The evening times., 1898-04-18

he plowed or hoed In the cabin it
might any time be found squatting
beside his splint- -bottomed chair. The
gander seemed, indeed, to develop an
almost human understanding, for
when, once or twice, hunger so pressed
the old people that they talked Of eat
ing the product of the Easter egg, it
scurried off and kept out of sight for
several days.
Meantime, the adopted child, Jo-
Jim, had grown up lazy, ill-contrived,
ungrateful. He had stolen money from
Col. Tolstone, who, for the sake of the
good old people, had refrained from
committing the boy to be sentenced
to the penitentiary. When that year,
after the boys theft, the Easter basket
came as before, Rebie and Meek felt
that love and loyalty to master and
mistress should, If possible, be greater
in their hearts than before.
JOHN was, like the Easter gander,
given to wandering off; but from these
trips he was not welcomed with joy.
He was surly, abusive, even threaten
ing to his foster parents. He had, In
his last wandering away, stayed two
whole years and all this time Meek
felt that the strong box chained to the
bed post was safer than when JOHN
had been about the cabin.
The Easter basket was this year
looked for with wore than usual pleas
ure. Bad crops and the low price of
cotton had made the times very hard
for the people of the South. Many
nights that Winter Meek and Reb:e
had gone hungering to bed.
Ii was Easter eve now, and no tur-
key had come from the Tolstone House.
The old people felt forsaken and fur-
lorn as they shivered over their
smouldering logs. 1t was the first
time master hau forgotten them since
the surrender, and now they needed
help badly.
Now and then in his misery Meek
looked furtively and uneasily toward
the box chained to the bed post. The
guardianship of that box had grown
heavier year by year, yet he felt that
he must be true to his word to old mas
ter, and not give ii over to young mas
ter, who was now himself fifty-eiSht
years old, until he should plainly need
ii most And how could Neck imagine
want of any sort at Tolstone House.
But Neck had reasons of his own for
being very anxious TO deliver to mas
ter that strong box.
He had of late noted about the cabin
tracks of persons who had never come
in. He suspected that Jo-Jim was re-
prowling about his old home. Meek re-
called with grief and fear JOHNS
never-allayed curiosity concerning the
contents of the box. He sighed great
deal by his fireside, and kept his old
pistol loaded.
Dusk was settling down when tramp
ing hoofs reused the old couple by the
fire. and then at last come the long
looked-for basket from Tolstone House.
But such a small bsket
You see," said the boy, who brought
the basket times are hard wild us.
Been gettin' hard long time. Us amt
got no turkey ourselves; sold all our
turkeys to git Mister Lewis home from
de college at Sewanee. He gotter go TO
clerking at Mister Jenkins store in
town at ten dollars a month. Dis ole
place gwine be sold mortgage sale next
month. I'm leaVin' next week. Colonel
say he amt able to keep no servants
Leaving the poor little present, a
package Of tea crackers and robin
pie. the boy was off before the old
couple had reused themselves from the
shock of his news.
Real want at Tolstone House, The
place was their ideal of all that was
rich, beautiful and generous. They
both sat silent awhile, casting solicit
Gus elances at the robin PIE and tea
cakes.
Hits time fer ole masters box"
murmured Meek Marry a turkey on
Tolstone table Easter
DE place to be sold"
Turkeys from de Tolstone flock
peddled on de streets in dat town.
DE boys schoolin done, and he des
nfteen.'
Maybe deem have boiled chicken
tomorrow, and maybe dee won't have
dat
DE boy clerkin' for his grandpas s
overseer's SON"
There was a long pause. then Rebie
said: "A young, tender goose amt bad
eatin'"
Now. though Easter. as they called
him, might, as the ages of geese go.
be expected To have many year be-
fore him, yet he could by no means be
called young and tender, but so he
seemed to these fond old people.
Fer young masters sake" muir
INJURED Meek. tenderly stroking the
gander's white head, as Easter Kissed
softly and upturned a questioning
pink-rimmed eye.
Il done had more hunger dis year
dan / knowed dar was in de world.
declared Meek. but i amt say kill
Easter yit. fer myself. Us can't Kill
him; us MIST take him ter de ole place
live: lis kin hurry home and let dem
kill him."
us can put him live in a basket
and start by soon daylight"
Il must carry dat box TO young mas
ter
You tote de box. I'll tote de gos-
lin
Latterly Meck's uneasiness over the
box had kept him wakeful; but that
night the knowledge that he was so
soon to get rid of the great despons-
ibility acted like a sedative on the
weary old brain. Not even the tramp
ing and complainings of de goslin',"
tied in the cabin by the foot, lest he
should wander off in the old way at
talk of eating, could keep the old man
awake.
Old Rebie. however, kept awake as
long as the pet of the household re-
mained restless, and it was late ere
she. too. sank into heavy slumber.
But at midnight both old people were
shaken roughly from their slumbers by
a loud note of terror from Easter
Oats dat gander! Kill him." said
muffied voice in the cabin.
Then Easter set up a wild shrieking
is you got hold de box? Hits chained
to de bed post.
Easter shrieked again.
"Lausy me, Rebie, what all dat crit
ter"
Hit des don't like de string
But Neck, through all Casters
screaming, heard the rattle of chain.
Instantly he snatched the old pistol
from his pillow, and cooked it with a
loud click.
Lord, have mercy on me-" groaned
Neck, but if you was my own son I'd
kill you if you got dat box. If 1 don't
see you git empty-handed out dat do