The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-04-07
AN AWAKENING.
by PAUL DANDY.
Copyright, 1871

copyright, 1871
II was the building of the Juniata,
slatertovn & Mercerville railroad that
woke up Hank Black, but it was a
lew words said by a girl that he
thought a good deal of at that time
that first disturbed his sleep, so to
speak. / happened to be in Graham's
store, over in Slatertown, when Hank
was disturbed, and i heard the disturb
ing words.
II was one Saturday night in August,
some 12 years ago, Graham's store was
crowded. inside and out. There must
have been 40 or so in the store in front
of the counters and twice as many on
the sidewalk, waiting their turn to go
in and buy. Behind the counters, be-
sides Hanl, Black, Graham himself was
working away in his shirtsieeves, Mrs.
Graham was helping the best she could,
and then there was Lucetta Allen, Mrs.
Graham's unmarried sister.
1t was close that night outside
seemed as if the heat from the sunshine
OF a mighty hot midsummer day had
kind of got tangled up in the air like
and inside twas worse, for there was
half a dozen kerosene lamps burning
and the room was full of smoke from
cheap cigars and clay pipes. Inside and
outeveryb odywas talking, mostly about
nothing at ALL as folks do when they
goto the store, and l.ucetta was pouring
out some aniline dye while Hank
was tying up sugar. was standing by
the counter close to Hank and Lucetta,
when she said, suddenly:
There he is, Hank; and be is some
body. He can do things. You'd best
look hard at him and see man for
once in your life"
Hank turned quick and upset the dye
into the sugar barrel, and / got so in
terested in the mixup that ! only got
glimpse of the chap the girl referred to.
He didn't look to be much of a man to
me, and should never have given him 4
second thought, only for what I'd
heard Lucetta say, though he did look
different from the Slatertown young
men. He was one of the civil engineers
that was laying out the new railroad.
Hank was so busy then that he didn't
find out much about the chap till the
next day, and then Lucetta told him.
Like most young fellows in Slater
town, Hank had spry young horse
aud a buggy. Every Sunday after
noon he used to take Lucetta out in
the buggy, and the next day he took
Der out as usual. Now, it SO happened
that this was the day he had fixed on
to say something very particular to the
young woman, and they hadn't gone
very far before he said it. l don't know
the language he used, but it amounted
to asking her to marry him, though he
took an awful long time to do it, and
Lueetta, who was bound not to say n
word till he had finished, thought he'd
never stop. l know pretty nearly what
she said to him, for she told me that
very night, she being my cousin, and
celng something like an older brother
to her.
i just turned and looked at him a
little while, Cousin Jim, and then told
MIN something.
Hank Black 1 said, you ought to
De ashamed OF yourself. You want to
wake up before you ask any girl to
marry you
Hank seemed good deal surprised,
and then l said, further:
You think you are dong we'll be-
cause you're clerk in Graham's store,
'ne biggest in Slatcrtown,. and the
whole valley, for that matter, and you
ieei sort of rich because you've got
Morse and buggy and little money in
Tue savings bank and your wages have
oeen raised from $500 year to $26
month, All that seems worth while to
you But that young chap that came
mo The store last night earns almost
10 much in a month as you do in a
year. and he isn't any brighter than
YOU either. Hes awake, though. He
Is man in the world. But you-you
hole.'
i, "hen | got that far" the girl con-
ahued' Hank braced up long enough
" ask me if thought the young en-
sineer better looking or better natured
= nan ne was. But | wouldn't crafty
~ nlm by telling him what l thought on
nose points, and l didn't say much
"ore about anything. If had I'd have
uieu, so just asked him to drive home;
and he did, without ever sneakino
word"
when Lucetta had finished telling me
soout her talk with Hank / asked her
y explain herself. But she made no
tsapianatlon. She just turned a pair Of
Ss' blazing eyes on me, and said if |
"an,ea to make out that was as stupid
= = hank might try it, but she knew
Next day Hank quit. He said he'd
ss su enough elerking 1t in HIS" and
~ Graham to find another man
n' away. Then Hank did what l
ougnt was the dumbest thing he was
, Yer guilty of. He never said good-by
~. .ucetta, but he went and hunted up
.as' engineer and asked him if he didn't
"snt TO hire chairman.
me engineer looked Hank over and
ssAea MN if his horse and buggy
mOu,a go with him. Hank said it
i, TUG, q and was hired on the spot. That
~ ,assed Hank most year. during
An ne worked like a slave for two
liars q day, dragging chain and do
~ sorts of odd jobs for the engi-
ss M, haaling him around in the buggy,
,sa ss'ually lending his rig for the en-
ssses raw 10 take Lucetta driving Rut
h.. once did Hank himself speak or
=" T" aes again. BE didn't even let on