Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-20

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commodate him. How kind Of you
And have you always so much consid.
,ration for others? If you have yor
may find your patience strained if you
stay here"
ITO stand any strain that may be
| placed upon our patience is virtue,
II emarked-sententious pedagogue-
and she lifted her hands. clasped them
behind her head, looked at me anI
laughed, a music sweet and low. Just
then Alf came out upon the passage
looking down at himself, first one side
and then the other; and it was with a
| feeling of close kinship to envy that
| | regarded his new clothes. He apol-
ogized for having kept me waiting SO
long, but in truth could have told him
that should have liked to wait there
for hours, looking at the graceful fig
IRE of that girl, standing with her
hands clasped behind her brown head.
The distance was not great and we
had decided to walk, and across a
meadow, purpling with coming bloom
we took a nearer way. l said to Alf
that one might think that he was
stranger at the generals house, and he
replied: I'm one way am. have
been there many a time, it is true, but
always to help do something"
"Is the family so exclusive then?"
I asked.
"Oh, they are as friendly as any peo-
pie you ever saw, but, of course, nat
urally place them high above me. The
old general doesn't appear to know that
I have grown to be a man; always
talks to me as if I were a boy-wants
to know what fathers doing and all
that sort of thing. He doesn't give a
snap what fathers doing"
And the girl How does she talk to
vou?" 1t was several moments before
he answered me.
81 was just trying to think" he said
To tell you the truth, 1 don't know
how she talks to me. can't recall!
anything she has ever said to me. She
calls me Alf and I call her Miss Millie.
and we laugh at some fool thing and
that's about all there is to it. But ]
know that the old man would never be
willing for me to marry her He Is
looking pretty high for her or he
wouldn't have spent so much money on
her education"
But, Of course, the girl will have
something to say" I suggested.
Il don't know as to that" he re-
rled but, of course, / hope so. You
can't tell about girls-at least can't.
The old general married rather late in
ife and has but two children. His wife
lied several years ago. Chydister, the
boy, or rather, the man-for he's about
my age-is off at a medical college.
He doesn't strike me as being so all
fired smart, but they say that he's got
learning away up in G. The old man
says that he is going to make him the
best doctor in the whole country, If
colleges can do it, and / reckon they
can. He and l have always got along
pretty WE'LL he used to stay at our
house a good deal"
We crossed the creek, by leaping from
me stone to another, and pursued
course along q rotten rail fence, COW
cred with vines. And from over in
the low ground came the "sqush" Of
the COWS as they strobe through the
rank and sappy clover. We crossed
hill whereon stood deserted negro
"auarter"-the moldering mark OF
life that Is now dreamy and afar off
and after crossing another valley slow
" ascended the rounding bulge OF
ground, capped by the home Of the
general Alf had begun to falter and
hang back, and when l sought gently
to encourage him he remarked: But
YOU must remember that this is the
first time that l have ever been here
with new clothes on, and 1 want to
tell you that this makes a big differ
ence."
1T has been some time since l went
anywhere with new clothes on" l re-
plied, which set him laughing; but his
merriment was shut off when opened
the gate. Behind the house, where the
ground sloped toward the orchard
there were a number of cabins, old,
but not deserted, for negro children
were playing about the doors and from
somewhere within came the low drone
of a half-religious, half-cornshucking
old from
tree, but, repenting Of the exertion,
lay down again; a turkey loudly COB
bled, a peacock croaked, and a tall.
bulky, old man came out upon the
porch.
Walk right in," he called, and shout
ing back into the hallway he COM
manded some one to bring out three
chairs. And even before we had as
cended the stone steps the command
had been obeyed by negro boy. "Glad
to meet you, sir" he said when Alf had
introduced me. You have come to
teach the school. l believe. Old man
Perdue was over and told me about It.
Sit down. What's your father doing,
Alf?"
Cant do anything today All an
swercd, glancing at me.
Il suppose not. All the folks we'll!
Glad to hear it," he added before All
could answer It's been pretty wet
but it's drying up all right"
He wore a dressing gown befigured
with purple gourds. was bare-headed
and | thought that he wore a wig, for
his hair was thick and was curled un-
der at the back Of his neck. His face,
closely shaved, was full and red; his
lips were thick and his mouth was
large l could see that he was Of i'm
mense Importance, dominant spirit
IF the Old South, and my reading told
ne that his leading ancestor had come
to America as the master of Virginia
plantation.
Henry the old general called.
Fetch me my pipe, Henry!"
Comm" voice cried from within.
His pipe was brought and when 1t had
been lighted with a coal which Henry