
The head clerk-he OF the sspeeled
eyesn-alao paid 10 y visit but he came
il BY broad daylight and examined
everything.
He laughed q good deal, and looked
at JOS placid face curiously.
sYou're bucking against a big con-
cern, boy he said. ~ tell you youIl
have to work like an OK and kick like q
steer
10, smiling his usual rather stupid,
slow smile, listened to each one and said
nothing.
Is yet the superintendent had said
nothing either, but that came.
One dag, as 10 was passing through
his Office, he stopped him.
&%B@&
folly he said, carelessly, eshow
much do you hold your land atfn
stWhat do you think it's worth sir, =
inquired 10, respectfully.
stNot much
tive got my store built and paid for
out Of IT, 10 went on, as though calcu.
lating aloud. tive paid for my land,
the business il growing, and
lyon take q week To- think 1t over in,' y
said the superintendent, hastily.
On that day week 10 entered the
superintendent Office and stood before
his desk.
aWell, Tolly, I said the auperintennd-
emf, tswhat is itan
ssItss ten thousand dollars, 7 said 10.
When the superintendent had a little
recovered be knew that BE mas i very
angry man, and at the same
that il behooYed him to walk
carefully.
sI'he directors couldn't consider such
price, be said. ut wouldn't be
worth 1t to them.
mo, sir, said 10, meekly. 81