The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-03

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con, had been many years married before
a child was born to him, and when at
last there came a fine healthy boy-bab by
the good man reverently named him
Tobias, which, as my young readers
doubtless know, signifies, in Hebrew,
'the goodness of the Lord.
Two years afterward the little family
was further increased by the advent of
a daughter, to whom the happy parents
gave the name Anna, in Hebrew,
s'gracious." No more children were
added to the deacon's household, and he
and his wife piously resolved to bring
up the two they were already blessed
with in the ''fear and admonition of the
Lord"
One springtime, when the brother
and sister were ten and eight years OF
age, respectively, to Toby was given a
small piece of rich garden ground to
work and crop for his own benefit,
while Anna was made happy by the
gift of an orphaned eve lamb, which
she was 10 raise by h and, and its wool,
as well as that of its progeny for three
years, was to belong exclusively to
her
Toby, with shrewd eye to the pos
sibilities of Salem market, planted his
six square rods of black soil with the
best varieties of wat er and musk mel
ON seed. He very faithfully cultivated
the patch and zealously guarded the
growing vines from the ravages of
chinch bugs and cutworms, SO that by
the first of July they completely COW
cred the ground and gave promise of an
abundant crop of fruit.
Anna and Toby held many grave
arguments as to which of them was
sikely to profit most by their respective
properties; she stoutly contending that,
Sn the three years, she could make a
fortune from the sale of wool, and he
as streBuously insisting that, within the
same time, his melon patch would
bring him fabulous wealth.
Aided by his fathers advice, Toby
spared no pains to force his crop to
early maturity, SO as to make sales
while prices were high, and one even
ing in the middle of August he gleefully
announced that next day he should take
TO the city half dozen cantaloupes and
as many red-core watermelons, now ripe
enough, he said, to sell
"Well, my son." said the deacon, ''you
can take the old horse and spring wag-
on and go to town all alone tomorrow.
We shall see what kind of trader you
will make"
The eager boy retired early to bed,
so as Ito make morning come quickly"
and the first beams of the rising sun
had hardly kissed the dew-laden vines
when he was on the spot, ready to
pluck the first fruits of his harvest.
Then, oh, horrorl he stared in amaze
ment. rubbed his doubling eyes and
looked again and again, until the sad
truth forced itself upon his brain. The
tender foliage was not in any way dis
turbed or injured, but every fully ripe
melon was gone! Sobbing now with
grief and disappointment, poor Toby
ran back to the house and reported his
loss.
IAN enemy hath done this thing"
observed the angry deacon, and at fam
lily worship that morning he earnestly
prayed that "all evil doors might be
brought to confusion"
After breakfast, Anna and her lamb
wandered off as usual, while Toby and
his father went out TO the despoiled
i1nelon patch with view of tracing the
thief if possible. For some time their
search was in vain, but by aud by they
discovered, just on the soft edge of an
onion bed, the imprint of naked foot.
No tracks, however. were TO be found
on the hardened walks, and for awhile,
the amateur detectives were at fault.
At last, upon extending their beat,
they came to field planted with pota-
toes; and here, between the rows,
prints of the same foot were numerous,
and all appeared to lead off toward the
''pine woods" within the depths of
which dwelt at all times old Uncle
Jake" and Aunt Liza" an impover-
ished colored couple, who lived, people
hardly knew how.
Toby" said Deacon Tompllins, i'm
pressively, Il suspect those shiftless
niggers are the thieves. Wen go over
TO their cabin, and if they're guilty I'll
jail them, sure"
So, off through the solemn pines
went father and son, the one intent
upon summary vengeance and the other
secretly hoping in his young, compass
sionate heart that the robbers might
not be found. The half murmuring
hush of the grand old woods did not
W hlsper OF mercy TO the de
He strobe sternly on. feeling a grim.
satisfaction in the belief that he had
been chosen as the instrument Of divine
justice. The negro hut lay fully two
miles within the recesses of the forest,
but was reached in due time. Going
quietly up TO the door, the deacon en-
tered without knocking and found his
suspicious more than justified. for, sit
ting up on a miserable corn-Shuck bed
was the wasted, fever-stricllen form OF
Uncle Jake" and across his knees
rested one-half of large watermelon.
the inside Of which he was eagerly de-
vourlng by the aid of a big horn spoon!
$50 you're caught at last" Numbered
the lrate deacon, the way of the trans
gressor Is hard. Where is your wife?"
The poor old creature made no denial.
but broke into pitiful tears.
'Lawd a-massy, deekin." said he.
''aint | sufferin' huff are adv? Doau'
be hard on ole Jake. Nobody,ain't bin
near us for mon twoweeks an we was
dun starved We reckoped that Won
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