The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-15

a last vicious clutch. they parted, as
by unspoken agreement, and sat down,
painting and sweating, but still full of
fight.
II lay Bunch do him de mex clinch,"
Gran said eXultantly, nodding at Hi
Elan. Hi growled contemptuously:
Bet We dam new boots I dest now
done bought he don't" 1t was like a
spark in dry grass-bets broke out all
round about. Cleggett risked a gross of
fire-crackers on Bunch, saying strictly
to himself it was a good bet if he lost
it-them Bleckley niggers were by long
odds the thriftiest anywhares around,
and thar trade the best with havin'.
Lew Page, the bookkeeper, backed the
Prophet still more recklessly. So did
Mr.. Whitefeld, the Prophets school
master, whom even the elevating in
fluences of a course at Fiske univer-
sity had not been able to rid of sport
ing tendencies.
Before the second round began, Ned,
inside the deserted counting room, had
the telephone wire humming it's best.
The Hillhurst line, though but a ram
shackle single track affair, was yet
a branch of a great system, the M. &
l.. Indeed, it had been built, and very
iil-built by subscription, as an inde-
PCHOClll ChtCA III ISCs W Give liNC III al
folk competing outlet. Hence 1t ran
pretty much any way but straight.
The NJ. & L. had let the building go
on-then bought, first the roads pro-
jectors, then the road itself. Later
some few things had been straighten-
ed-finances, freight rates, and the
worst of the curves. But Hillhurst
trains still connected with those of the
Q. & ", a competing system 80 miles
away. On the face of things the two
systems had an iron-clad agreement
as to rates. In practice, each cut un-
der the other as often and as much
as was safe, this of course only to very
big shippers. Small ones would have
proved that both lines adhered to pub
lished schedules to the satisfaction of
any court in Christendom.
About the heaviest shipper of the
countryside was George Washington
Monroe, Esq. who put up tobacco to
the extent of two thousand hogsheads
every year. He had also fifteen hum
dred acres, rich and well-tllted, and,
as a result. many head of fat stock.
much wheat and corn, not to name
smatters of fruit, eggs, poultry and
butter. Indeed, his place, Wakefield,
had fostered struggling village, of its
own name. The village lay all along
the turnpike just outside the Monroe
gates. 1t was 10 miles off any railway
and thirty miles from Hillhurst. Since
the two systems had a traffic arrange-
ment, whichever of them secured the
Wakefield freightage, shipments be-
gan over the Hillhurst line.
George Washington Monroe, Esq,
had a black namesake, his sometime
body servant living in the Hillhurst
neighborhood. Uncle Wash had come
Christmasing along with the rest of
the word had asked for mail, got a
letter, and after opening 1t had
fetched it back to Ned, saying plain
lively: please, sub, read dat-hit done
stumped ev'y, one err dem free-school
niggers, clean and clur." Ned, thus
adjured, had read tin spite of a
qualm or so after the first line. This
is your Marse Georges letter-the man
who sent it got the postoffice wrong"
he said to the black man, as he refold-
ed the sheet: IF you don't mind, I'll