The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-06-10
CHAPTER XII Continued.


and lofty fellow ship with majestic minds
OF the past-With the exalted souls tina
have gone hymninG up the heights oil
which We fain would also set a talter
ing foot
It's plain bread and butter Tn
arter," dryly interjected Potts.
'H-nH-ha," D1urmured the old gentle
man absently. Here's suggestive ma
terial for comet. Let me see-h-m
About our obscure path the idea
CLEANS,
Like TO tn inaccessible star whose
And as they softly quilted him to &C
into the house. he was leaning his higi
yellow forehead on his thin hand and
tentatively mounting words into tht
twilight Of the garden.
At the dining room table. close beside
the lIgnted lamp, while Della hovereo
over his shoulder, Potts proceeded
BraNelY to draw A laborious "a" ID,
and &C" upon the slate, breathing hard
the while and gripping the pencil like i
wise. Then he looked up at his teacher
with smile of pride
"Oh. l amt so plum ignorant" said
he. L got purity nigh a months school
in onst. down 10 Gricc's Cross roads. in
Hog Jaw valley, just before plOWin
time
You're doing it very WE'LL" Della en-
couragcd him Only, you hold the pen
ell TOO igItly. Let me show you how. "
She showed him Then he tried again
with inimitable seriousness
Looks like a chicken done scratched
thar" commented re, cycling the result
from both sides.
He seemed unable to initiate her man.
ner OF holding the pencil until she had
pressed and natted his Sinewy fingers
into the proper position. The contrast
between his own brown fist and her
small white hand during the operation
was so striking that he remarked:
Miss your hand reminds me of Squire
Tawney's mare
why, how's that?'' she asked.
He done had an old blind mare So
ALFRED white you wouldn't see her by
daylight"
His fancy played over everything like
harmless summer lightning and his
quaint reHarKs often provoked her
laughter. Yong as she was, and BY
nature lick-N tilted. merry girl, mis-
fortune had not bereft her Of her en-
5oynent Of such talk But some of his
whimsical observations were uttered 81
soberlH that unless she caught the
twinkle of his ayes she could not be
When he attempted 10 repeat the al
phabet and got badly tangled, she eau
TONED him to keep cool.
."Conl2" said he. I'll he, cooler nor
ONl SOll 11ObDlllS " llCll ICdlIl JtI hSu
him-and he was so cool he fruz the
whole graveyard"
The hour passed so quickly she was
surprised when he stood ZIP and de-
CiaTrd il was time he was at his post.
Lynlus was standing by the gate, ap-
parently deep in self-communion, as
Potts limped out on his crutCll to the
sidewalk and Della. who had accom-
panied her pupil to the door. saw the
two MEN exchange a few words in low
tones. Then Potts went on up the
street, and the negro came back leisure
ly toward the house.
u What were you doing cut there, Ly-
mus2" the girl asked.
Hit wus des too blame hot to sleep
yet. Missy" replied Lymus. as he went
round to the rear.
The first lesson was but the prelude
to long series. Twice and sometimes
thrice week the crippled soldier came
20 the house. and Della laoored to lift
his mind from what she conceived to be
q prcfundfty Of ignorance. Earnest ard
trustful little soul. she had no suspicion
OF the terrible truth She took the ut
most pains 10 teach him, and once, be-
ing vexed at his perversity in spelling
mule with transposition OF 'T' and
e. she sColded him rOundly for not
paying more attention. The scoldinS
awaited nothing, for he took it all with
a pleased smile. and when she had
ended replied:
Il was so busy admirin the way you
said that, didn't ketch the words"
Yet the teaching of such a man could
herself, and partly to her uncle, that
this illiterate rlountaineer was the most
interesting personality she had ever en-
countered. His views of things in gen
eral either captivated or shocked her,
they never left her indifferent. And
they often sat laughing ana talking
across the table. lessons brushed aside
and quite forgotten in some passage. OF
conversation.
The scenes and events of his child
of east Tennessee grew so vivid, under
his tongue that she felt almost as IA
niliar with them us though she had
witnessed them herself He was born
story-teller, and could Darrate battles
and escapes so that her breath fiutter-
ed, and she hung entranced> upon his
words. Changing names. substituting
the grav for the blue, he had at corn
of "Reminiscences Of field. march, camp.
and hospital that moved her to laugh
ter or tears as he willed.
He had Just been describing TO her
the sensation of being left wounded on
the field after a hot skirmish.
And me layin' thar weak as drink
of water" said he. an the quaint dialect
he had learned from his mothers lips,
with a quaIter-section field for my bed
and the whole SKY for ted-quilt
Il think that men who endure such
hardships for our dear Southland ought
to go straight to heaven, no matter
what their sins have been"
Thereat the quick twinkle came into
his eyes.
''ves'm. heaven rnout be a torable
place, but ! reckon it amt up to the
south slone of Hog Jaw Valley
The girl was very religious herself,
having been reared amid pure and re-
ligious influences, and his careless re-
marks now and then about future life
troubled her. She spoke to him on the
subject
oh, WE'LL" he answered cynically,
'from all accounts. held be a right
clever country If the fire vas out" -
A woman's likings arc ineXplicable,
and perhaps she liked him all the more
because OF the horror and pity which
lust such reckless statements of his in
spired in her.
However unframed in the learning of
schools he assumed to be, tis natural
times to be startling. His acuteness
and accuracy of observation upon all
his immediate surroundings were almost
uucanny. Della was explaining to him
one evening the mistake he had made !
IN slihtraCting seven from twelve, when
of a sudden nc inquired:
whats that thar niger listenin' at
the door for?'
Whereuron old Binah. to the utter !
establishment of her mistress, indignant |
Iv flung open the door and doomed:
"Ah want listenin' at no do, white |
mani All WIS tryin' to fin out what
vech common, noiaccount trash CT yo'!'
orrIairned Della flushing 4