Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-01

to their mother and to their grandfather
The White-Haired Master, who never al
lowed any one to kill or pursue the gray
squirrels on his place. took the liveliest in
terest in Fit. He took him to the library
sent for some ginned cotton, and made him
nest behind some books on the top shelf
which was not too high for the children to
climb to; and there, for many a long day,
he made his home.
The library was in room that had not
been originally built for holding books and
the shelves We're built against a window
the back of them being boxed in at that
point Fit soon discovered that there was
a broken pane behind this boxing, which
gave him an easy way of going out and
coming in. He went out and in to so much
purpose that he soon brought a wife home
and before the summer was over he had a
very interesting family composed of his
wife and four plump children-the wonder
and delight of Sweetest Susan, and, in
deed, of all who saw them. Mrs. Fit was
shy at first, and insisted on scrambling out
in great haste when Buster John or Sweet
est Susan came to see the little ones, but
she soon grew accustomed to these visits.
The four young ones were as tame as kit
tens from the first and remained So and 1t
was sometimes amusing to see them sWoop
down from the top shelf to the head Of
some unsuspectng visitor who had been
carried to the library, where the White
Haired Master transacted all his business.
Sometimes the wives of the neighboring
posely asked into the library by one or
the other of the children. They never
failed to utter wild screams when they
found wild thing about the size of big
rat running about over their heads and
shoulders.
Incidentally, the children learned one in
teresting fact in natural history from Fit
They had heard or had read, that squirrels
store up nuts for winter use. But when
they mentioned this, Fits surprise was
great.
why, what nonsense" he chirped. an
cold weather We find plenty on the ground
under the leaves, and in the trees, too. We
bury them for use in summer, before the
acorns and nuts are ripe but we don't need
them much after the whiskers begin to
grow on the roasting ears in the fields
When the weather is very, very cold we
sleep, and nobody gets hungry when
asleep"
After so long a time, the voice of Aunt
Minervy Ann was heard, calling the chill
dren. She had been around to the quar-
tiers, saying goodbye to the negroes she
found there, and sending farewells to those
who were absent. Major Tumlin Perdue,
her former master, and Miss Vallie, her
town, and town was great place in Aunt
Minervy AIMS imagination. To go there
to live was something wonderful; she
didn't feel at all certain that any of her
old friends would ever see her again, and
she said so, shaking her head solemnly
You see me now an you better look at
me good kaze | dunno when you'll see me
any mo When you tell OF Aunt Mineryy
Ann Perdue goodbye now 1t may be fer de
las time. Mars Tumlin an Miss Vallie
g-wine, an I'm bleeze to go wild UNI fer ter
keep up de name er de family. dunno
nothin tail about desc town dOn's; dey
may wipe up, er dey may wipe me
down er dey may wipe me off'n de face err
de yeth; but you kin put yo' pen'ence in
one ting: or Minervy Ann Perdue will be
dar whites de wipin' gwine on. You kin
lay your las thrip on dat"
Having told the negroes goodbye in this
solemn manner, Aunt Minervy Ann now
came to tell the white folks farewell. And
first she called for Buster John and Sweet
est Susan; but the children would not hear
insisted that Aunt Minervy Ann should stay
to dinner and tell them a story. She pro-
test ed, and they insisted. Finally, driven
into a corner, she exclaimed:
EFF you tell me 'Zackly how / cotch dat
ar flynn squirt III stay an tell you tale
ter happen wild Marse Tumlin If it had
"a been a sho huff damon mine But you
got ter tell me de fust pop; no guessin'."
Tell her, brother said Sweetest Susan.
well" remarked Buster John, two
hawks We're after the squirrel. he was on
and then the other You came along
through the field and saw the hawks, and
drove them away. Then you saw Fit and
picked him up and carried him home
Aunt Mlnervy Ann made a wild gesture
of alarm. ''Whar my things? Whar my
basket? I'm gwine way fun here. 1 amt
gwine ter stay whar witcherInents gwne
on in de broad light er day! CT me my
basket an femme go'
But the children knew she was only pre-
tending. So they chung to her. and insisted
Find Part XIII1