The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1912-03-21
CHAPTER I.
A Scandalized Virgin.

stopped under the electric street light.
Perched on the box by the big, black
negro driver sat a little boy whose
slender figure was swathed in huge
rain coat.
Miss Minerva was on the porch
waiting to receive him.
Mercy on me, child" she said.
what on earth made you ride up
there? Why didn't you get inside?"
II Jest wanted to ride by Sam
Lamb" replied the child as he was
lifted down. AN see a nice fat little
man name Major"
''He jes' wouldn' ride inside, Miss
Minerva" interrupted the driver,
quickly, to pass over the blush that
rose to the spinster's thin cheek at
mention Of the major. "'Twant no
use fer ter try ter make him ride no.
whars but jes' up by me. He Jes
fused an fused an 'sputed an
'sputed; he jes' tuck ter me f'om de
minute he got off'm de train an sot
eyes on me; he am one easy chile ter
git 'quainted wild: so jes' h'isted him
UP by me. Here am his verlise,
ma'am."
"Good-by, Sam Lamb" said the
child as the negro got back on the
box and gathered up the reins. "l'll
see you to-morrer."
Miss Minerva imprinted a thin, old
maid kiss on the sweet. childish
mouth. II am your Aunt Minerva" +"
she said. as she picked up his satchel.
The little boy carelessly drew the
back of his hand across his mouth.
What are you doing?" she asked.
Are you wiping my kiss OFF,"
"Naw'm." he replied. 'I's jest AIS
a-rubbfn' 1t in, reckon"
Come In, William" and his aunt
led the way through the wide hall
into a big bedroom.
BILLY, ma'am," corrected her
nephew.
William" firmly repeated Miss MI
nerva. "You may have been called
Billy on that plantation where you
were allowed to run wild with the ne
groes, but your name Is Will
liam Green Hill, and l shall insist
upon your being called by it."
She stopped to help him off with
mis- coat, remarking as she did so:
What big overcoat; it is several
sizes too large for you"
"Darned If t amt" agreed the child
promptly.
who taught you such a naughty
word?" she asked In Mortified voice
Don't you know 1t is wrong to
,curse?"
"You call that cussin'?" came in
scornful tones from the little boy.
You don't know cussin' when you see
it: you jest oughter hear ole Uncle
Jimmy-Jawed jupiter, Aunt Cindy's
husban'; he'll show you somer the
pretties' cussin' you ever did hear"
''Who is Aunt Cindy?"
"She's the colored oman what tends
to me ever sence me an Wilkes Booth
Lincoin's born, an Uncle jupiter is
her husban' an he sh0 is stingeree
on cussin'. Is 20 husban' much Of a
cusser?" he inquired.
A pale pink dyed Miss Minerva's
thin, sallow, face.
81 am not a married woman" she
replied curtly, land | most assuredly
would not permit any oaths to be used
on my premises"
To T,,YT fn
is jest mach ELY boun' to cuss-he's s
got a repertation to keep up" said
Billy.
He sat down in chair in front of
no aunt, crossed his legs and smiled
confidentially up into her face.
Hell an damn is jest easy ev'y day
words to that niger. | wish you
could hear him cuss on Sunday Jest
one time. Aunt Minerva; he'd sho'
make you open yo' eyf an take in yo'
sign. But Aunt Cindy don't low me
an Wilkes Booth Lincoln to say moth.
IN t all only jest darn tell we gifts
grown mems. an puts on long pants. "
wilkes Booth Lincoln?" questioned
his aunt.
"Ain't you never hear teller him?"
asked the child. He's ole Aunt Blue
Gum Tempy's Perjury Pearline's boy;
an Perjury Pearline." he continued
enthusiastically, "she amt no ord.
nary niger, her hair amt got mare
11ink an she's got the grandes clo'es.
They amt nothin' snide bout her
She got ten chillens an ev'y single
one of ems got a diff'unt pappy, she
been married so much. They do say
she got Injun blood in her, too"
Miss Minerva, who mad been stand
ing prim. erect and stiff, fell Imply
into convenient rocking chair, and
looked closely at this orphaned
nephew who had come to live witt
her.
She saw a beautiful. bright, at
tractiVe, little face out of which big
saucy. gray eyes shaded by long curl
ing black lashes looked winningly a
her; she saw sweet. childish reC
mouth. mass of short, yellow curls
and thin but graceful little figure.
Il knows the names of aller oil,
Aunt Blue-Gum Tempy's Perjury Pearl
fne's chillens," he was saying proud
Iy: Admiral Farragut Moses thu
Prophet Esquire, he's the bigges'; an
Alice Ann Maria Dan Step-an:Go
Fetch-Tt. she had to nuss all the res
she say fas' as she git th'oo nussin
one an low she goin' to have
breathin' spell here come another ont