Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-10-22

brush DaCK lIlLO LIfS paint can ana
ran to the attic window. Outside.
a banshee had walled, or a panther
had screamed, or both. ZEE YEA
A-A-A-HAH-ah-ah-ah yeow!"
For a half minute Sara Sue
stared, enraptured. Her heart
picked up in Tempo Through cob
webby, atticky fuzz she watched a
bus across Main boulevard dis
gorging it's animated cargo. From
its nav came an incredible num-
Der of boys, and few even came
from it's windows All Of them
seemed hopelessly entangled in suit
cases, raincoats, handshaking,
backslapping, laughter. whistling,
comaraderie de luxe.
"Motherw Sara Sue shrieked
down the stairs. They're coming!
The first bus is here!"
Eyes, darling" Mother Davis
had been at a window, too.
A third party, highly interested.
protruded his ebony neck from a
kitchen door. He was Raymond
Jones, long since rechristened Cal
eulus.
''Lawd, lawd, ah oughta be over
there nah own self, Miss Sara
Sue!" Calculus called now. ."Thev
sho come a helm, don't they 2"
you stay where you are, Cal
culus, or I'll come a helm my
self" Sara Sue ordered good-na-
turedly. you're not sophomore,
remember. You've been at Rice 10
years at least, haven't your"
"Fo'teen, ma'am. But alb still
likes it."
That was true. Calculus Jones,
happy odd-job man, had been
nicknamed by the class of "a
when he was a freshman. He
reputedly knew more about the
university than its president did.
And for five summers he and
his enormous wife, Cleopatra,
worked for Sara Sue Davis. He
and Cleo had been loud and sim
cere mourners when Sara Sues
young husband had been acciden-
tally killed in 1884. He and Cleo
often said they belonged" to the
young widow.
IT don't blame you, Calculus"
Sara Sue had come downstairs
now. II like it, too. That's why
I'm here"
you woulda went to Rice YOU
own self, eff you hadn't failed in
love, ma'am."
He said it tenderly. He was re-
membering when pretty Sara Sue
tanning, fresh out of Houston
high school, had eloped with a
Rice athlete. But he thoughtfully
turned the talk back to current
interest.
IT sees Mistuh Bob comm outa
that bus, heb heb! Football sho
gonna pick up now. He been late
Tor practice"
''Who?" asked Sara Sue.
"Mistuh Bob, the end man,
ma'am." r
ooh, Bob Towne. Towne, moth
or. We saw him play last fall, re-
member? Right end. Best end
Rice ever had"
"Yes'm, sho is"
In this autumn of 1898, Sara
Sue Davis, along with practically
everybody else in Texas, was
doubly interested in Rice Insti-
tute. Rice had won champion
ships last year in both track and
football, despite the fact that its
enrolment was smallest of all the
Southwestern conference colleges.
People just naturally like to see
a small fellow win. And people
couldn't criticize Rice; it maintains
high scholastic standing, is inde-
pendent of such things as politics,
is privately endowed as a free col
lege for the more worthy southern
youths.
"And there's Miss Peaches long
car slinlxin' up over there now,"
Calculus resumed, grumblingly.
'Doggone, she can sho tell when
Mistuh Bob arrive in town! He
hardly git here when She"
FLUSH, Calculusw Sara Sue child
ed the colored man. you're an old
gossip"
"Yes'm. Nom, I mean" He
.grinned his apologies, and resumed
work. His task for the morning
was to make the cottage super
iclean. With students arriving, Gus
toners might start coming any
time, Sara Sue reminded him.
The girl thrilled a little at the
very thought Of customers. She
had never been in business before
She had held a few short-time jobs
but mostly she had lived on the in
surance money her husband had
left. It had run low, and someone
had suggested that she open a tea