The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1908-12-18


was just going to spell 1t when Mis-
Waitely, in scared, timid Voice that
could just be heard, said:
"'If you please, teacher, Sammy
hasn't spelled yet
Sammy stood down at the end Of
the line. and they had overlooked him.
But the teacher replied:
"'Oh. indeed! thought he was done
long ago.
Il thought he said It sneeringly, and
he gave Sammy the word In a tone
that said plainly, You can't spell 1t
anyway
But what did Sammy do but spell
II correctly without the slightest hest
tatiun.
Then the others who were standing
missed 'dromcdary.' and that left Har
rict and Sammy alone. tell you. sou
might have heard pin drop then. Ev
erylody was half crazy with excite
ment.
old Squire Hepner did not move
muscle. lie had the money. five gold
five dollar pieces. aud fancy purse
and was TO give them himself 10 the
winner.
1T seemed 10 me that that poor
crippled boy got help from on high
that night. never saw anything like
II. At first he was 80 shy that his
voice almost trembled. but when he
aud the cousin he had never spoken
To stood up there alone aud his fierce
old uncle glared So eontemptuously at
him the little fellow raised himself TO
his full height and from that moment
never filnched
His large eyes glistened. and he
threw back his head and Looked boldly
at his uncle aud spelled the words In
loud. clear tone that fairly took PEG.
PIES breath away.
Ills mother had quietly slipped
through the crowd and taken her seat
behind him. and those that sat near
said she got one Of his hands In hers
and held IL. while the tears sireamed
down her face.
THE tw" spelled against each other
for n .I:!i half hour. u'l nj! the time
p,,or Harriet was rs white rs a sheet,
and ! could sec that she was irern-
bling from head 10 fooi
AT last the teacher gave the word
ANONYMOUSLY Harriet spelled the first
syllable, then sioppe.l and stammereI,
looked impl"rIngly at her father and
then tremblIBgly went on and spelled
II with one n
How did you spell Il. Harriet:
hid you have only
Squire Icpner had bcen hooking on
spelling book ton. Now he turned
sharply round 10 ID" master and IN
his hardest. coolest vnlr" said:
"'Shc missed Il. sir Pass II TO the
next.
sam spelled 1t without hesitatlng an
instant.
You could have hcari a pin drop IN
that room II was s'i!l as death Har,
rlet dropped into her seat and hurried
her face In her hands Squire IIppner's
face never changed without wort
hc rose. reached cut his long arm. heck
on"d {" sam TO come to him and then
dropped into the lads outsirctchci
hand the purse Turning aud facing
the hrrnthI"ss people be said:
II want YOU all Ia know that think
this has ls'"n fair and square match
aud my nephew deserves the prize
Without further words he took h.
hai and marched uu; of the house.
We'll. the Red IIaw I"'"pe actual.
carried Sam home IN their shoulders.
with Mis- Waitely clnsc l.ehind. crying
az n her heart would break with Joy
and nervousness hut she had on
long warnL plaid shaw that saw
Mis- Squire IIeImcr throw over her as
she st"rIarl "ut ~ the door
"On" nj my sisters went home with
the IIepn"rs that night. and she said
Harriet cried all the way home AMI
was IN mortal terror nt the Thought "
meeting her father She stopped Un the
d"nrst"p u Icing while. and when she
did finally step into the room. tren
bling aud fairly mourning. her father
whO was sitting wKh hts head between
his hands before tho FIRE. got III and
walked over to her aud actually kissed
her there hcfore them all Then he
went ~ 90 bed without n word.
"Iut what followed was better stili
christmas day the squire took his big
sled. put In lots n hay and blankets
and drove on ike $lushi himself a.
his sisters. No nne ever knew what
happened there. hut II ended In MIs'
waitely and MI the children going
home with the squire. And q big
christmas day they Ind. folks said.
"The squire declared II was an honor
&c know n 10y who could spell Ike
sam. They say he had that boy speh
the dictionary half through that win.
Ter aud nearly Rugged him when 10
spelled correctly the longest word In II.
THE squire was the strangest man
on the subject n spelling that I ever
heard ~. Nothing but Sans knowing
how to spell so we'll ever soficncd his
heart toward his sister and her chill.
dron. Aud nothing pIcnsrd him moro
than 10 have Sam and Harriet spell
u