San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-09

OF lady.
"Stay here laddies," she was saying,
land play until get through talking to
the old people. and then we'll walk over
to Judge Winners for some apples.
can't let you come, indeed, Ran. The
last time took you to the cabin you up
set Aunt Kitty's churn and wasted all
the poor old woman's buttermilk on the
floor. Yes, my child, know it was an
accident, but such accidents are always
happening to you. You are very I'M
lucky and needless little boy, and to
take you visiting is simply to invite
calamity. Stay here, and be good chill
dren. won't be long"
Anthony drew near the window, and
in moment had the satisfaction of see
ing tall. graceful woman, with little
willow basket in her hand. pass and en-
ter the farthest of the group of cabins.
Meanwhile the boys, two in number,
and aged respectively five and seven
years. had taken possession of the porch
and were climbing on the ratings. They
were large, straight limbed children, and
the smaller had a crop of chestnut curls
that fell almost to his waist. AS they
jumped about they laughed and chat
tered. The door was trifie ajar, and
Anthony could hear every word.
Aunt Neelie didn't want mamma to
put any coffee in her basket" remarked
the smaller child; "she said mamma
oughtn't to give the servants things,
cause maybe we'd want 'em ourselves.
That's mean, amt it Hector? We've got
whole bucket of coffee in our store
room and poor old Aunt Kitty hasn't any
in her cupboard. She asked mamma to
save her the grounds; l heard her that
day knocked the churn over"
Aunt Neelie's such hunks! hate
herr responded Hector. "She's Away
fussing about something. Other folks
want coffee too, just as well as she does,
reckon. Mamma don't listen to her,
one good thing, and gives the old folks
things all the time. White people al
ways give to black people; Aunt Neelie
ought to know that. If they didn't,
who would"
But this was much too difficult ques-
ton for little Ran to settle; he avoided
it, therefore, and introduced another
topic. "Hec, what is paupers?"
Folks that haven't any money, nor
any place to live, nor things to eat, nor
clothes to wear" defined Hector COM
prehensively.
"Then we amt that. l thought we
weren't, because we've got land and
house, and lots of things. And you've
got calf, and I've got ten cents, and q
gander, and little pig, and speckled
pullet, and"-growing weary with the
enumeration of his wealth-"and, oh,
yes! drake with wen under his chin"
"Who said we were paupers?" fired
Hector. "It's lie!"
$50 it's" acquiesced Ran pleasantly,
"if not having things is being paupers.
But you must not say it's a lie, Hec, be-
cause twas Aunt Neelie that said it.
She said it when mamma told her that
the gentleman had come that bought the
land, you know-grandpa's land and
fathers. She cried when mamma told
her, and said the Beverleys were pau
pers and that mamma didn't care one
bit and was glad the land was gone, be-
cause she wasn't Beverley"
"She is a Beverley" asserted Hector;
land I'm going to have the land back
when get to be man. I'm going to
work hard and make lot of money, and
ask the gentleman to let me have it
back; and l know he will, because he
won't love it like we do. He's just a
stranger, you know, Ran, SO he won't
care for it, and will like the money bet
ter"
"That will be jolly" said Ran. "I'n
help"
The listener inside smiled to himself.
Prosperity had departed from the old
family, and they felt the change; he had
thought they would, when he saw the
land advertised. He had not bought it
himself to gloat over their downfall and
his own uprising. He scarcely knew yet
why he had bought it. Perhaps he was
little influenced by the feeling that the
land had better be in his hands than in
those of strangers; perhaps it was only
passing within, but anyhow he had
bought it, and, while he knew perfectly
we'll that it was a poor investment for
his money, he was not sorry that he had
done so. These boys were Hector Bev-
erley's sons of course; indeed, their
names, Hector and Randolph, made that
fact patent. He wondered if there were
any more children. Aunt Neelie"
must be his former object of detestation
Miss Cornelia, he recognized her at
once.
The little boys were sitting on the
steps. Hector had straight pine to-
bacco stick in his hands, and was split
u II l.. T. L. Il.