The Robesonian., 1909-12-16

And IL was related by enc colored Doy
that q man on horse without legs |
had followed him. just missing him as
he grabbed 1or him while passing the |
danger line.
Mr. Henry remembered all this
while Grant retreated to the quarter.
mutfering: .MEs' think Is his niger.
Let i'm knows | don't long ter i'm.
'Twon't be good fer me. Umph. Wut
kin 'e do ter me: Jest kase 'e's white. |
thinks e kin do anything. I'd jist like |
ter see i'm lay his ham on me.
..What yer grumblin' bout now?' de-
manded Haunah. who was standing.
with arms akimbo. In her cabin door.
/ .sWhar has yer been, an what am de
matter VIII yer?''
..Mr. Henry's been 'busin' me-" said
Grant sullenly. .Talkin bout me
| stealin' his ole watermillions.'
why didn't yer talk back ter i'm!
i i don't b'lieve yer's got de keridge OF
a chicken Yer orter be 'shamed o
yerse'f Ter stan an LEI a good fer
| muffin white man talk ter yer dat
way"
At 8 O'Clock that night Grant stole
from his niammy's door. Getting
clear of the quarter. he crept along.
following the angle of the rail fence
and thus keeping himself in the shad-
ows.
mans tread or only the rustling Of
some animal IN the grass: Grant
i croucbed close against the fence and
listened The sound. whatever 1t was.
was hushed. and. reassured. he re-
sumed his way.
4 How still everything wrs.. and the
moonlight how beautiful. The stars
twinkled In the calm blue Of the SUM
mer sky. and the soft night wind was
) heavy with the fragrance OF honey
suckle and nimosa.
Grant. glided on. now and then NUT
: tering to himself almost inandibly:
us mos dere now. Golly. won't MIR.
] Henry be mad when he fins dem
: whoppers gomez He'll spect me. TOO.
I but kin he prove it? Lemme see.
, guess I'll tend fer hab a chill. an
I NANNY III say rs, been drefful sick
3 al! night. kin play possum. Yer
: bet / kin.'
. And Grant almost choked with
q laughter over his plan for deceiving
the rightful owner of ''dem whoppers." I"
He climbed the rail- fence in the
dense shadows of the magnolia tree
and. dropping softly on the other side
found himself among the vines. Grant
/ / stopped over one of the largest in the
patch.
Desc we're watermillions is mon
sous temptin'.' he said. Muster beer
a big watermiliion like dis yer da
| tempted Ebe. Golly. 'Dough ter temp
| Gable hisse'f. Lemme see. don
| b'lieve | cud tote more'n one of des,
| whoppers Golly. dough. eff eats on
den | kin tote two. one in my stomicl
an one in my hans!
& Having reached this conclusion
Grant raised the melon as high as b.
81 could. then threw it to the ground
Y The melon broke. and he proceeded {
! gorge himself He was SO absorbe
that he started and yelled when
hand fiercely grabbed his wool
II Hush your yelling. DO you want I
il wake the dead p exclaimed a holloy
Ill voice. Grant began to shiver, ii
HI screwed himself round till he caught
II glimpse of his captor. The thing wa
y tall and clothed in white. but whs
E startled Grant most was that it seen
ed to carry its head not OH its shou
ders. but under ifs arm. Grant We
certain that it was ghost. Again
demanded. DO you want to wake II
e dead -
.Oh. no. sah..',' Grant faltered.
You're stealing melong. Do &c
know where the wicked go when the
,r are dead? And the ghost clutche
no him By the throat. s.s-s.
.Oh. Jerusalem. lemme go. lemn
pt go.' cried Grant .Tff never take
melons ag'in. Lemme 20. Iem1ie go.
,at Start. them said the ghost in
solemn voice Ill catch you be
again you'll Wish you'd never BET
born And the ghost gaye him a kit
en-. that knocked him down.
When Grant scrambled to his fe
r,ar and east ii breathless look around Il
batl figure was nowhere to be seen. Th
sudden disappearance was awful.
tba paused moment. with his jaw dro
lar ped and his knees trembling. and th
he he was tumbling headIong over &
on fence and scuddIng toward the qua
ter. He avoided the fence corne
old now as much as be had sought the
nad half an hour before. In fact. he on
,on- felt safe in he lightest path he cou
kat find. From every tree and patch
7ith shade he expected that white tigu
to start. When he reached his ma
:. my's door he was in d wretched &C
ditiOn.
gar. What's der matter wiz yer?" Hs
nah demanded when she had dray
Mr. him in and shut the door, Did \
,rry Henry kotch yer. What skeered ye
ons Did IL dog git arter yer. honey ?''
No.. Grant stammered; mo;
ter g,osses got arter me-
in We'll. neverr'
lred &C 'osses2 Whar wus ,dey %
What dey do ter yer. chile?" "
such cherused on all sides.
q rf ,solofod h ;c adv q