The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1908-04-07

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tD4l ELLSWORTH KELLEY 7
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Copyright by s. s. Mcclure Company: 4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. !.
,.,."M Any, yes, I'm only q year older, N
you, Billy, but you are dozen times
Elore soople than be. I've. watched
your back as you go down the street,
m you step as spry as a boy Of
ltwenty.r ,jf.r. =. .tt'tf'ss .4s2s'# r
'Uncle nBilly was not proof against
this fattery. ,f;s f7la,@sfs;. i.'r!s3~
r.If ! he'd a rail an you'd boost me
~ LITTLE, might try" a. es.~ s,t.a.
\ Uncle Joe found asrail, put one. end
against the tree and gave, Uncle Billy
The required boost - '' .'. -, ,,,.,,.
He reached the lower limbs. in safety
and In a short time had secured Tie
eggs,,iwhich he dropped one by one
into Uncle Joe's Handkerchief. {" Then
he started to get down. When he
reached the lower limbs the rail was
gone. y, .~..,, go. m s,..r,.,.
SAY, ,Jee, put back that rail-" ;z-r
4 guess you'd better stay up there,
Billy, where you kin keep cool. It's
awful hot down here 2&''' FL '-.'''.,
"please, Joe! Don't act fool. Please
put up the rail. Please dol. -s,1::s.
'Oh. / dunno. Billy. 4, guess I'll hey
to leave You now. It's gittin' late. any.
how, an I don't want to be ont In the
night air" And Joe started as IL to
leave. H.. ....%-.
"Joe! Joe! Come back, Joe! Come
back! Please!' ;'"' q O.
"No, Billy. Guess I'D better git back
TO town an let folks know where you
air, What you s'pose 9 Brother Nee.
cham will say when he hears you've
been fishin-an' robbin' poor little In
accent birds nests? Think of 1t! You,
at your age-nn' on Sunday toor' And
then Joe was gone. 81.
Humiliation and rage were tumul.
tuous In the soul Of Uncle Billy. 1''
With bravery born or desperation
he -cooned": out along the limb II
swayed under his weight. but he knew
an elm limb would not break. Lower
and lower II swayed under him until
he felt safe in dropping TO the ground.
When he touched ground and con
rfnced himself that he was free from
hurt q mighty resolve entered his
heart II he could only lay hands on
that Joe. what a settlement theF'.
/ would be! s. e.
Just then Uncle Joe emerged from
behind tree in a paroxysm Of laugh.
/ ter. .. -<- 81.
"You came down-haw, haw,. haw-
Jest like a-haw. haw, haw-jest like q
coonr' and he bent almost double in
an ecstasy OF mirth.
'Tll coon you, You miserable old
white headed reprobate-' And then
the two old boys had their last boy
fight. e.. !. ..rp ..
When the battle was over, Uncle
Joe's shirt collar was minus a button.
hole. his sleeve. was torn. and he was
expectorating mouthfuls OF sand and
grass that had been forced into II by
the irate William. For Uncle Billy
himself. he had a scratched face from
which the blood oozed in little sweat
like drops. But for once In his life he
had whipped his ''pardner." made him
eat dirt and say enough"
Then-they both agreed that 1t was
all In fun.
BILLY. aln't you afeerl your papll
lick you, fer goin' to the river OIL
SundayT"
Uncle Billy responded with a feeble
mlrthless laugh, and then his old face
took on a look Of infinite yearnlng.
Out Of the gathering she .pws arose
the old log farmhouse with its roof
Of clanboards. Leaning upon the
''pallng" front gate was his father
his father rs he had been In middle
life, five and sixty years ago.
| lie saw himself a barefoot boy. IN
homespun trousers. coming up the
woods path that led from the fishing
hole. lie could hear the swish OF the
beech sprort welded Ivy his father.
could feel again the sharp pain Of its
strokes lie heard his mother. who
wac strnining the milk at the spring
horse door. say:
:'Tho:1as. don't be too hard on the
boy. Like enough that Joe Graham
toaxeI him TO-"
4 sense Of pain wrcnched his heart
as the scene faded. and he slowly an.
Ewerpi:
Il dunno. Joe. but pears like I'd
swap tug goiIi "a, hide and tail. as the
Teller says. II I Jest was boy ag'ln."
And rnclc Joe. with a childish qua.
yer In his old voice, responded:
'Me toog' ...-..-,..
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The best known picture IL the world,
L. q. - IA