St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1893-01-14

He jumped upon his stool and eauqhl
me by the breast Of the jacket.
For a day that was begun SO i'll the
day passed fairly well. We had the
porridge cold again at noon and hot por-
ridge at night; porridge and small beer
was my uncle's diet. He spoke but little.
and that in the same way as before,
shooting question at me after long
silence, and when sought to lead him
in talk about my future slipped out OF
it again. In a room next door to the
kitchen, where he suffered me to go, ]
found great number Of books, both
Latin and English, in which took great
pleasure all the afternoon. Indeed the
time passed SO lightly IN this good com
pany that began to be almost recon
ciled to my residence at Shaws, and
nothing but the sight of my uncle, and
his eyes playing hide and seek with
mine, revived the force Of my distrust.
One thing discovered which put me
in some doubt. This was an entry on
the fly leaf Of chapbook Zone of Pat
rick Walker's) plainly written BY my
fathers hand and thus conceived. ITO
my brother Ehenezer on his fifth birth
day." Now, what puzzled me was this:
That as my father was ct course the
younger brother he must either have.
made some strange error or he must
have written before he was yet five an
excellent, clear, manly hand Of writing.
1 tried to get this out Of my head; but
though ! took down many interesting
authors, old and new, history, poetry
and story book, this notion Of my fathers
hand of writing stuck to me, and when
at length went back into the kitchen.
and sat down once more to porridge and
small beer, the first thing / said to
Uncle Ebenezer was to ask him If my
father rad not been very quick at his
book.
Alexander? No, hiinr was the reply
II was far quicker myself; | was d
clever chappie when was young. Why.
could read as soon as he could. "
This puzzled me yet more, and a
thought coming into my head asked
IL he and my father had been twins.
He iumpsd upon his stool. ard Til.
norm spoon fell out OF his hand upon the
floor. w hat gars ye ask that9' he said,
and caught me by the breast of the
Jacket and looked this time straight into
my eyes, his own, which were little and
light and bright, like birds, blinking
and winking strangely.
s'What do you means' I asked yery
calmly, for ! was far stronger than he
snd rot easily frightened. Take your /
land from my jacket. This is no way |
20 behave"
My uncle seemed to make great I
effort upon himself. bod, man David, !" /
le said, ssye should nae speak to me
sbout your father. That's where the
mistake is. He sat awhile and shook,
blinking in his plate. ..He was all the
,rother that ever had, " he added, but
With no heart in his voice, and then he
aught up his spoon and fell to supper
gain, but still shaking.
Now this last passage, this LAYING of
lands upon my person and sudden pro-
ession OF love for my dead father, went
Q clean beyond my comprehension that
put me into both fear and hope. On
he one hand, I began to think my uncle
vas perhaps insane and might be dam
erous; on the other, there came up into
~ mind fquite unbidden by me and
ven discouraged} a story like some bal
10 ! had heard folk singing of a poor
I'D that was a rightfu1 heir and wick
kinsnan that tried to keep him from
Is own. For why should my uncle
lay a part with a relative that came
lmost a begger to his door unless in
is heart he had some cause to fear him? j
With this notion all unacknoW1edged, Il
ut nevertheless getting firmly settled in
y head. / now began to initiate his
,vert looks, SO that we sat at table like
cat and mouse, each stealthily OBJ
irving the other. Not another werd
I'd he to say to me. black or white. but