News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-08-12

Pole Baker paused and brushed back
his long, thick hair from his heavy
| eyebrows.
I've been a-waitin' to see eff meetin'
ever ID do you any good. Uncle Alb"
he laughed. They tell me the more
you go the wuss you git to be. Neil
/ Fillmore said tother day eff you didn't
quit shootin' off yore mouth they'd
give you trial in meetin'."
Abner laughed good naturally as he
spat over the edge of the veranda floor
to the ground.
That's been talked, know, Pole"
he said, "but they don't mean it. They
all know how to take my fun. But
you come on to meetin'. 1t will do you
good"
well, maybe WILL" promised Pole.
And he came to the steps, and, put
ting his bacon down. he bent toward
them.
IT'S powerful hard matter to know
exactly what's right an what's wrong
in some things" he said. Now, looky
heer" Thrusting his hand down into
piece of quartz rock, with lump of
yellow gold about the size of pea half
Embedded in it. "That thars puore
gold. l got it this away: A Teller that
used to be my right bower in my still
business left me when l swore off an
went over to Dalonega to work in them
mines. Tother day he-was back on a
visit, an he give me this chunk an
said he'd found it, Now, l know in
reason that he nabbed it while he was
at work, but l don't think I'd have a
right to report it to the mimi compa-
ny, an so I'm jest obleeged to receive
stolen goods. 1t amt wuth more'n a
dollar, they tell me, an I'll hang on to
it, l reckon, ruther n have laborin'
man discharged from a job. I'm tryin'
my level best to live up to the line now
an | don't know how to manage sech
a thing as that. I've come to the con-
clusion that no harm will be done no.
how, beca'se miners amt too well paid
anyway, an eff l jest keep it an don't
git no good out of it won't be in it
any more n eff I'd never got hold O. the
blamed thing"
But the law, Brother Baker" said
Dole solemnly. without the law we'd
be an awful lot O. people, an every
man ort to uphold it. Render the
things that are Caesars unto Caesar"
Poles face was blank for moment,
and Abner came to his rescue with a
broad smile and sudden laugh.
Il reckon you don't remember him,
Pole" he said. He's dead. He was a
niger that used to belong to old man
Throgmartn, in the cove. He used to
be sech an awful thief during slavery
days that it got to be a common sayin'
that everything lyin' round mought as
well be his'n, fer he'd take it sooner ur
later anyways"
"Tve heerd O. that Niger" said Pole,
much to the preachers disgust, which
grew as Pole continued: well, they
say Teller that knows the law is
broke an don't report it is as guilty as
the man who does the breakin'. Now,
Mr.. Dole, you know how come by
this nugget an eff yon want to do
your full duty you'll ride over to Dalo-
mega an report it to the right parties.
| can't afford the trip
Abner laughed out at this and then
forced serious look on his face.
That's what you rally ort to do,
Brother Dole" he said. Them Caesars
over thar nd appreciate it,
Then Mrs. Bishop came out to shake
hands with the preacher and invited
him to go to his room to wash his face,
and hands. AS the tall man followed
his hostess away Abner winked slyly
at Pole and laughed under his long.
scrawny hand.
Uncle Alb, you ort to be killed."
smiled Pole you've been settin heer
the last half hour pokin' fun at that
Teller, am you know it. Well, I'm go
in on home. Sally's a-goin' to fry some
O this truck fer me, an I'm as hungry
as bear"
A few minutes after he had gone
Dole came out of his room and sat
down in his chair again. THAT seems
to be a sorter bright young man." he
remarked.
CAS- bright as a new dollar" returned
Abner in tone of warm admiration.
did you notice that big, wedge shaped
head O. his'n? It's plumb full O. brains.
One day a Teller come down to Fill
more's store He made a business O.
feelin' O. heads an writin out charts
at % cents apiece. He didn't waste
much time on the rest O. the scabs he
examined, but when he got to Poles
noggin he talked fer a good hour. |
never heerd the like. He said eff his
talents had been properly directed Pole
I'D "a made big public man. He said
he hadn't run across sech a head in q
month O. Sundays. He was right, you
bet, an every one O the seven brats
Poles got is jest as peert as he is.
They are agrowln' up in idleness an
rags too. | wisht | could meet some
o them durn big Yankees that are
a-sendin' Their money down heer an
buildin fine schools to educate niggers
an neglectin' Their own race beca'se it
fit agin' 'em. You cayn't hardly beat
larnin' into a nigger's head, an it nd
be only common sense to spend money
whar it I'D do the most good. amt
got nothin agin' a niger bein' larnt
to read an write. but | cayn't stomach
Their bein' forced ahead O. deservin'