Evening star., 1925-07-12


woory bout at, Cap'n. All 'Lijah
| needs is sof' place on de shady side
| or tree when dey's somep'm needs
| doin' round de house. He'll tend to
de sleepin'. Dey's jus two things
LiJah's good foh: he de sleep.lovin'es'
and de catfish-ketchin'es' nigguah you
eveh seed"
Hes typical all right" the stran.
ger laughed. And / must see him
I've simply got to see him before l
| leave"
| JUDGE Holmsted found himself
gradually forming sneaking
fondness for his creation. Maybe ii
was because he was unconsciously
bringing into being an ideal. For
! 'Lijah was just the shiftless. work:
lodging. cigar-pilfering type that the
Judge would have foved-the kind
| that would run rabbits with his bird
dogs-provided the Judge could afford
the dogs-or slip his pack of fox
mounds out on cold Autumn nights
II the. Judge should ever own
pack-for surreptitious coon and
would be just like Litah. Indolent.
grumbling always, complaining of a
mlsry in his side; absolutely depend
ent, thoroughly undependable and
utterly likable. In short, he would
be perfect. The Judge even caught
himself at times murmuring aloud.
Ihat trifing black rascal
! But such things oh, welli-they
were dreams, visions that an old man
was seeing.
AS the strangers showed no signs
OF terminating their visit. 'Ban1a. with
Visions of rapidly depleted larder,
began TO experience a real concern
with only the Judge and herself to
care for, she could have made shift of
some sort. Maybe a hint to Judge
Hoimsted OF the real state of affairs
might not prove unavailing. So she
tfled, very automatically, one evening
a. tne supper table, to sound a
Judge. suh." she remarked, mean.
ingly. 'Lijah is been 'mongst de
What of it?" Judge Holmsted
smiled on his guests. Lijah, he ex.
| plained was probably giving a party
for some OF his friends. A few chick.
ems, more or less, don't matter, do
| they. 'Bama?'
But desc is fattenin' chickens.
sub de onlies' ones l had left
You don't mind 'Lijah entertaining
his friends, do your" the talkative
| stranger asked.
! Not gen ally: no, sub But he's
been gittin entirely too entertainin'
| lately"
Doesn't he catch enough fish for
his feasts?"
'Yessuh; he ketches plenty fish.
But catfish, you knows, is Just
nigguh's reg-lar eatin' victuals. Dey
uses de chickens kind o. foh dessert"
You must find his parties some
thing of drain on your resources"
Tain't no pahty, sub, he's givin'
| is time. It's justa shindig-a plain
| shindig''
| The judge explained that a shindig
was a dance.
Dancer" The younger stranger
| seemed amazed. IAN old man Ike
| 'Lijah?"
Him dance?" 'Bama gave answer.
Just de thoughts of a fiddlell send
him shuffiin' his feets cross de flo
| right now. Age amt purified him
| none?'
"'Bama, strictly orthodox in -her
religious beliefs, was patiently out
ragged by this latest of the hapIess
| 'Lijah's escapades. for as she left the
! room they heard her muttering:
| IAN him wild gran chiIiun. rs
| gWine to have him churched-I sho'
/ is"
Between themselves the strangers
/
| brought them TO Holmacres.
| It's showing up even better than
the estimate we received" the older
| man said one evening
| 'One of the richest deposits / ever
| saw" the other admitted.
| When they went to their room he
| complained of not being in the mood
| for sleeping. The rays of that
| Southern moon. he said, must have
| affected him. He felt restless; he'd
| walk round bit.
| Five minutes later he returned
! quietly to the house. mounted the
stairs softly, undressed silently, and
went to bed.
THE next morning as they seated
themselves at the breakfast table,
| 'Bama s voice, raised in loud and in
| dignant self-commotion, was heard in
| the kitchen.
| "Co'se, he don't keer'. Out dere
| diggin' yearthworms to go fishin' wild
| an lettin' all 'em COWS an cafe git
| together, Don't make no Offence to
| him if us don't have no milk foh de
cawfee."
| 1t was much better. 'Bama rea-
soned. to blame this lack on Lijah
than be compelled to admit that their
only COW. bitten by a snake two days
| previously, had died.
| But the younger stranger, usually
| so talkative when reference was
made to 'Lijah, was strangely silent
| now.
| Another day, as the visitors were
dressing in their room, the more taci-
| turn one spoke of their business. II
wonder" he asked IF the Judge
knows anything about the value of
| the property"
"Oh, yesr' The younger mans To-
quaciousness had returned. He
I knows all about it. / was talking to
J 'Lijah only yesterday''-he made sud
| den pretence of searching for some
| thing in his travelling bag "and he
said the judge had received several
| offers for the property, but that he
wasn't eager to sell. Saving it as a
| sort of nest egg, I was given to
understand. In fact, 'Lijah said"
so, you've seen him?" At the
| first mention of the name, the serious
| faced stranger had seemed surprised
almost startled. Then look of
| comprehension-of complete and SYM
! pathetic understa anding-lighted his
| grave features. And, as he smiled
softly, tiny wrinkles creased the
corners of his eyes. What's 'Lijah
| like?''
Just what / expected. Quite a
character. Unique. He let me
understand how these Southern
1 planters feel about parting with any
| of their landholdings. From what
'Lijsh said. the judge probably
! wouldn't even name a figure If we
| were to approach him on the matter.
And don't forget that 1t would be
| fatal even to think of trying any
haggling. He doesn't want for money,
with this plantation bringing in a