The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-18

,bsrA Leonard was blowing, and the
s,r seemed quivering with molten heat
eates The ground was dry, for it
Ma been a long time since it had
r,ined, and the cultivator dragged
/ ,,stilv along between the corn rows.
u was tedious and uninviting work,
and occasionally the boy halted the
| .,oro took off a broad brimmed, faded
straw hat, and wiped his wet forehead
with the sleeve of his hickory shirt.
u was a sturdy boy, tanned to deep
brovn by wind and sun. In his eyes
there was intelligence, and in the sweep
If his Jaw lurked determination. His
f.tbar was a renter and farmed 100
| acres for two-thirds of the crop. 1t
was billy land in a Western state, and
stubborn soil TO extract a living from.
All of Sam Bogg's boys worked, and
| len" as he was called, did his full
| share. This day, bare-footed. he was
| altivating corn, blowing between the
rows to destroy weeds and stir up the
soil for the benefit of the growing corn.
AT the far end of the field lay the
mike" as it was called, a broad road
leading to town. Rtchville. was a pre-
tentious little city, boasting of a fine
college and quite a population. Where
the pike turned at the corner of the
field there was clump of willows and
a gravel bank, and out of that gravel
bank winter and summer, spring
bubbled up. 1t was the finest water
for miles around, famous as the low
ground spring" The boy wiped his
damp brow again and clucked the team
forward, thinking of the spring and a
sun-dried gourd hanging on a stub of
one Of the willows. When he got to
the fence "Ras" Ellison was there get
ting a drink. "Ras" was the neighbor-
hood wit. and his first salutation was:
Hello Len! My! but you do look
cool and comfortable The boys face
was red from the heat and .perspira-
ton was tricking down his sunburned
throat and back of his ears. His home
spun suspenders held down his hick-
ory shirt and his blue jeans "overalls"
were turned up above his dusty feet.
His straw hat was dripping and he
was fairly aglow with the heat. But
he merely said: Yes, 1 feel like a Gu
eumber in the shade. but you look
hot Ras.' The latter chuckled and
then, as the sound of wheels came
around the turn Of the road, he sus-
pended the gourd in its journey to his
mouth and looked around
A carriage whirled past. drawn by
two bright bay horses, and in il sat a
tall, fne-looking man, dressed in black.
He wore stove-pipe hat, and to the
boy he seemed like a being from an
other world 1t was scarcely a minute
between the coming and going of this
vision but ii was a sharp contrast to
the clods ard monotony Of his work.
Ras" drank the contents of the gourd
handed the gourd to the boy and re-
parked: President of the college
Why don't you quit blowing Len, and
ut to be president of a college?"
'B'lieve ! win said the boy, stout
y Ras' broke out into a g7lffaw as
amounted his pony and Hoped"
iEay, looking back at the dust-be-
gmed and forlorn figure of the lad
But the careless sarcasm had flung a
possibility into the boys mind and it
had taken root. President of a COL
ege He grinned scoffingly to himself
lot moment before rinsing the sand
rom his mouth, preparatory to taking
draught from the gourd. But Uncle
Henry was a scholar. he had heard
say and his mother was a great read
En- thrill succeeded the smile of in
Gedulty, and the iron of resolution
sltened his shoulders and almost un-
consciously Strengthened him as he
gasped the smooth handles of the Gull
tvator
I'll fool EN- all. see if I don't" ne
muttered TO himself. And then he be-
gan his backward trip through the
held. He remembered an old hunter
who prowled about the woods on White
nver, whose pet saying was: You
yan Keep squirrel on the ground"
applied TO everything. When Eli
Jan Low was elected sheriff Milt Beas-
" the old hunter. had merely shifted
one leg over the other and remarked:
iou can't keep a squirrel on the
ground He was out for a presidency.
ne wiped his forehead again with the
lsaed sleeve Of his hickory shirt. ''rH
snow en-. he said, defiantly. His
ahooilng up 10 this time had been
omparallVely meager, and the head
eacher had said he was smart, but did
NY seem to care much for his studies.
mar summer he worked faithfully
ana surprised his mother by the inter
~ ne suddenly took in his studies.
MlS. boggs had been fairly educated
~ Rad read good deal, and her
@UlneI the scholar" as she proudly
IaAeQ hlm. had left her quite little
noidfy Of books when he died. Leon
a. sot them out of some old boxes
the garrett and 6evoured them. He
sged time 10 go to the winter school
W me fun term and astonished the
ea1AeF ny mis- unusual diligence and
ssefness 10 learn his lessons. Arith
49,. history spelling. geography.
al 1Hs writing and grammar were
. 4e.Ned into with invincible deter
XII Non His enthusiasm knew no
p a-H Finally the teacher. John
naaa. VINO had taken great inter
No. ID nlm warned him that he was
w. 4o.ag study. He accepted the ad-
n ana commenced to give some time
pay as well as work This brought
tsrg better results. and after the
r, ,Il A1Q gone by he had advanced so
,r mat he told his acher of his
eor 9...'7 10 60 to Richville and attend
Saw Ely how viii YOU support your
1. was the question.
,s5 -l along somehow" the boy
ts you can't keep a squirrel on
lol olsht to go" was the teach
sb,,. IN talk to your father
GIe7' Was the surprise and conster-
nsr ~ NE Boggs family when Brand
ds.l eA Leonard's cause. A bitter
pre,... 2" as raised. but his mother
p.. the end and the boy went
emo. le. lie reached there with
Ae.cA 20 pay for his books and three
nos, d. His clothes were of the
nm. "-ary kind and he was very
iH average student In dress
Id nce But he was undaunt-