The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-08-22
TOMS WAY.
BY Grace Boteler Sanders.

grandfather, encouragingly. NOW,
IL | were you and really wanted a
book, I'd find some way to earn 1t"
That's easy enough to talk about
but talking and doing are two differ
ent things." grumbled Tom, getting
up from the table and stalking to-
ward the door. What can a fellow
do out here in the backwoods, grand
mother? If l were in the city, it would
be easy to find work, but out here
why, the grown folks scarcely know
what dollar looks like"
"Still there's ways, plenty Of 'em, IL
folks would keep their eyes openn
declared grandfather, sagely. "These
hills are covered with berries. Sim
Harness told me last night he'd be
glad to buy EN-"
Il want work that is work." boot
ed Tom, loftify. picking berries is
too little business for me. l see my
self breaking my back for three cents
a quart"
John done purity well at it. He
made five dollars last week. That's
a whole lot better than nothing"
beamed grandfather. Tom flounced
back to the table and threw his book
down with a bang which made the
dishes rattle. "You don't under
stand" he groaned. II want to go to
college, If father would give me fifty
dollars to help, could earn the rest
of my expenses for the year. He says
to learn what can at home. I'm
sick and tired of trying. l might
just as well give up and quit. No
body will boost me-"
Grandfather laughed, meditative-
ly. 81 guess I'll have to tell you how
Johnny Brown got his start. Cover
nor Brown, l should say, but I've
known John ever since he was little
shaver, and it seems like | can't call
him anything else. Why, when l went
to the inauguration, l walked 1p to
him and said, Pm mighty glad to see
you, Johnny How them swells did
laugh! AS l began to say, Johnny
was an orphan, lived. around Har-
nesses, and did chores for his board
and clothes, such as they was.
John was good boy to work. He
had powerful hard time, too. Bout
the time he was fourteen years old
he got tired of Sims abuse and made
up his mind to go to school. An agent
OF the college had been through the
mountains hunting for students, and
he told John that if he'd get fifty
dollars, that the college would help
him OH tho Of tho
Folks ali over the neighborhood was
talking about it. Fifty dollars was
as much them days as five hundred
is now, so no one thought he would
raise it. But John didn't pay no at
tention to what they said.
HE hired out to old man Hawkins,
on top of Wild Cat Mountain. The
reason he went there, he thought he
might have chance to get some var
minis and sell their fur. One stu
dent had told him of a man in Gin
cinnaty who would buy all the skins
he could get. So John got some traps
and set 'em the very first week. By
fall he'd saved thirty dollars.
Zone day he come to me with a
terrible tale O. woe. 'Luck's gone
against me, Uncle Eph. I can't get a
thing lately. I'm afraid somebody's
been tamperin' with my traps. Sew
erai times this week my BATS been
gone, and this morning the trap was
bent all to pieces. Do you think any
body's been trying to do me?'
81 laughed at him. There amt q
person in these mountains who
wouldn't help you,' says I. 'Mebbe
some big games after your bait. I'll
go up with you and look around. 1t
just struck me all to once that mebbe
it was wild cat. There had been a
lot of 'ern several years back, and the
Government had offered a prize of
twenty dollars for every cat. Thinks
I, What If Johnny could win that
prize! I didn't say a word to him
about this-just climbed the hill and
looked around. There was wild cats
tracks, as sure as you live I went
back home and killed pig that night
we'd intended to butcher anyhow
Back I went, and baited Johnny s
trap with nice, fresh meat.
Next morning the meat was gone.
In went another piece. They took
that, too, but the varmint left a tuft
of yellow hair for it's visiting card.
I knew we'd catch him soon, so in
went some more meat. could hard
ly wait for morning to- come. I was
absolutely certain that we would get
that cat!
81 got up at day and started for
the hill. Before got half way to the
top heard the yowling and yelling.
Cats! It sounded like whole men
agerie. Just as I started in a run,
round the corner come John, just as