Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1910-01-28
No Count
Wash
\ Lasy Darky Who II
Spoonsd Fnfo Hoe
Ing TafsrS.
BY FRANK II. SWEET.

wash no 'count1 Don say dat.
sah." Uncle Nose was wont TO plead.
Hes jes' projeetin'. Boys viii pro.
lec', yo' know. anh. Dey's To- all de
wori lax calves an colts nn' kittens
Wen dey's young dey kicks up dere
heeia: den dey steadles down an ehewY
dere cuds an' pulls dere londs an
Ketehcn dere mice Jrs' lAk 'Sponslble
t'ings mus. Wash he ain nary bad
spot In him, Hnh lie don't tiuk. dnt'S
All, Wen his heels Kit plumb steady
on de groun' he'll pail his load shore
'nough. Yo'll see. sab"
But In spite Of the sangulne expec
tations OF Uncle Nose. who was moi
vash's uncle at all. but bis grandfa.
lher. the boy continued TO ''proJec'." He
was now fourteen. aud his chief labor
seemed to consist 10 dPylsing ways Of
cludlnR chores and school aud just
punlshmenls. His habliual movements
were skulklng. and. though bis eyes
danced fearlesSly and his mouth
broadcned into almost perpetual mer'
riment. he sought rather the solitary
paths OF the pine woods aud suwance
banks than the more populous lanes
and roads Of bis native Ellnyilie
There he was apt to bc reminded OF
unfultilled contracts. stolen melons.
decorated doors and fences and Of
many other matters which he prefer
red 10 let sink Into forget fiilDess. or
his own family Uncle Nose was the
only one with whom he condescended
to fratcrnlzc. and this concession was
due as much to the fact that the old
man excelled him IN his own chosen
pursuits OF trapping aud Fishing as to
his being openly sympathetic.
There were few spots inside n radius
OF ten miles with which Uncle Nose
was not familiar. aud this familiarity
was especially comprehensive In re.
gard TO the fishing holes of the Suwa.
nee. Fifty years before be had been
slave boy on n ncighborlng plantation,
stealing OF TO the river on every pos
sIble occasion. and this love for the
sport hnd been the one great pleasure
of his life, interrupted only through
the score OF years which followed his
emancipation. during which time he
was working hard 10 provide himself
with home aud TO flt his children for
a future whlrh should be worthy of
them as free citizens.
But as they grew up aud hranched
out for themselves he returned more
aud more 10 the pleasure of his child
hood until now there WIS scarcely an
tfternoun which WIS not spent In part
Upon the Suwuuee banks, Aud with
accumulating years and sIi1ening
Joints his early wunderings up aud
down the river had narrowed down to
Il bank beueuth wide spreading. moss
grown tree. from which he could cast
n line Into water which experience had
taught him was congenlal to fish.
Here after the sun had begun to throw
shadows 10 the east he could generally
be found either alone or In company
with Wash.
His son Link was OF different ma
ture. lie was Woodworking, shrewd,
more tolerant of faults than Of frivol-
lty or cnrelessuess, nble TO read little
and subscribing for several political pa.
pers. narrow In his politics and party
aud voting at every opportunity and
ON every possible pretext lie was an
example OF strong. ambitious manhood
weighted down by II lack OF knowl
edge. Between him anu Wash there
could be only mlsunderstanding-ap'
prehenslon and avoidance on the one
side. disappointment and upbraiding
ON the other. but before an open
break came there were rumors of war,
Its declaration. n call for troops, and
then before the family realized what
was happening Link had volunteered
aud been accepted, the hrst to join the
lmmunes from his county.
The day after he left Uncle Nose did
not even look toWuFu tue IiNci' WASH
skulked down and tished under the
big tree for awhile. then wandered of
Into the woods to look at his traps
The next day he went to the big tree
again. but apparently did not like fish
ing alone. for be soon hid his pole and
once more wandered Off into the
woods. And the third day aud the
fourth were the same, but after eating
dinner on the tfth, instead of hurry
Ing out to dig bait, as usual, he looked
wistfully and irresolutely at Uncle
Nose and when the old man rose and
went out followed him to the truck
patch behind the cabin.
"Ain' yo' gwine fishin' no mo-, gran
papT he asked disconsolately.
Uncle Nose leaned upon his hoe han
die and looked at him benignantly.
mot till yo' pap gifts back, honey
he answered. "Dar's heaps o wuh
roun' dis place now. Yo' pap been dc
hit mawnin's an arter he done gil
from wuk at de sawmill nights, an
,oo,,ty,s 7 tuk his nlaea hit'll shore fnI