The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-01-28

ne did and steady as he was? Worth
whole grist of such bait as his
brother Ephe Dodge, and yet they
never called Ephe poor. whatever
worse name they might call him. When
Ephe was off at show in the village
Abe was following the plow, driving a
straight furrow, though you would not
nave thought it to see the way his nose
pointed.
In winter, when Ephe was taking
the girls to singing school or spelling
bee or some other foolishness-out till
after O'Clock at night, like as not
Abe was hanging over the fire, hold
Ing book so the light would shine
hrst on one page and then on the other,
and he turning the book, and reading
hrst with one eye and then with the
other.
There, the murders out. Abe couldn't
read with both eyes at once. If Abe
looked straight ahead he couldn't see
the furrow-nor anything else, for that
matter. His best friend couldn't say
but what Abe Dodge was the cross
eyedest cuss that ever was Why. il
you wanted to see Abe, you'd stand in
front of him, but if you wanted Abe
to see you, you'd have to stand behind
him, or pretty near it. Homely? Well
III you mean downright ''humbly,"
that's what he was
when one eye was in use the other
was out of sight, all except the white
OF it. The girls used to say he had to
wake up in the night to rest his face,
1t was so 'humbly." In school you
ought to have seen him look at his
copybook. He had to cant his head
clear over and cock his chin up till it
pointed out of the window and down
the road. You'd really ought to have
seen him; you'd have died. Head Of
his class, too, right along; just as near
to the head as Ephe was to the foot:
and that's saying a good deal. But to
see him at his desk. He looked for all
the world like week old chicken peek
In at tumbiebsg. And him a grown
man, too, for he stayed to school win
tiers so long as there was anything
more the feacher could teach him. You
see, there wasn't anything to draw him
4 swsy, no girl would look at him
lucky. too, SEEM the way he looked.
We'll, one term there was a new
teacher come-regular high-up girl,
down from Chicago. AS bad luck
would have 1t, Abe wasn't at school the
hrst week-hadn't got through his fall
work. So she got to know all the
scholars, and they was awful tickled
with her-everybody always was that
knowed her. The first day she came in
and saw Abe at his desk. she thought
he was squintin' for fun, and she up
and laughed right out Some of the
scholars laughed, too, at first; but most
OF 'em, to do 'em justice, was leetle
took back; young as they was, and
cruel by nature. Noung folks is most
usually cruel-don't seem to know no
better)
Well, right in the middle of the hush.
ABE gathered up his books and upped
and walked outdoors. lookin' right
ahead of him, and consequently SEEM
the handsome young teacher unbe-
known to her.
She was the worst cut I'D you ever
did see; but what could she do or saw?
no and tell him she thought he was
maxim up face for fun? The girls
DO say that come noon-spell, when she
FOUND out about it, she cried-just fair
~ cried. Then she tried to be awful
nice to Abe's ornery brother. Ephe. and
Ephe, he was tickled most to death:
but that didn't do Abe any good-Ephe
was just ornery enough to take care
that Abe shouldn't get any comfort
out of it. They do say she sent mes
sages to, Abe, and Ephe never delivered
'em, or else twisted 'em so as to make
things worse and worse. Mebbe so.
mebbe not-Ephe was ornery enough
for it.
Course the schoolma'am she was
Doardin' round. and pretty soon it come
time TO go to OF man Dodge's and she
went; but no Abe could she ever see.
ne Kept away, and as to meals he
never set by, but took a bite off by
hlmself when he could get q chance.
tCourse his mother favored him. being
ne was SO cussed unlucky.) Then when
the Iolks was all to bed, he'd come in
and poke up the fire and peep into his
DOCK, but first one side and then the
other. same as ever.
NOW what does schoolma'am do but
come down one night when she thought
ne was abed and asleep, and catch him
unaWares. Abe knowed it was her.
quick as he heard the rustic Of her
dress. but there wasn't no help for it.
so ne. just turned his head away and
covered his cross-eyes with his hands
and she pitched in. What she said I
don't know, but Abe never said a word
only told her he didn't blame her. not
mite; he knew she couldn't help If
no more 6nan he could. Then she asked
him to come back to school. and he
answered to please excuse him. After
q bit she asked him if he wouldn't come
back to oblige her, and he said he cal
culated he was obligin' her more by
stayin' away.
We'll come to that, she didn't kzow
what to do, SO, womanlike. she upped