Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-07
HAPTER TX.
NE SEES A GHOST

.
espied across the plain moving speck.
and he chucked his coattails up and
down in expectancy of a scene.
The wagon came on slowly. Waldo
lay curled among the sacks at the back
of the wagon, the hand in his breast
resting on the sheep shearing machine.
1t was finished now. The right thought
had struck him the day before as he
sat, half asleep. watching the water
60 over the mill wheel. He muttercd
to himself, with half closed eyes:
Tomorrow smooth the cogs, tighten
the screws little, show it to them"
Then after a pause, "Over the whole
world, the whole world-mine, that
have made." He pressed the little
wheels and pulleys in his pocket till
they cracked. Presently his muttering
became louder ''And E50-a black lat
for my datlda. for I.yndall n blue silk,
very light, and one purple, like the
earth bells, and white shoes. y HeGu,u1-
tered on. "a box full, fun of books
They shall tell me all. all. all, 3; he ads
Ell, moving his fingers desiringly-
why the crystals grow in such be;l,i,i-
full shapes, why lightning runs to, the
iron, why black people are black, why
the sunlight makes things warm.
shall read, read, .read," he muttcrcd
slowly. Then came over him suddenly
what he called "the presence of God"
sense of good, strong something
folding him round. He smiled through
his half shut eyes. .Ah, Father, my
own Father, it is so sweet to feel you,
like the warm sunshine! The Bibles
and books cannot tell of you and all l
feel you. They are mixed with mems
words, but YOU
His muttering sank into inaudihle
confusion till, opening his eyes wide.
it struck him that the brown plain he
looked at was the old home farm. For
half an hour they had been riding in it,
and he had not known it. He reused
the leader. who sat nodding Oh the
front of the wagon in the early morn
ing sunlight. They were within half a
mile of the homestead. 1t seemed TO
him that lie had been gone from them
y
Lyndall standing on the brick wall to
watch for him, his father, passing from
one house to the other, stopping to
look.
He called aloud to the oxen For
each one at home he had brought
something his father piece of to-
bacco. bought at the shop by the mill;
for En- a thimble, for Lyndall h bear
tiful flower dug out by the roots at a
place where they had "outspannet.
for Tant' Sannie handkerchief When
they drew near the house, he threw
the whip to the Kafffr leader and
sprang from the side of the wagon to
run on. Ronaparte stopped him as he
ran past the ash heap.
Good morning, my dear boy Where
are you running to so fast with your
rosy cheeks?"
The boy looked up at him, glad even
to see Bonaparte.
81 am going to the cabin" he snid,
out of breath.
"You won't find them in just now
not your good old father" said Bona
parte.
where is he?" asked the lad.
"There, beyond the camps" said
Bopaparte, waving his hand oratorical-
ly toward the stone walled ostrich
camps.
what is he doing there?" asked the
boy.
Bonaparte patted him on the cheek
kindly.
Eve could not keep him any more.
1t was too hot. We've buried him,
my boy" said Bonaparte. touching
with his finger the boys cheek. 1--WE
couldn't keep him any more. He, he,
her laughed Bonaparte as the boy fed
away along the low stone wall, almost
furtiyely, as one in fear.
At 8 o'clock Bonaparte knelt before
box in the Germans room. He was
,bus1y unpacking it.
1t had been agreed upon between
Tant' Sannie and himself that now the
German was gone he (Bonaparte) was
to be no longer schoolmaster, but over
seer Of the farm. In return for his