The Press., 1902-01-16


"Well. Eph." he said sternly, '.I've
never asked you before. but now
I want you to tell me why you ran
away"
Ephraim. lingering his hat and look
! ing at his muddy shoes, said:
That's JUS what I'm gwine to do,
Marse Phil. Seem lax couldn't wait
to fix up none. JUS got to tell you
now. You know. Marse Phil" land
Uncle Eph coughed. 1--WE been KNOWN
| one 'nuther long time. You know my
nanny wah yo' black nanny. too,
an you know we done play togedder,
we did, an we hunted togedder. we
| did. an you know. Marse Phil. you
| could outride anybody in dis coun-
| try
THAT we could" broke in the colo
| nel forgetting himself for the moment,
unconscious of his role as judge of
| runaway negro and remembering only
his happy boyhood.
"Well. Marse Phil, you know in de
| fall, sah. when de sun shines sort O.
meller lax an when de muscadines an
1 x
cbestnuts am droppin, sab. jes' can't
stand it nohow. jes' 'bleeged to run
away 'Peahs lax | JUS recollect de
| time. Marse Phil. do, when you an
| me used to go possum an coon huntin',
an den atterwhile. when / take de
| chillens-an'. Lord, SIGH times as we
had! An now dey'S all married an
gone, sab. but ole Eph, he jes' have to
| take to de woods once a year an kind
o. circumnavigate 'roun', sab, jes' fell
de ole times, sab. I'ze pow'ful sorry to
| discommode you, Marse Phil, but | toll
dat trif1in' Joe how to TEX keer O. de
| bosses, sab. an | jeS' has to go, MarSe
Phil, + jes' has to-"
The colonel had turned and was look
ing out of the window. He did not
speak at once.
| From the distant cabins came the
| plaintive echo of Il lullaby sung by a
black nanny to curly headed picka-
ninny. The gold of evening was melt
ing into the purple glow of twilight,
and the air was balmy and sweet. To
| the colonel there came the memory of
| days, long ago, when he had seen and
| felt all this so keenly, when the young
blood coursed through his veins warm
ed by the fire of youth and when all ma
ture seemed but to be speaking words
| of welcome, inviting him to come forth
| and revel in it's beauties.
'Well, Eph,'' he finally said, 81 have
| one request to make of you. When you
feel like running away again, | want
you t., tell me. and I'll go with YOU"
"You go. Marse Phil. sho' huff? All
right. sab I'll tell you. sah.''
| The colonel turned and took up his
paper. Don't forget" he commanded.
K shall expect you to tell roe." And
| the interview was ended.
There We're wild rumors afloat among
the negroes as to the punishment Uncle
Eph was to receive for running away,
but Uncle Eph himself maintained a
dignitied silence. lie sedately drove
the colonel and his wife to church and
through the country lanes to the houses
where they attended the big dinners
and teas. The subject was never again
mentioned by the two old playmates.
The year passed by and Indian sum-
mer again threw her shimmering blue
mantle over the distant mountains, and
the leaves became golden and red and
brown. One night the colonel sat late
at his study table. He was writing to
his lawyer. He was tired, and somehow
1t seemed task to him tonight. Sud
denly he heard soft footsteps in the
hall
Who could it be? His wife had re-
tired and Rob, the only son at home,
had gone with his young wife to a
country ball and would not be home for
hours. The door was gently pushed
open, and there appeared the woolly
head and ebony face of Uncle Eph.
'I'ze ready, sah," he said In a sepul-
chral whisper.
Ready" inquired the colonel in
amazement. For moment he had for
gotten the compact of a year ago, but
only for ii moment. He pushed aside
the tedious letter and looked up at Eph
expectantly. Yes, we's ready, sah,"
said Eph again. Its mighty fine
night, sab. fZe got de guns, sab, an
some meal an coffee an bacon, an
lay we ken be right smaht ways off
by mawnin' if we step lively, Marse
rhil."
Eyes," said the colonel, and he step
ped out OH the veranda. How beauti-
full everything looked in the moonlight!
The balmy October air of the south
| was like Il caress. The woods seemed
to beckon them. Philip Randolph, the
boy, could not withstand the tenpta-
| ton. Grasping his hat, he looked at
Eph, as he had done years before, when
he waited for him to tell him when to
shoot.
Eph looked back at him, picked up a
sack that was lying OH the steps, then
took UP the guns. ".-.#
"De Parker woods is mighty 'ticin'.
| sah," he said.
"Yes," repeated the colonel and fol-
lowed him down the avenue. A few
noments later and their figures were
lost to view in the dense shade of the
| woods. -
Both the colonel and Eph had run
|