La Junta tribune., 1907-05-18
regarded cury With critica, smus-.


Cuffy; A mammy's good 'nou.h TO
b.i;es. hut wc's too big. l ncaicr hab
n" nanny. an I'm tough. Yo' letter
widout one, pey spiies hi. boys
'No' ain't know my nanny" was
Cuffy's answer. AN yo' amt kccr for
schoolin'. 'cep'n for Jat yo'd be t'ink.
in like me" Then sudden inspira.
tion seized him. and he added. "Wha
yo' stay tonight. Shack
Don know" indifferently. "roun'
soine'er's. Mebbc In ole Browns ium.
ber yard II de watchman don ketch
Me-
Den s'pose 20 come On home Ion:
o me an' see my nanny" Invited
CuHy eagerly. ''Slie make yo' tink like
me-. shore. We hab watermflyun an
sweet tatcrs an h; 'on. an In lie niawn.
In NANNY likely glib us fried chicken.
io' can sleep long o. me In my bald
Villa yo' say
Shack did not say anything for fully
tw" minutes. Tile question WAS u
wcivhty one. At first his impulse was
a HAT refusal. hut the thought of meet.
In: cufYy's nanny and leing able tJ
ridicnle that obstinate boy In the in
trenchments of his own home was
pleasant one. And then the water.
miiyun an sweet taterx'' and the pos.
sibility OF fried chicken. They decided
him
.'I's yn' cake" he yrinn,.,i.
The two boys walked cautiously tc
the edg. of Wung Sins laundry root
and peered down. Crap shooting was
serious "fYense. aud Shack was careful
to keep this retreat on the laundry roof
FROM the knowledge Of the police.
See anything. Cuny!" he whispered
as they glance, sharply from side to
side
''oniy dat fruit seller on de corner
He ain min
Grasping the edge OF the roof with
their hands. they swung over and
dropped lightly To the ground. Then
they scurried round the corner into
Bay street and We're lost in the crowd
Cury's mother lived In II small tene.
mcnt in the colored district. She was
ironing when the boys arrived.
Dat yo'. Cufyt" she called as they
darkened the low doorway. Come
right in. honey. An who's yo' frien'?'
Him Shack. nanny" answered
Cufry rather proudly. "io' done heah
me toie bout him.
-Co'sc has. honey. co'se has the
woman exclaimed. leaving her ironing
and coming forward cordially. Glad
TO see yo'. Shack. Come right in. boy
/ done heah bout yo' heaps q times
= q. q, "a.
dat's right. So yos Shack. Law. law.
My boys done tole bout yo' no end.
Say yo's able do anything yo' set out
for; dat yo's de mos promisin' black
boy in de whole city She returned
to her ironing and worked vigorously
for several minutes. then: Does yo'
know. honey. dats mighty fine say.
so; lie mos promisin' boy. Dat
means dnr's gran wuk befo' yo'-gran'
wuk. honey. We black folks need jes'
sech boys to grow up an lead us. Is
glad you an Cuffy am frien's. He's
good boy, but easy led He needs
strong. true frien's to show de way
wha's dat Cufry: Shack goin' stay
all night: Shore 'nough! Law. law.
OATS good. Now yo' boys Jes' placate
'mong yose'fs while get dis ironin'
of: den we's hab supper an' mo- talk.
Cufry. yo' put dat milyun In pail o
col water
Shack had listened without any at
tempt to answer but his eyes and ears
were keenly alert This was an eX.
pcricnce which was entirely new and
which 1t would take him time TO A.
just He had peered into rooms be.
fore now and had generally been driv.
Ell away with II broom or poker. but he
did not remember any OF them that had
been quite 50 clean and coZy as this
scantily furnished room. and certainly
none of the women had been like this
one who was actually treating him us
though his presence was desirable. But
OF course he was right in his declara-
ton that nanny was a detriment to
big boy This was only nm unusual
side he was seeing; presently would
appear some weakness with which he
could overwhelm Cuffy.
But what appeared presently brought
him half to his feet in sudden wonder,
derisIon. contempt. There WAS Cuny
actually telling his NANNY about the
crap shooting and the money he had
lost. ana more wonderful yet, Instead
OF scoldlng and furnishing him as ordi-
nary women would have done. this
nanny was patting her boys cheeks
and talking In low. earnest voice,
aud, yes. they We're both crying.
Shack drew n hard, deep breath and
waited in momentary expectation OF
hearing his own name. But. no. Cuny
only spoke Of himself and then went
back I, his chair by the window. where
h. sat very sober and thoughtful. And
his NANNY began to put away her
ironing and prepare for supper.
After supper Shack returned to the
r..kins chair. feeling very comfortable