The Washington herald., 1921-05-22

Jake in. now. I'll be glad to see
the old villain again"
wait just a moment" said John.
I've got a little theory / want to
test. You and ] arc pretty much
alike in our general appearance.
Old Jake hasn't seen you since
you were fifteen. Let's have him
in and play fair and see which of
surely ought to be able to pick
out his young marster' without
any trouble. The alleged aristo-
cratic superiority of a Jeb' ought to
be visible to him at once. He
ing over the timepiece to a
the dinner this evening and two
dozen l5h collars for Jake. Is 1t
a go?"
Landlord agreed heartily. Per-
cival was summoned. and told to
usher the "colored gentleman" in.
Uncle Jake stepped inside the pri-
vate office cautiously. He was a
little old man, as black as SCOT.
wrinkled and bald except for a
fringe of white wool, cut decorously
SnOTl, lHdl ran over MS ears ana
around his head. There was moth
ing of the stage uncle" about him:
his black suit nearly fitted him; his
shoes shOne. and his straw hat was
banded with a gaudy ribbon. In his
right hand he carried something
carefully concealed by his closed
fingers.
Uncle Jake stopped a few steps
from the door. Two young men sat
in their revolving desk-chairs ten
feet apart and looked at him in
friendly silence. His gaze slowly
shifted many times from one to the
other. He felt sure that he was in
the presence of one, at least. of the
revered family among whose for
tunes his life had begun and was to
end.
One had the pleasing but naughty
Carteret air; the other had the un-
mistakable straight. long family
poise. Both had the keen black
eyes, horizontal brows. and thin.
smiling lips that had distinguished
both the Carteret of the Mayfiower
and him of the brigantine. Old Jake
had thought that he could have
picked out his young master in
stantly from a thousand Northern
ers; but he found himself in diff
culties. The best he could do was
to use strategy.
'Howdy, Marse Blandford-howdy.
subj" he said. looking midway be-
tween the young men.
'Howdy, Uncle Jake?" they both
answered pleasantly and in uni
son. ''Sit down. Have you brought
the watch"
Uncle Jake chose a hard bottom
chair at a respectful distance, sa,
on the edge of it. and laid his hat
carefully on the floor. The watch.
in its buckskin case, he gripped
tightly. He had not risked his life
on the battlefield to rescue that
watch from his "old marster's" foes
to hand It over again to the enemy
without struggle.
Yes. sub; I got ii in my hand,
sub. I'm gwine give II to you right
away in jus a minute. Old Missus
told me to put 1t in young Marse
Blandford's hand and tell him to
wear 1t for the family pride and
honor. 1t was a mighty lonesome
trip for an old niger man to
make-ten thousand miles, it must
be, back to old Virginia. sub.
You've growed nightly. young
marster. l wouldn't have recon
nized you but for yo' powerful re-
semblance to the old marster."
With admirable diplomacy the
old man Kept his eyes roaming in
the space between the two men.
His words might have been ad-
dressed to either. Though neither
wicked nor perverse. he was seek
ing for a sign.
Blandford and John exchanged
winks.
Il reckon you done got you mas
letter" went on Uncle Jake 'She
said she was gwineA to write to
you bout my COMM along up this
er-way."
Yes. yes. Uncle Jake. said John
briskly. My cousin and I have
just been notified to expect you.
We are both carterets, you know"
Although one of u.s." said Bland
ford was born and raised in the
North"
80 If you will hand over the
watch" said John
My cousin and L." said
Blandfor9. aag.1
"WiIl then see to IL" said .Johr