Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02
CHAPTER II.


They had never seemed the same again.
uncle Pete and Aun, Charity-since poor Toms
misfortune. Although the old man would tell
his rainy-day stories he seemed sad and sighed
heavily and liked, more than anything else, to
sit still and think.
Now. chilluns, run long" he'd say, after
| telling few short stories. II can't member
| tales lack useter, peer lack mos lose my
min sometimes, l tink SO hard bout my pc
| boy shet up in de penertenchry fer five yers
By dat time me an de ole 'oman'll be done laid
In our graves an nebber know when he gifts
out. Ebby night when yo' says yer little
pray re-. chillun. yo mus axe de good Lord to
hep US fin de man what steal dem tings an
| drap 'em long o Tom SO he could be ketch as
| or thief. Ef we could fin him, honey, yo'
kno', po Tom could come outn dat prison
quick as yo' could wink yo' eye an he'd come
back hyah an stay wild US all de time an
| nebber leave us no mo-"
But how will we know when we find him.
| Uncle Pcte?" asked inquiring Bob
"De Lord'l tell yo when yo' fin him, Of he's
de right one, honey, an hope well fin i'm
| soon"
| This made very serious impression on the
minds OF the children and they were ever faith
| full about praying over it. Even little Jessie
did not forget to pray to '.hep us fin de bad
| man Uncle Pete is loOkin' for, >" and a beautiful
picture she made. kneeling at fathers knee in
her long white gown lisping her baby prayers.
| 1t had been nearly three years since poor
Tom entered the penitentiary for five years
Imprisonment, but it had seemed a much
| longer time to his old parents and the children
| at Wildwood.
Fathe. had determined to build new house,
near the suburbs OF O.. In convenient driv-
Ing distance to its schools and churches, and
let the old place-which was becoming dilapi-
dated--out TO tenants. who would keep up the
farm andstock.
The carpenters had already nearly finished their
work On the new house, and the surveyor was
laying OH the grounds and gardens about the
middle of a mild November. 50 we hoped 10
spend Christmas in our new home. Mr. Len
no1, the civil engineer, who had been some
time directing the work on the grounds and
at Wildwood. for the last time" he said as
his work was all finished, and he was going to
Florida to spend the winter.
He was man of polished a:tainments and
fine conversational powers, but impressed one
more as beinga "French dancing master" than
anything else. His eyes wore small yellowish
gray, very close together and ever wandering;
they made you have the queer feeling
that they were looking behind you and
all around you-everywhere but into
your face. As be babe mother good bye she
said: Uncle Pete has driven tho children over
TO the new house again, for they think they
must soc every nail that goes into it, and they
nave overstayed their time; il you meet them
on the way Mr.. Lennox, please tell them to
hurry on to dinner" As he jumped on old
tireball. that no one except father ever dared
| W rue mother looked anxiously after him.
| ana said; That man certainly doesn't seem to
TSalSs .ns great danger he is risking in riding
safety but his MASTER
| Just as Uncle Pete, driving slowly back home
with the children, had gotten beyond aipbt Of
| the new mouse where father was awaiting the
return OF ms morse before he could go home to
dinner. they saw old Fireball coming toward
| them with terrific speed snortino andS 1919
and with his ears pointed up Is il i'm fright
| and no rider. ~
How awfully suggestive Is a riderls.. h,-..
Oar n0,D" said Uncle Pete. snrinn;nS, -
Of the carriage and trying to head on ~. t ou'
which, however, eluding his grasp, few nv o IN =
| manner truly suggestive OF his name - :"
! Oar now" he repeated. II ben snsctr,
dat man to git kilt ebber since he fus moi On
| ole Fireball. WV"
II done tole i'm dat day dat il wor mitv dan
gersome piece o business fer anybody. cen,,,
Alarse Jeems, to be or triggerin' wild dat hor.a
but he III up he nose an say Don't yo' bod
der bout me. kin take cyar number one m,
now wouldn gi er dime feI de life what let,
in i'm. Stay right dsr, chillun, tel look roun'
fer dat pc man wild is neck broke an lawn,
| by do side o de road somwhar."
He walked on. slowly looking on each side OF
| the road. across the little stream to the curve
OF the road beyond, in few yards Of which he
found Mr.. Lennox lying and looking in truth
like dead man, but moaning piteously. There
| was n dark bruise on his forehead and q blood
stain on his face, but he complained most
heavily Of his foot, that he said the horse had
| stopped on and almost crushed.
Just pull of my boot, there, old man, and
see what your plagued old horse has dono for
me-" Uncle Pete didn't like his commanding
tone and felt like saying Il tole yo' So" but he
said nothing, and knccling down on tho brown
leaves commenced to draw of the tight boot
from the sbape!y and almost dainty foot this
gave such acute pain that the man tainted
away into q deadly swoon. When the boot had
boon removed tho foot common swelling 90
fast that Uncle Peto said to himself, 81 better
take dis hyah sock of. too, case it look lack it
mos at to bust now" and as gently as though
q woman had done ii he pulled OF the hose.
when "Gawd Almighty he exclaimed, jump
ing up and gazing into the pcllid face Of tie
unconscious man. On the instsp Of that foot