Show p ia THE truthfulness OF G W his first name was george and ao he was the color of strong coffee of course his last name was washing ton he had ees as white as dab ler teeth to match he was running anav as any one else might whose birthday had gore wrong you see it as his first birthday at leat tt e first he had ever known he had discovered the date of it in uncle sol s almanac feb 22 george wash ington s birthday he had heard that those lucky enough to have b got present thereon and that there was to be A and a parade of the fireman in the neathy towns in honor of occasion he was naturally rather proud and anticipatory in couse quence and then the dav had come and there were no birthday g ats from the white folks as be had hoped he was not allowed to go to town to see hia jovn procession pio cession and osteal of a holiday he had been raad tor laziness and p it on the woodpile wis it any wonder under these ac cumulated grievances that he ran away and now a rather shiver ing figure in the muddy half frozen road alle he waited ann a persua sive grin for the buggy of mr lex carl in going 7 ot only had it been common tall in the kitchen that young carster lex cariln was courting miss claribel but george as he stood behind old miss mary s chair had observed and drawn conclusions for himself mr carlin had not been near the fairview plantation however the first of the ear and it was said that he and miss claribel had meled but still there was a chance of a town and george was not the one to lose chances miss mary done sont me to town for to fotch her some medicine for aunt saihe s z he explained glibly and I 1 reckoned you bought lemme ride wid you suh cariln was a good natured fellow and besides wanted news of his be loved so he made room for the boy beside him in return he got the news george knew what carim wanted and glided with the celerity of tice from the general into the lar and that particular which would most interest his host aa clar bel been beelin mighty po ly since yo i quit comin to de bouse marse lex she s kinder peak in aad liken ab lost and she don t eat bothin kaselo dats de reason she and old miss cella Is to go to the city miss clar bel don t wanter to but ole miss bonind she shall how does I 1 knowd hp contin iad lordy ain t much gwine on I 1 bont see no suh ole miss think miss clar bel done forgit you offen her mind she go away fum here and den marry dat mr carter turn bait more but she ain t for gittin an she aan t gwane to tors t neither dat day you an she quarles an ou rode off down de lane a cussin and let her in the drabin room I 1 was out on der back po ch an I 1 seed her bryin she cry much that I 1 saw cariln burst out don t lie to me you black rascal deed I 1 ain t alyin marse lex I 1 done seed her they rode along in silence for some waited with a ve grin time while carlan digested this antor be had heard so far the ex pecked quarter had not appeared and ceorge started on a new effort for it one day miss clar bel div me a note fer you he said casually A note carain cried hy dian didn t you brine it to me miss mary she come out an ax me whar was I 1 gwine an I 1 tole her an he done take de note away she tell me it miss clar lei give any more notes I 1 was to bring to her she says he ain t avi ine to have you a son in law she tool a note off me this sere very mornin carlia wor afi he r his ay j avy and in his pocket and drew out a ig shining half dollar george he said if miss clart bil ches oi any more for ne vou bring em to and you II 11 g t a half dollar for each one george assented willingly and was happy behold his worl had at last bjorne fruit there was balm in gil ead and good in birthdays after all it was a great day for georg washington his wealth commanded the admiration of others both white and black of his own age and he bought the harmonica mus cal soul longed for the tail of the day but I 1 dun seed you k ss n lex s p chur yesterday found him penniless but happy save tor the four mile homeward tramp ais for the greeting he would get on arrival that was too far in the future to bother him how to get home was the cariln had not gone back and george found him in doc stayton s drug store I 1 ve been lookin for you marse lex he said for to tell you sump in what miss clarbel done tole me to tell you hit done get clean outer my rembrance mem brance this yere mornin she say to me dat it I 1 was to see you I 1 was to tell you she was willan to make up wid you but she warn t gwine to wait no long time she told you thata cried carlin duap bously no suh she ain t es tole me but dat note au mary done get dia mornin hit say hit how do you knowd cause I 1 done read hit explained george washington frankly hit say dat sheh was waltin for you an that lessen you come this yere very abight to see her she s gwine to marry that other genderman gen terman dat mr tom cartel dat miss mary want her to why in thunder dian didn t you tell me this before you little impe growled carlin as he started tor his buggy tired with his day george wash agton alternately slumbered and jogged awake as the buggy whirled along over the rough virginia road to hall when at last they drew up in the circle before the door and he had hitched the horse to the old locust at the corner of the veranda george Vi ashington lost no time in climbing to nis bed over the back kitchen it was not destined to long he was brought out of sleep and his quilts with a jerk and a hand grasp ing his collar the hand was that of mr carlin and it marched geoage ashington down the kitchen stairs through the dining room into the par lor where miss claybel was sitting etith an indignant flush on her face and her eyes snapping did ou tell mr carlin that 1 arote him said miss claybel it w as on george washington s lips to deny the charge but he say carlin handl ng a small riding whip sug ge yas said he huskily and that I 1 wanted him to come here tonight and make upa yas m what made you tell those lies he greater washington s namesake felt of a crack in the floor with one bare brown toe I 1 dunno miss clar bel I 1 just reckoned marse lex would like to yere it but I 1 never said anything ot the kind nom george looked up boldly yol ain t never said hit but I 1 done seed you kissin of marse lex a pic ture yesterday an if you dian didn t want him to make up what tor was you doln data miss colored it was one thing to ask questions and quite an other to answer them george saw his advantage co se I 1 lied some but I 1 ain lied so mighty much miss clar bel miss mary did say one day dat she wisht you d marry dat carter genderman gen terman an dat she was 0 o sen you L i 5 i vai ard if you had g ve me a i ote or isaie lex I 1 specks miss mary 0 o 11 11 it away turn me an I 1 now I 1 marse lex was want n to vid iou an ou was him to it he d come yere and say so no m I 1 am t tell so mighty many 1 es cail n stepped up to the girl s side clar el dear he sa d is th boy r do yoi care yeta I 1 led on I 1 do only on I 1 never boull hae told oi sa d miss clar abel softly it as the aund of a ch cl ie that broial t cailan up with a start and a mon et after george washington toun 1 hi nse set firmly out in the 1 a 1 the door closed behind him a fiher dollar in his hand I 1 wisht them b birthdays irth days was every day said geoage washington as he clim e 1 tl e stairs to his bed room boston globe |