Arizona silver belt., 1893-12-30
A H0MEIY HERO
Poor Abe Dodgor

Poor Abe Dodge"
 That's what they called him, though he wasn't any poorer than other folks not so poor as some. How could he be poor. work as ho did and steady as he was? Worth wholc gyis. of such bait as his brother, Epho Dodge, and yet they never called Epho whatever worse name they might call him. When Ephc was off at a show in the yillass Abe was following the plaw driving straight furrow, though you wouldn't have thought it to see the way his nose pointed In winter wnen Epho WAS taking tho girls to singing school UT spelling bee or some other f0oiishness- out till after 9 o'clock at nisnt lil,o as not Abe was hanging over the fire holding a book 50 tho tgAt would shine first on one page and then ou the other and he turning bis head ns he turned the book and reading first with one eye and then with the other.
 There the murders cut. Abe couldn't read with both eyes at once F Abe looked straight ahead, he couldn't see tae furrow nor anything else for that mat ter. His best friend couldn't say but what Abe Dodge was the erosseyedcs, cuss that ever was. Why.if you wanted to see Abe you'd stand iu front of him, but if you wanted Abo to see you you'd got to stand behind him or pretty Homelyl Well, if you mean downright 'humbly," that's what he was When one eye was in use the other was out Of sight. all except the white of it HUmDly ain't no name for 1t. The girls used Co say he had to wake up in the night to rest his face, it was SO humbiy. h school you'd ought t1 have scsa hm look down at his copybook. He had to cant his head clear over and cock up his chin til 1t pointed out of tho winder and down the road You'd really ought to have seen him you'd have died Head 0l the class. too. right along; just as near to the head as Eph was to the foot and that's sayiu a good deal But Co see him at his desk. He looked for all the world Ike @ week old chicken peekin at atatumblebug! And him grown man, too, for he s;aid to school winters so long as there was any thing more the teacher could teach him. You see thero wasn't anything to draw him away; no girl wouldn't look at him lucky, too, seein the way he looked
 We'll one term there was new teacher come regular high up girl. down from Chicago. Asbad luck would hayo 1t Abe wasn't at school the first week hadn't got through his fall work. 50 she got Co know an tho scholars and they was awful Gcklcd with her every body always was chat buowed her Tie first day she come in and saw Abe at his desk she thought be was squintn for fun, and she upped and laughed right out Some of the scholars laughed, too at first, but most of 'em, 10 do 'em jus tico. was a leetle took back, young as they was, and cruel by nature. (Youug folks is most usually always cruel ! don't seem to know no bctterj
 Well. right in the middle of the hush Abe gathered up his books and upped end walked out doors. loolsin right ahead 1f him and consequently seeing the handsome young teacher unbeknowu to her
 She was tho worst cut mp you ever did see, but what could she do or sayY Go and tell him she thought be was makin | up a face for fnpi The girls ao say that come noon spell, when she found ont about 1t, she cried--just fairly cried. ! Then she tried tc be awful nice to Abe's oinery brother Ephe, and Ephe he was l tickled most to death but that didn't ! lo Abe any good-Ephe was jest orneiy enough to take care that Abe shouldn't 1 get any comfort ont of it, They do say she sent messages to Abe, and Ephe never delivered them or else twisted em 80 as to mako things worse and worse. Mebbe 80, mebbe not Ephe was orneTy snough for it,
 ] Course the schoolmarm Bhc was Doardin round, and pretty soon it come | time to go te ole man Dodge's, and she i went; but no Abe could she ever see. | He kept away, and as Co meals he never set by. but took Q bite off by himsel
 when he could got a chance. fCourso bis mother favored him, being he was 50 cussed uRlucky) Then when the | folks was an to bed he'd come in and poke up the fire and peek into his book, but first ona side and then the other. same as ever.
 Now, what does schoolma'am do but come down one night when gAe thought ho was abed and asleep and rcatch him
 unawares. Abe lIuowed it was her quicb as he heard the rustic of her dress, but there wasn't no help for it, so he just covered his crosseyes with his hands and she pitched in. What she said
 don't know but Abe he never said .
 word, only told her he Cidn blame her
 not a mite. he know she couldn't help Il no more than he could Thcn she asked
 him to come back to school and hC
 answered to please excuse him. After { bit she asked him if he wouldn't come <
 obhge her, and he said ne calculated h'
 was obligin her more by s5ayin away.
 We'll, come to that she didn't know
 what to say or do; womanlike she uppe,
 and cried, and then she said be hurt be-
 feelings And the npshot Of t was h
 llil he'd come, and they shook hands O ! t--Abo giviH his other hand of coarse.
 Well Abo kept his word and took n
 sohoolin as if nothing had happened
 snd such schoolin as there was tlia ! l.f....- .t,.t. ,.a.5s.tI tIf,