Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-12-23
UNCLE BOB.


reading his paper and Mrs. Barbour sew
ing, but they both abandoned their occu-
pations for moment and looked at each
other
james, I have been thinking about this
sheep stealing that has been going on for
some time" said Mrs. Barbour. I'VE must
do something to put stop to it,"
Just then Uncle Bob came running
around the corner of the house and stopped
before them. He did not speak word,
but simply stood and stared at them with
bullying eyes and wide open mouth.
Uncle Bob had never accepted freedom
so far as to leave the home where he had
been reared and where he had worked as a
slave until emancipation was proclaimed.
Mr.. Barbour had been and always would
be MARS Jim" to him, and Mrs Barbour
at the age of sixty was still young miss
u.s." Uncle Bob's mind had never been
very bright, and of late somehow it seemed
to rest under a heavier cloud than ever be-
fore.
To a person not acquainted with Uncle
Bob it would have seemed as If something
terrible had occurred to give him that
startled look, but it. brought only a smile
to Mr.. Barbour's face.
"What is the matter, Bob" he asked
gently
"Hawgs in de later patch, Mars jim"
After this information was given his
face relaxed somewhat, and the terror that
had been depicted upon it vanished in a
moment.
go and drive out the hogs and repair
the fence"
"I'ze done fix de fence"
"Well, then, what is the trouble9"
"Hawgs in de later patch"
Didn't you drive them out2"
81 sholy try, but dem hawgs dess run an
run an butt dey head gin de fence till dey
plum crazy"
ooh, see," laughed Mr.. Barbour. you
closed up the gap where they got in before
you tried to drive them out?"
T.aud, Mars Jim, dess sholy did"
And Uncle Bob started back toward the
potato patch, while Mr.. and Mrs. Barbour
laughed softly to themselves over the
blunder he had made.
"Bobs reasoning faculties are getting
duller every day." said Mrs. Barbour.
"Since Nose and Phyllis came back here
last spring it seems like he is out of his
wits oftener than he used to be-"
Nonsense, Kathleen. Bob is getting old;
that is ALL"
"Perbaps so. But there is q great change
lis were always full of tricks, and there is
no telling what influence they are using
over the poor old fellow"
"Do you think they have hoodooed himP"
laughed Mr.. Barbour.
"No, do not. But am sure they are
intimidating him in some way" said Mrs
Barbour earnestly. Don't you remember,
James, the tricks they resorted to while
they were slaves to get out of work? Nose
was crippled so badly with rheumatics that
he just could creep around with the assist
ance of a stick, and Phyllis was so hard of
hearing that it was impossible to make her
understand anything except through signs,
and then she would only understand as
much as suited her But the day they were
set free Nose cast away his stick and
hoped and danced as lively as any one,
and Phyllis was no longer troubled with
| Deafness"
"Well, my dear, that was a compliment
to us. They knew no one would buy them
in that condition and pay what they were
worth to us. We were always kind to
them, and they appreciated it. They simply
played that trick because they loved u.s."
"You know better, James, 1t WAS to
keep out of hard work-to get the best OF
us-to cheat us so far as we would allow
Just remember how quickly they left us
after they were set free. Nose and Phyllis
were the first to go away"
"And the first to return to u.s." replied
Mr.. Barbour, with a smile.
"Yes; they passed their useful days In
town doing barely enough to live, and now
when they are almost useless, they come
back to us to support them"
what you say is true, Kathleen Sup
pose we turn them off again, tell them t.
go back to town and live or die as best the,
cam" said Mr.. Barbour, looking at hi.
wife with quizzical CLEAN in his eyes.
you know very well would not con
sent to any such thing any more than you
would, James; but for all that | canno
help thinking but what Nose and Phyllis
are imposing upon Uncle Bob in some way
and hat this sheep stealing we were talk
ing about when Bob made his appearance
just now has something to do with it,"
Just then they were interrupted in the
conversation by a man coming toward tn,
house from the road
"Goot efening, Mishter Barbour; goo
efening Mishtess Barbour. | hopes yo,
vos all vell" chrruped the newcomer.
.'All well, thank you, Fritz. Come in"
Fritz sidled up the steps and sat dow
awkwardly on the corner of the chair Nh
Barbour offered him.
Il hear you shtole some Sleeps, Mishte
Barbour, eh?" said Fritz.
You mean you have heard have ha,
some sheep stolen from me-" corrected Nh
Barbour.
Eyes, yes. hear You hat shtolen som
Sleeps. Oxcuse me, Mishter Barbour; if
lif POO year vos holdings but Won Deutscl
mems in Anglish nohow."
THAT is all right, Fritz. Yes, ! hav
lost some sheep lately"
"Vot you gifS"
what did give for the sheepf"
mo, vot you gif for dat t'iefs"
"Oh, see you want me to offer rewar
for the fellow who stole my sheep. Wei
seeing it is you, Fritz, I'll give four bit
for him." said Mr.. Barbour, laughing.
Den | catch him, sure"
How are you going to do it, Fritzf"
81 catch him, dot vos ALL and den prin
him here for four Bit Goot efening, Mist
ter Barbour; good efening, Mishtess Bal
bour," and Fritz, bowling and scrapins
backed down from the gallery and wake