Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-02

Ruthie, I shall learn writin' now. some
how. so l can tell you what I'm doing"
Then I'll learn bout readin', SO l can
read EN-" declared Ruth. ''Old Eben up
on the knob knows how. an he offered to
show me once. but it didn't seem worth
while then. Now I'll start in. An I'll
go to the post Office real often
Its twelve miles" considered Gabe.
'.s'pose / write on the fust Of every
month, an you go week later Then
there won't be any miss. I'll have some
body fix my letters till learn how. Now,
goodbye, Ruthie-an' watt
and gun-or, no, there were his friendly
compelling eyes and his unusual size and
strength. He left the dog at his father s
cabin and took the rest
At the first village he found what the
golden ball was and had the paper read.
Then he was sent to a friendly station
agent. who gave him a railroad map.
But when he was advised to buy a
ticket he declined positively. He spi-
cioned the cars" he said. and was
''sprightly on foot
Ruth got her letters regularly, but the
tenth was the first real one and this
read:
Winter Haven. Florida.-Deer Ruthie:
This is my fust own letter. as | reckin
mebbe you'll think It's. But w ben
mighty bizZy sence | cum. I've had writ
to you bout the place here an the
months it done took me to walk down,
stoppin TO earn mummy to buy whites.
'.Sence last month I've been riz to )
dollars a day. an I'm savln 1t all, fof
my huntin' pays my keep.
An, say. Ruthie. bout that same gun.
1t toted mighty heavy comm down. an
seemed no use. But it's right helpful
here The man l work fur. the grove
owner is peart on huntin, an he takes
me out considerable. Says I'm the best
shot he ever seen. So my hunt1n up
thataway wa mt all lost.
The three dollars now is for being
riz to a boss over pickers. an three dollars
in a month of days counts up mighty
fast I've got my eye on piece of land
behind the man l work fur. five acres
AN say. Ruthie, it's mighty big
world an almighty big one. outside the
mountains. an / want to be right with
you when you see 1t fuSt. CABLE
To this letter Ruth was able to answer
in her own hand. though with spelling
cruder than Gabe's. for she had reached
her own teachers limitations.
In Gabes fourteenth letter was this
paragraph Bot the five acres. Feared
mighty high side our mountain land, but
guess it's with it.
The eighteenth: Fenced an set two
acres to trees.
The twenty-fourth: Say, Ruthie. the
owners asst me to look out for his grove
this winter pickn' an all. He's going
off to Europe. An were to live in his
house to keep it all rite. l shall take a
say them oranges l found was Parson
Browns. There's rows an rows of EN-
in the grove. An say, Wen bid little
house in our grove fore the owner gets
back. which won't be til year. We
got the mummy
Ruth was spelling out this letter as
she walked from the post office Sud
denly her face clouded. on only a
week, she murmured, an he's got
grove now Likely he's going huntin' an
will come up in the spring. 1t took
a strong, familiar footstep sounded be-
hind her and she turned quickly Why.
Gabe Ovecott." she cried. However in
the world did you-''
But he had caught her in his arms
and stopped further speech. Now,
Ruthie" he said. brislkly, as he released
her well go back an tell the store
keeper an other folks. an speak to the
parson. an see bout scatterin' the
twenty boxes of oranges I've brought up.
so everybody we know will get some. To-
morrer well be married. an the next day
must start south. I've only got week,
you know
But. Gabe,' she gasped. how
On the cars, Ruthie. on the cars"
he broke in. They're easy an you'll
like EN-. It's jest long streak Of fun.
Now, come
(THE END