The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-02-14


'ooman'
Can she cook"
Cook" The genial litter. again
captured his dusky escort. when
she got de fixens. All reck'n she de
beaten'es cook In his hesh county"
How would you both like to live
here with me for a while? She could
cook and you could take care Of me"
Uncle Jefferson's eyes seemed to
turn inward with mingled surprise and
introspection He shifted from one
foot TO the other. swallowed difficulty
several times. and said. "Ah ain neb.
bah seed yo' befo. sun"
We'll. haven't seen you either.
have -"
OATS de trufe. sub. deed ct is!
Hyuh. hyuh, Whut All means ter
ssy is dat de OF CONAN kahn cook
no fancy cidoes like what dey eats up
Sorf. She kin jes' cook de Ferginey
style"
That gounds good to me- quoth
Valiant IN risk IT, Now as to
wages
All Gin specticulous as ter de
wsscc," said Uncle Jefferson. "Ah
knows er gemman when All sees one"
''Then it's bargain, responded Va.
liant with alacrity. Can you come at
orce?"
"Ya5. sub, me en- Daph gwineter
come ovah fus' thing in de mawnin
Whit yo-all gwineter do fo' 20 sup
pah?'
"Ill get along" Valiant assured him
cheerfully. Here is five dollars. You
can buy some food and things to
cook with. and bring them with you.
Do you think there's stove in the
Kitchen"
"Ah reck'n," replied Uncle Jefferson.
EN- eff dar ain Daph kin cook er
Chris mus dinnah wild TO stones en- err
tin skillet Vas, subj"
He trudged away into the shadows.
but presently as the new master OF
Damory Court stood in the gloomy
hall, he heard the shambling step
again behind him. "Ah done neglect
uassd ter ak yo name, sub. All did.
TO err fac"
my name is Valiant. John Va
liant"
Uncle Jefferson's eyes turned up.
ward and rolled out of orbit Nah
Lawd!" he calculated soundlessly.
And with his wide lips still framed
about the last word, he backed out
OF the doorway and disappeared.
Alone in the ebbing twilight. John
Valiant found his hamper, spread q
napkin on the broad stone steps and
took out glass spoon and part OF
q loaf OF bread. The thermos flask
was filled with milk. 1t was not a
splendid banquet, yet he ate 1t with
great content as the bulldog at his
feet gnawed his share of the crust,
He broke his bread into the milk as
he had not done since he was child,
and ate the luscious pulp with keen
relish bred Of the long outdoor day.
1t was almost dark when the meal
was done and, depleted hamper in
hand, he reentered the empty echoing
house RE went into the library.
lighted the great brass lamp from the
motor and began TO rummage. The
drawers OF the dfning-room sideboard
yielded nothing; ON shelf OF the but.
ler's pantry, however. was a tin box
which proved TO be half full of wax
candles, perfectly preserved.
THE very thing" he said triumph.
ant,y. Carrying them back, he fixed
several in the glasscandlesticks and
set them. lighted, all about the somber
room till the soft glow flooded it's
that is as 1t should be. No big ba-
tant search-light here! And no glare
Of modern electricity would suit that
old wainscotlng. either"
re dragged the leather settee 10 ths
porch and by the light of the motor
lamp busted 1t thoroughly, and wheel
ing II back, set 1t under the portrait
which had SO attracted him. he
"e'ShSu thC 6iaSS ilcAh "aiNh nS A~N>
dined and filled it at the cup or the
garden fountain, put into 1t the rose
from his hat and set it ON the read
ing-stand The small china dog
caught his eye and he picked 1t up
casually The head came of In his
hands. 1t had been bon.bon box and
was empty save for q narrow strip OF
yeilowed paper, on which were writ
ten some meaningless figures: 17-2S.
$40. He pondered this a moment
then thrust it into one OF the empty
pigeonholes Of the desk. On the lat.
ter stood an old-fashioned leaf-calen'
dar: the date it exposed was May
l4th. Curiously enough the same date
would recur tomorrow The page bore
quotation: Every man carries his
fate on riband about his neck.
The line had been quoted in his
fathers letter May 14th-how much
that date and that motto may have
meant for him!
He rose to push the shutter wider
and In the movement his elbow sent q