Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-09

was thin-looking negro, with a long face
and mouth that was always laughing. He
would have been very tall, but he stooped
tritie and there was a limp to his walk
One of his feet dragged slightly, but he wa
nlmole as a squirrel for all that. His clothes
were wet, but not muddy. He hit his wool
hat against the side of the chimney. and il
left its damp print. He looked at the chill
dren and pointed to the wet place 81 tuck
it's dagarrytype," he said. Johnny Banter
had once lived in town, and his adventures
there, as he made them out would have
hlled book; and at times, they were in
| teresting.
Il hope you all been we'll" said John
Bapter; I'm sorter middin' peart myself" !"
'Whar yo' been?" asked JENNY.
Kinder ee-Sawin' 'roun', follering' de
bans, an keepin' off de boogers."
"Yo' didn't go wild um?"
Noun; not me; seed dey had plenty
comp'ny. Mo- dan dat, / seed um hit oil
| man Fountain dar whack er two, an
lowed Dat ez dey done come dis fur an no.
body amt hurt um maybe dey'd git long all
| right. Dey amt offer me no money fer ter
go long and take keer un um. l wuz over
oar at de camps las night, an l see mig
! gers fightin' over scraps, an hear cbillun
cryin' fer bread after de lights done put oil,
| ~ WV Lii'b ~ un, tlOMuy, ana ROOQlDy, an
wish yo' mighty well. What mo- kin a
niger do?"
Oats So" sighed JENNY. "Whar dc
balance er our folks?"
"Oh dey'll come back in de due time -
said Johnny Bapter laughing. "One'H turr
back at one branch, an one at anudder an
dem what don turn back at de branch will
sho' turn back at de river Dey'll all be
home TO- de weeks out"
Buster John and Sweetest Susan listened
to all this, but said nothing. Their mind
hardly grasped the problem with which th
negroes were wrestling They were free 1
they went away. Would they be free /
they stayed? 1t was a very serious mat
! ter.
'What dey gwne to do when dey com,
| back?" JENNY asked.
Work" exclaimed Fountain. Eyes
Lord work from sun-up to sun-down."
"An' dey free too?" suggested JENNY
She wanted to get at the bottom of tn,
matter
Johnny Bapter laughed "Why, in towr
whar | stayed, de free white folks work
harder dan niggers. De clerks in de sto
come rushin' ter dinner, an fling der hat!
on cheer snatch a moufiie er vlttles an
rush out, wussn ef de overseer wuz hol
rs dat so?" replied JENNY.
'Des like / tell yo'," said Johnny Bapter
"Ive looked at it up an down." re
marked Fountain, "an' it's dis away-d
man what eats honest bread is got ter work
Dat what de bible say; maybe not in den
words"
1T sho' is So" remarked Johnny Bapte
laughing. "Ill work all day an half d.
night, but / don't wanter hear no bugle
blow"
Just then Big Sal, who had fixed up he
hair and was quite presentable, having pu
on her Sunday clothes, came into the cabil
and stood over against the fireplace.
"Wuz dey many er we-all wild dem a
white folks ?" she asked.
''Well'um, / should sesso!" exclaimed
Fountain; too many. lots too many; NOR,
den dey'll find rashuns fur eff amt might!
much mistaken"
What dey all gwine long fur?" askeC
Big Sal.
"Dey er feared ef dey stay at home dey
won't be free. Now, how bout dat?" sug-
gested Fountain.
'Why, grandfather and pap both say the
negroes are free whether they go or stay
said Buster John. Grandfather says he