Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-04-16

| Iacn, We Wli thp tn6 catcCnibm anu
will tell you story"
Her auditors hunched themselves
nearer, double row Of attentive white
and black faces. as Hickey with pre-
liminary bass cough. began In a drawl-
ing tone whose mimicry called forth
giggles of esctasy.
There were once two little sisters
who went to Sunday-school and loved
their teacher ve-e-ery much. They
we're always good and attentive-not
like that little niger over there! The
one with his thumb In his mouth One
was little Mary and the other was
little Susy. They had Q mighty rich
uncle who lived in Richmond, and
once he came to see them and gave
them each a dollar. And they were
ve-e-ery glad. II wasn't a mean old
paper dollar, all dirt and creases; nor
battered Whitley silver dollar; but
1t was bright round gold dollar, right
out of the mint. Little Mary and little
Susy could hardly sleep that night for
thinking of what they could buy with
those gold dollars.
Early next morning they went
downtown, hand in hand. to the store.
and little Susy bought bag of goober-
peas, and sticks and sticks of striped
candy, and timber jack, and a gold
! ring, and wax doll with a silk dress
on that could open and shut it's eyes"
HUH" said the captious Cozy.
you can't buy wax doll for a dollar.
/
she didn't have stitch TO her back!"
shut up!" said Hickey briefly.
Dolls were cheaper then" She looked
at the row of little negroes, google
eyed at the vision of such largess.
What do you think little Mary did
with her gold dollar? She loved dolls
and candy, too, but she had heard
about the poo-oo-r heather. There was
tear in her eye, but she took the dol
lar home, and next day when she went
to Sunday-school, she dropped it in
the missionary-box
Little children, what do you reckon
became OF that dollar? II bought
big satchelful of tracts for a mission
airy. He had been poor man With
six children and a wife with a bone
felon on her right hand-not a child
old enough to wash dishes and all OF
them young enough to fall in the fire
80 he had to go and be a missionary.
He was going TO Alabam-to a canni-
bal island, and he took the tracts and
sailed away in a ship that landed him
on the shore. And when the heather
cannibals saw him they were ve-e-ery
glad, for there hadn't been any ship
wrecked sailors for a long time, and
they were ve-e-ery hungry. So they
tied up the missionary and gathered
lot OF wood to make a fire and cook
him.
But is had rained and rained and
rained for so long that the wood was
all wet and it wouldn't burn, and they
all cried because they were so hungry.
And then they happened to find the
satchelful of tracts, and the tracts
and stuck them under the wet wood
and the tracts burned and the wood
caught fire and they cooked the mis-
sionary and ate him.
Nov, little children, which do you
think did the most good with her dol
lar-little Susy or little Mary?"
The front row sniggered, and a sigh
came from the colored ranks. Dem
ar can 'bals," gasped a dusky infant
breathlessly. "-dey done eat up all
dat candy and dem goober-peas, too?"
The inquiry was drowned in a shrek
from several children in unison. They
scrambled to their feet, casting fear
full chances over their shoulders. The
man who had been lying behind the
bush had risen and was coming toward
them at a slouching amble, one foot
dragging slightly. His appearance, in
deed, was enough to cause panic. With
his savage face, set now in grin, and
his tramp-like costume, he looked
fierce and animal-like. White and
black, the children fed like startled
rabbits, older ones dragging yUuusoD
without a backward look-all save
Hickey, who stood quite still, her wild
ening eyes fixed on him in kind Of
blanched fascinated terror.
He came close to her, never taking
his eyes from hers, then put his heavy
grimy hand under her chin and turned
her twitching face upward. chuckling.
= Amt afeard, d-n mel" he said
with admiration. Wouldn't skedaddle
with tn fine folks white-livered young
, 'uns! Know who am, don't ye?"
Greet King" Rickey's lips rather
> formed than spoke the name.
: Right An | know you, too. Got
jes' tn same look ez when We wuzn't
no higher'n my knee. So we amt at
tn Dome no mo-, Ell? Purkle an fine
, Inning an a eddication. Hobo! Coin
ter make we another ladyess like the
sweet ducky-dovey that reecooed We
from tn lovin embrace o. yer fond
step-parient, eh?"
Rickeys small arm went suddenly
; out and her fingers tore at his shirt
band. Don't you" she burst in a
> parOxysm or passion; don't you even
: speak her namel II you do, III kill