Graham guardian., 1896-01-24

but for all this he was the universal IA
vorite, and had rsen to be the colonels
right hand man. Under his vigilant
eye and sound judgment the planta-
ton was getting in fine condition and
making money. Even Uncle Jim had
not become jealous of him, and was
his most devoted friend. A convcrsa-
ton between Old Tony and Uncle Jim
in one of their confidential caucuses
will throw some light on the situation
at the time.
Uncle Jim was sitting in front of his
cabin smoking his evening pipe, when
Tony came ambling along.
'Ebenin, Brer Jeems."
'Ebenin, Brer Tony; hab cheer"
Tony takes seat, pulls out, fills,
lights his pipe and smokes meditatively
awhile-and commences:
Look heah, Brcr Jeems, whar dis
thing gwine ter eend?"
"What thing, Brer Tony?"
''Bout young missy and dat John
boy"
II dknow whut yer mean"
"Wy, Brer Jeems, yer know dat boy
he des wushup little missy"
Don mount ter nuthin, Brer Tony,
yer see she amt fer sech persons as him,
not dat"
81 hasn't anything agin dc boy, he
berry good boy, he de best farmer in
dis country, he got old head on top dat
long body, but arter all he nuthin but
po white trash. / misdoubt eff he know
who his grandfather wuz, and, in cosc,
marster, aldo he SO good natured, not
gwine to let his darter marry wild no pc
white trash"
dat may be so, but | hern de folks
say dat de boy done save up nuf money
to buy him good farm"
"Mebbe so, mebbe SO, Brer Tony.
am onbeknownst as to dat, but den you
see, he not got de breed, and Marster's
terrible man bout blood and all dat, not
but whut she won't do jist as well to
marry him as to take some of dem
sprocious younsters dat come gallavant-
in roun heah all de time, and amt got
nuf marners to say: Uncle Jim, please
do dis or dat but jist bawl out: ole
man, hump yersef, and me not SO berry
ole man neider."
Having smoked out his pipe Tony de-
parted, leaving Jim to his ruminations,
who, chuckling to himself, soliloquized
thus:
81 'clar ter my soul, helieb dat boy
jist like dem birds whar dey say hides
dar heads and thinks dey is all hid; he
jist go long, and fool hisself thinkin
nobody knows, and evybody on de plarn-
tation kin see dat he heels ober head in
lub wild little missy. Po Eboy, lots o.
trubble head o. him."
Some days after this memorable con-
versation, John was in distant field
overlooking some clearing up of new
ground when Janet in one of her fire.
quent rides came to the edge of the
clearing, and, as the fallen trees were
too thick to ride freely, she got down,
tied her horse and started across to
where John was standing on a huge log
giving directions. He did not see her
coming and she had approached within
fifty feet of him when hearing a pc
culiar, sibilant, defiant sound she
looked down, and found herself within
two feet of large rattlesnake who was
giving out his warning and preparing
to strike. The girl was brave, but the
danger was SO alarming and sudden
that she was for the moment stupefied.
Johns quick ear had heard the snakes
challenge, and looking around he took in
the situation at a glance. In the next
few seconds it looked as if he was pos
sessed of seven-league boots. Almost be-
fore Janet had realized what was hap
pening, John had landed on the snake
and ground it into the earth, and, as if
possessed with a frenzy, he continued
to stamp upon the reptile until it was
ground out of life and shape. The girl
staggered as if she would faint, but was
caught and upheld by the young man,
and in the next moment her high spirit
came to her rescue and she was her
natural self