Evening star., 1915-03-26

de heart out'n uses bodies"
Uncle Tinkum smiled. 'Doan you
fret, Rainey. da amt nothin' gwine be-
fall us.'
But i'll had befallen them The win
ter passed safely enough, but in the
late spring a cataract. long growing
on Aunt Rainey's eyes, rendered her
almost sightless. Her grief was extreme.
summer, I can't milk de cow. I can't
rinder lard in hog killin' time In fall
fuh de white uns.' she mourned. 81
can't read no noah out'n de Good
Book. I can't do nothin' 'thout eyes"
"Doan take on SO. honey, hit retches
my haht! En- you shall hab yoah eyes
back eff da's white doctor in Varney-
Vile dot kin glib 'em to you!' Uncle
Tink soothed her. "Da's DR.. ventner
Falconer's got a high reputation"
| them an operation would surely re-
store Aunt Rainey's sight. But Aunt
Rainey continued to mourn. I'VE put
our surplus in de orchid. Tink, and da
amt none fun no docter!"
"Nemm' you mind, Rainey, gall
Uncle Tink spoke largely and comfort
ingly. you go right long and hab dat
operation performed I got a scheme
fuh raisin' dat money easy-easy.
tells you, honey
white man of the neighborhood, Uncle
Tink went. Lafferty was willing
enough to advance $50 provided Uncle
Tink mortgaged to him the mule, which
was fully worth 5000. This Uncle Tink
did and took Lafferty's check home in
his pocket. But he kept secret from
Aunt Rainey Woodrow Jinnings' part
in the money acquisition.
When Uncle Tink brought Aunt
Rainey home from the hospital with
contain himself for joy. ''Is you shoah
you kin see, honey Rainey?" he asked
her dozen times on their homeward
way. kin you read dat?" He pointed
to a sign on a wayside barn.
Below a crude picture of a huge
snake were the words: Two hundred
and fifty dollars reward for the cap
ture of 'Celeste'-the python escaped
from our show July 1. Apply to Mile
Virginfe Ledeau & Co. or the towns
chief Of police
Aunt Rainey laboriously spelled out
the advertisement. Great mother!"
she shivered. Hit makes my marrow
bones plumb rattle wild de cole chills
roun' heah! I'm skeered, Tink, I'm
skeeredm
"Da, now, gal. don't you hab no on
easiness." Uncle Tink soothed her.
Dat snake hain't no buoy tnstructah.
de kind whut makes a practice of
squeezin' folks to DEATH"
'Taint?" Aunt Rainey took another
Mortified look at the garish picture.
Think, eff dat snake wuz to wrop hit
sef around a pusson. dey wouldn't hab
a chance to let out one 'yip' foah dey'd
be gone"
Oats So" admitted Uncle Tink, but
shucks, Ratney. dat crittur's done gone
back long afoah now to dat fab distant
place wha dey say hit coined fom, wha
hits so hot de watch biles on top O. de
ground when de sun hits fahr.'
At her smile of relief Uncle Tink
guffawed happily.
That summer and autumn the vege-
tables were cheaper in price than usual
On the first of December the old gar
dener had, over his winters money,
only SIS surplus. Then Silas Lafferty
suddenly decided to move west and re-
fused to renew his note, due January
z, for another year. I'm sorry, Tink,"
he said, but l don't want to leave any
outstanding debts"
The four weeks preceding January
Uncle Tink went about outwardly
cheerful. but with an Icy heart within.
and groomed Woodrow Jinnings. Use
gwine ride in town to de big mule
SALE" he told Aunt Rainey, who, hap
PLY unconscious of his woe, got to-
gether her quilting frames.
"Doan stay out ve'y late" cautioned
Aunt Rainey., Woodrow Jinnings mout
get skittish comm home In de dark"
Uncle Tink groaned heavily as he
rode off. Never again would he ride
Woodrow Jinnings home, either in day
light or in darkness. Il could better
bah de thought O. partin wild him." he
unused. drearily, "ef I knowed some
body'd git him dat'd treat him like a
human bein'. Eff I thought dis time