The Jasper news., 1919-01-16

!
asked: +
"They'll bring 1t back, won't theyf''
"NeverI' said Uncle Peahody, tPm
afraid they've ets it up" "Ess
f He had no sooner saidat than a
cry broke from my ltpsst and 4G sank
down upon the grass srfioaning and
sobbing. lay amidst the ruins of
the simple faith Of chlldho0d. II was
as IL the world aud all its joys had
come to an end. n, IN
Aunt Deel spoke ina low, kindly
tone and came land lift0d me to my
feet very tenderly. ss+ssii .is
"Come. Bart dot feel so about
that old Melon" said she, ut ain't
worth 1t. Come with me. I'm going
to give you present-ayes / be r.
was still crying when she took
me to her trunk, and offered the
grateful assuagement of candy and
a belt, all embroidered with blue and
white beads. ~
Nov you see Bart, how low and
mean anybody Is that takes what
don't belong to 'em-ayesl They're
snakes! Everybody hates 'em an
stamps on 'em when they come in
sight-ayes!"
The abomination of the Lord was
In her look and manner. How Il
shook my soul He who had taken
the watermelon had also taken from
me something l was never to have
again, and a. very wonderful thing II
was-faith In the goodness of men.
My eyes had seen evil. The world
had committed Its first offense against
me and my spirit was no longer the
white and beautiful thing It had been.
Still, therein Is the beginning of wis
dom and, looking down the long vista
of the years, i thank God for ihe
great harvest of the lost watermelon.
Better things had cofnesfn Its place
understanding and what more, often
l have vainly tried to estimate. For
one thing that sudden revelation of
the heart of childhood had lifted my
aunt's out of the cold storage of a
puritanlc spirit, and warmed 1t Into
new life and opened Its door for me.
In the afternoon she sent me over
to Wills to borrow little tea. !
stopped for few minutes to play
with Henry Wills--a boy, .iot quite
year older than I. White playing
there discovered d pieya of the
rind of my melon In the dooryard. On
that piece Of rind saw she cross
which I had made, one day with my
thumb-nall. 1t was intended to in
dicate that the melon was solely ana
wholly mine. felt flush of anger.
81 hate you," said as approached
him. aasa ,.l
II hate you,"r he answered.
You're snake |" / said
We now stood, face to face and
breast to breast, like a pair of young
ROSTERS. He gave me q shove and
| told me to go home. gave him a
shove and told him I wouldn't. I
pushed up close TO, him again and
we giared into each others eyes,.
Suddenly he spat In my face. l
gave him scratch on the forehead
with my 1nger-nails- Then we fell
upon each other and rolled on the
ground and hit and scratched with
feline ferOcity. sii,
i
Mrs. Wills ran out of the house and
parted us. Our blood was hot. and
leaking through the skin OF our faces
a little. s f..sa IA "a 4
"He pitched on me-" Henry ex-
planned.
/ couldn't speak.
::a.tGo right -hems-sthis minute+-you
brat p said Mrs. Wills In anger.
"Here's your tea. Don't you ever come
here again.. rr - ,,z,. ,-e - :,
| / took the tea and started down the
road weeping. What bitter day
that was for mel 4 dreaded to face
my aunt and uncle, Coming through
the grove down by our gate met
Uncle Peabody. With the keen In
sight of the father of the prodlgal SON
he had seep me coming "a Aong way
off" and shouted: = - N''s n ~
/ swell. here ye bel was kind O.
/ worried, Bub." Ff2fa l2slF pe ~
Then his eye caught the look Of de.
| lection in my gait and figure. He hur-
ried toward me. u He . stopped as i
came sobbings to his feet. n .;asl
"Why, what's the matterT he asked
gently, as he took the tea cup from
my hand. and sat down upon his heels.
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