The National tribune., 1903-12-10
OLD SQUIRE.
Continued from first page.)
wat dat mean, Mahsta -

We'll. I'll tell you, if you'll just give
| me good attention. Yon know that IL is
a very bad number. don't you?'
| ..Yassa, l done heahed about dat, and
| l done seed it. too
And you know that Friday is a bad
day. Now, there were great many men
who had bad luck on that Friday-but
| there were great many men VINO nau
coed luck. You see when 13 and Friday
come together, the signs fall on other men.
Understand!
Squire shook his head: he did not un-
derstand: as to that, neither did Lacy. but
he was resolved to make Squire easy and
to overwhelm that corpse robber, in case
the old man should ever tell him this tale.
Lacy shelled corn: Clear off level
place, Squire-,about yam-there, thatll
rows for you to plant corn in; now plant
seven grains in the first rowan inch or
so apart no, don't cover them.
Now, we begin on Friday; one grain for
Friday, one for Saturday, and so on. How
many days in o week. Squire
"Seb'n, sab; seb'n days in ev'y week.
in each row; there!''
Squire had succeeded in obeying orders;
the sweat stood on his face as though ne
were indeed planting corn in the warm
Springtime.
Now, Squire, l lay this stick doEvn at
the end Of these rows, and We'll say 1t
fence: now what day do We call all these
grains next to the fence|
"Ev'y one o dem grains hit STAINS feh
Friday sah.'
Are you sure?'
"Yassah, 'scusin' / amt done mex Il
misscount an amt got seb'n in ev'y row;
but den, Mahsta, we don't plant Gavin dat
away"
How so? What's wrongY'
1--WE don't tuhn roun' an walk back to
de cend. Mahsta. We dess keeps avn
right aroun' dis away" showing with his
black finger that when the planter ends a
row he begins the next one at the point
opposite.
"Oh. yes, know that Squire; but we
are supposing that we plant this field in
the other way. You understand
.Yassah. l know wat shu mean; ev'y
Gavin at de fence hit stan feb FRIDAY
lleastways eff de amt no misscOunt."
Better count over, and see if they are
right: it won't do to make the least mis-
take Squirrel
When the negro had proved the work,
Lacy continued What church do your
people belong to, Squire
my mahsta. sab? De family? Dey
b'longs to dc 'Piscopal ciluhch, sah."
Better than Lacy had hoped for; II
would probably save him some labor OF ex,
planation.
'.Do you know when Good Friday came
this year?
NO, sab, Gaze l waun't at home den,
an in de ahmy dey don't keep much count
o dem days, Mahsta."
do you remember where you were on
Easter Sunday|'
"Yassah. l 'membeh we WIS in camp
down dab mos to de Rapidan."
Eyes. so was l. Well, how many days
is Good Friday before Easter!
i .'Dey is Good Friday, and den Sadday
an den Easteh Sunday, Mahsta."
Now l want you to go and ask Miss
Jennie what day of the month Good Fri
day fell on this year. and don't say any
thing else; don't let her into our plot al
all"
Squire went and returned. Miss Jimmie
she say hit come on de thihd o Apl, sab. :
Yes. ! was hoping so, but l wanted to
:, be sure. How many days IN April
SquireT'
The old man clenched his fist and began
to count. His system was that which be
gins at the forefnger and calls it the first
month: the hollow between the fingers the
second month: the knuckle Of the middle
finger, the third month; the hollow, the
"Jinooa'y, long; Febooa'y, shawl
Mahcl,, long; ApI, shawl. Hits shawl
month, sab: APIS shawl mont"
Thirty days, then:"
"Yassah. all dem shawl mOnts is thilty
days. 'scusin' FebOoa'y.'
well. l see you know thing or two
Squire. Now begin here at this first grain
it stands for Good Friday. the third OF
April; and you count on till you get to the
first Of May"
Squire counted. deeply interested in this
exercise, wondering wl!ereunto it tended
yet hopeful.
"Dis Gavin, hits on de fust O. May
sah.'
"And is May short or long?'
Hits long, sab.
"Then count 81, and halt on the first
of June. Now be careful, or you'll spoi
everything
"Yassah / sho' gwine to go slow an gil
7 'em right. Dish heah cawn he gwine to be
de fust o June
"And is June short or long"
Hits a shawl mont, sab, Gaze Mays
a long 'un.''
Yes; now count up to the first of July.
Squire counted and halted his finger.
"Now we're getting right at the truth
hold your finger on that first OF July, anc
look at me- What day of the week wa.
the fourth of July?"
Hit come on Sadday, sab: dat was
, de ve'y day attteh de day l done ben il
dat scrape wat ben tellin' you bout.
Then the day of the fight was the
third of July?"
"Yassah, Gaze de mex day hit wus d.
fon'th."
Exactly so: now what day do we cal
all these days at the fenceW
Friday. sab. an | see dish heah is de
sec0n' an dish heah Is de thihd; an III
: Friday, too, Gaze he at de eend o de row
How come dat, Mahsta!'
"Why, you knew beforehand that tn,
third of July was Friday"
"Yassah. / knowed it, but hit dom
seem lax / knowed it befo'e."
Now put peg down here-there b.
the third OF July so. Nov
, come back here to Good Friday
yes Now, what number was that W,
spoke of-that bad luck number tina
works wrong sOmetimes!"
Thirteen, sah."
: Every well; now, count all these Fri
, days, and tell me how many weeks tier,
were from Good Friday, till the third OF
July"
When Squire. trembling moro and NOR
!. as he proceeded. had made out that hi
! portentous day had fallen just 13 week
0 after Good Friday, his allazemen
was so great that for time he had NJ
:. speech. That Lacy was man special.
q favored of supernatural powers there coul,
7 be no doubt man who could thus
I without knowing the day on which Squir
. had been Called state the condition
!, which would prove that CALI intende'
e for another, and then show that these con
] ditions had existed at the time. was some
: thing far beyond tho reach OF his reason
Il though not beyond his faith. When a
a last he opened mis- mouth to speak, Lac
o prevented him.
j Come with me, Squire Lieut.. Nor