The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-01-27


had followed him. just missing him as
he grabbed for him while passing the
danger line.
Mr.. Henry remembered all this.
while Grant retreated to the quarter,
muttering: Mus 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 n,c: Jest kase 'e's white,
thinks e kin do anything: I'D jist like
ter see i'm lay his han on me..'
What yer grumblin' bout nOw?" de.
manded Hannah. who was standing.
with arms akimbo. in her cabin door
"Whar has yer been, an what am de
matter wifi ycr:"
mir. Henry's been 'busin' me,'' said
Grant sulIenly. "Talkin' bout me
stealth his ole watermillions."
why didn't yer talk back ter i'm?
l don't b'lieve yers got de keridge Of
chicken. Yer orter he 'shamed q
yerse'f ter stan an let good fer
muffin white man talk ter yer dat
way"
AT ? O'Clock that night Grant stole
from his mamnly'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.
He heard IL noise. What was tia
mans tread or only the rustling of
some animal in the grass? Grant
crOuched close against the fence and
listened. The sound. whatever it was.
was hushe,l. and. treasured, he re-
sumed his way.
How still everything Yves. and the
moonlight-how beautiful! The stars
twinllled in the calm blue of the sum-
NOR sky. and the soft night wind was
heavy with the fragrance Of honey
suckle and mimosa.
Grant glided OH. now and then NUT
tering to himself almost inaudibly:
us mos dere now. Golly. won't Mr..
Henry be mad when he fms dem
whoppers gone? He'll s'pect me. too.
but kin lie prove it? Lemme see.
guess Ill tend ter hab chill. an
nanny III say Is been drefful sick
all night. l kin play possum. Yer
bet l KIM
And Grant almost checked with
laughter over his plan for deceiving
the rightful owner of dem whoppers."
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 been
big watermillion like dis yer dat
tempted Ebe. Golly. 'nough ter tempt
Gable hisse'f: Lemme see. / don't
b'lieve l cud tote more'n one of desc
whoppers. Golly. dough. eff eats one
den l kin tote two. one in my stomich
an one in my han's!'
Having reached this conclusion.
Grant raised the melon as high as he
could. then threw it to the ground.
The melon broke. and he proceeded to
that he. started and yelled when a
hand tiercely grabbed his wool.
Hush your yelling! Do you want to
wake the dead?" exclaimed a hollow
voice. Grant began to shiver. He
screwed himself round till he caught a
glimpse Of his captor. The thing was
tall and clothed in white. but what
startled Grant most was that 1t SEEM
ed to carry its head not on its shout.
ders. but under its arm. Grant was
certain that it was q ghost. Again it
demanded. do you want to wake the
dead:"
''Oh. no, sah." Grant faltered.
you're stealing melons. Do you
know where the wicked so when they
are dead?" And the ghost ciutched
him by the throat.
lob. Jerusalem. femme 60, lemme
go!' cried Grant. I'LL never take dc
melons ag'in. Lemme go, femme go!'
"Start. them" said the ghost in a
solemn voice. If catch you here
again you'll wish you'd never been
born" And the ghost gave him kick
that Knocked him down.
When Grant scrambled to his feet
and cast a GREATNESS look around the
figure was nowhere to be seen. This
sudden disappearance was awful. He
paused moment, with his jaw drop
ped and his knees trembling. and then
he was tunbling headIong over the
fence and scudding toward the quar-
ter. He avoided the fence corners
now as much as he had sought them
half an hour before. In fact. he only
felt safe in the lightest path he could
find. From every tree and patch of
shade he expected that white figure
to start. When he reached his man.
my's door he was in Il wretched con-
dition.
whats der matter VIII yer?" Han
nah demanded when she had drawn
him in and shut the door. Ibid Mr..
Henry koteh yer? What skeered yer?
Did dog git arter yer, honey?"
"No." Grant stammered; mo; de
g'osses got arter me-"
"Well. never!'
"G'Osses? Whar wus dey?''
what dey do ter yer, chile?" was
chorused on all sides.
Grant related his adventure to sew