The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-28
Welt" said Sam, 81 never would

Welt" said Sam, 81 never would
have thought of that"
"Of course, you wouldn't said she.
Then, speaking very kindly, she said,
1T would be useless, lem, for me to
tell you about MYSELF 1 will tell you,
however, this much. / am the Witch
of the Wabash and you have seen the
best of me, and you can pray that you
never see the worst"
"All right, ma am | WILL" said Sam,
land good-by, ma'am, take good care
of yourself and you must come and
see u.s."
Il WILL" said she. II will, indeed:
for you've got lots of sense, Sam,
though you don't look it,"
Then she moved off and Sam went
his way and never looked back.
But the Witch of the Wabash was
just trying him, to see If he really
meant what he said about not taking
pay. So she followed and handed Sam
handful of popcorn. She knew 1t
would make him feel uncomfortable to
give him money.
Now Sam had better looking popcorn
hung on the rafter at home, but he did
not say so. Instead, he thanked the
Witch, as if it were money. There are
plenty of boys who would have thrown
that corn away; but Sam kept it be-
cause it was a gift. He wrapped IL
the picture of George Washington,
where he kept all his treasures.
Next evening when Sam was eat
ing his corn broad and milk he told
his mother about the Witch, just as
he would tell of tree falling in
twist and getting lodged, or of bee
tree.
His mother laughed at him, and
said he should not tell such tales. But
h c fu fhap let anI
told the story.
Sam" said he, lets have look
at the corn
He held 1t in his hand and fingered
1t. He counted the grains, and thMre
were an even so. Next he put the
grains in the skillet, raked hot Goals
on the hearth and placed the pan on
top.
Crackety crack! Crack! Pop! Rattle!
Crack! went the corn, and when 1t
stopped popping and the skillet cover
was lifted, Sam and his mother near
ly fell into the fire with surprise. It
was lucky Willie held the skillet in
stead of Sans mother; she surely
would have dropped 1t, and some of
the paper bills would have fallen into
the fire. Yes, sir! Paper money! Ev-
cry grain had popped into a new one
hundred dollar bill! And the skillet
Sans father never acted as If he
were at all surprised, but took one bill
at time and smoothed 1t on hZs knee.
Then he took the bundle in his left
hand, wetted the fingers of his right,
and counted them. There We're fifty
one-hundred dollar bills.
How much is that, Sammy" asked
his father.
Sam got his slate and pencil and fig-
ured and figured. His mother looked
over his shoulder, breathing hard. Sam
sucked his pencil and marked off the
ciphers as his teacher had shown him.
Now | have 1t, pa" said he. ITS
five thousand dollars"
We'll! Well!' was all his mother
could say.
His father said nothing, but got
down an empty shot bag, tied the
bills carefully in a roll and dropped
them in the bag,
Willie sent Sam. to one school after
another, each one bigger and better
than the last. He bought him books
and books, also good clothes, and, in
fact, Willie spent all Of that money on
Sam.
tits his he used to say. every last
cent of it,
However. he kept enough of 1t to
buy two great hounds. And he called
one Taller (Tallow for his COLOR and
the other Sock.