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>- laboriously
4 v .
boy came to an abrupt end, The good man told the
girl that the poor fellow was but one removed from
an actual idiot. “Then he must be a genius," she
replied. She had been off at school and knew what
genius meant. One day she said to Ned: "You say
you can't think, and I believe you, butisupposc at
odd moments, Sundays and at night, you sit down
and write out the reasons why you are queer and
can't thlnk."
"What will‘ you give me?"
"I might give you my love,” she’ said, laughing.
lie reflected for a moment-at least he was silent
for a time, and then replied:. "Either do that or in-
crease my victuals. My appetite is a-coinin’ back
pretty strong." ,
A bargain was struck. Ned went to work and
sometimes she would sit beside him and take up the
sheets as laboriously he would turn them off. One
day she said: "You are a bigger fool with a pen
than at any other time." ' -
“Well, I reckon that's natural," he replied.
Just as he had completed his autobiography there
‘ came along the agent of a.publishing-house., The
“tlU[,’, :uxVI,;uiI;,, will!’ still’. > .$iii;,,‘u;;,‘4
’. .‘ 5 7li'Il,“xl”il,‘ 3 3 '.. 4
: L i ‘ .
; I-’ ' V ‘ f
i U I". E? I ‘ I;
'“‘“ ""“" xi‘?-iin‘Iiiii" v’Iiin“"7x x“"ll Niiix
'1 it“. J”, '.‘..,.i, ‘
‘. ‘ -‘ ff‘ ’c7iuIm
.
. ALK had started. g
T "Slick" Moore was dead; and the probable'
lack of style and-magnificence or the approach-
ing obscquies had caused scornful comment among
the wagging tongues of Darktown. Mrs. Demos-
thenes Sampson, sister of the departed "Siick,“ was
painfully aware that the Wells Street colored folks
entertained the prospect of a very skimpy funeral.
“Sllck" Moore alive had been a wizard of the cue
in the ufteen-ball contest; he also hzid been dean of
the Darktown loafers; and his penniless departure
at dawn for that bourne from which no traveler re-
turns had broiight the cmbarrassed lilrs. Demos-
thenes Sampson into focusy'oi' the cruel eyes of,
E:hiopian society.
The body lay in state in her front room while her '
worthless husband, Demosthenes. ilrowsed in his
c-nsy-chair at the door in the noonday sun. in this’
hook of ease nnd comfort Demos was an eternal
fixture, and nothing about him moved excepthis‘
shadow, as Clo Simpkins so often" observed.
A woeful shortage of currency and
giziwnahle collateral was aiproblein to"
te surmounted‘ and solved by the ambi-
tious Mrs. Sampson in her deternilna- ‘
ton to ‘show 'em" the Moore pride sur-
tived. .
lilrs. Sampson, a rugged Amazon, was
hanging a huge washing on the line
when a boy dropped, an advertising
dodger at her gate. Mrs. Sampson
read the announcement
printed in fat type on the “To-nighter."
Iier stormy eyes lifted in speculation
to the indolent ngure of her shiltless
husband as he drowsed at the cottage
door. too lazy to dispute territorial
' rights with the files that buzzed inces-
santly ‘about his woolly head.
As she gazed upon the inert form of.
he whom she‘ha.d promised to cherish-
an idea of some brilliance popped full-
blown into her head. The mighty hand
that held the dodger trembled with I
hope as she eagerly embraced this heaven-sent in-
splration.
V Prizes were offered by the management of the
Academy Theater to colored entrants in a heat-en-
durlng contest. And twenty-tlve dollars was the first"
prize. It was the magic sum Mrs. Sampson needed
to round out her idea of a society burial.
filled with visions of a funeral of stately and solemn
grandeur. Her eyes shifted from the tlaccid hulk
of her slothfulp husband to the magic figures on the
dodger and her vision radiated hack in aurente
beams. . 1 g ,
iier heart swelled with this posthumous veneratlon
for the mortal remains, of the leading loafer of
Darktown; she knew how that in life he had been
ilenled the proper respect and affection, In giving
him a funeral procession that would be epochal she
a
lier mind '
Cl"II>CAGO L'EDGlZR
girl told him about the ‘book, and he replied that he‘
had come after fish, but did not object to picking up
a genius. lie took the idiot’s scrawlings and sat
up all night. The next day he struck out with the
manuscript. The boy and,girl laughed at his en- -
thusiasm. She said that he was a bigger goose than '
Ned. The publishers accepted the book and a con-
tract was drawn. The thing came out, glowing in
yellow covers, andrthe widow said that they ought’
to be ashamed of themselves for making fun of it
poor, demented boy. She was so moved to pity that
she hinted at wages.
And then thruout the country there arose 3. great ,.
cry: "A new literary genius had been discovered.
Ned Miller lays bare a great and simple soul. He
is the American Rousseau. Nothing can exceed him
in naturalness. His analysis of stupidity iyslmply
marvelous. With his sly humor he has put to shame
all the young women who write confessions.” .
The girl, sctingas agent, went to the city and
brought back a‘ substantial check. “W‘hat good is
that?" the author inquired. “Why didn’ttthey send
'me a turkey or a ham?" ' ' f
coulirattain at the same time the apex’of social
eminence she had so long craved,
Brieiiy the heat contest required each entranrto
sit on a glass Jar over a name of denaturedaicohol:
the contestant displaying the most endurance would
be declared the winner. ' I
Down in the Eureka Poolhall three “wise" darkies
discussed the contest and framed tip to divide the
lump sum of the three prizes, which was iiftydollnrs,
between them. ,
"D‘cause." shrewdly 'explained,i.ittle Six Harris
" ’f we all buck each other some one's goin‘ to git 1
fried to a. crisp. Right after we takes an places,
,soon's we gits a lil wahm, one of us'll fade out. den
de nex', an’ de ins‘ fella’ on de fire wins first money
wid de oddcr two winnln' second an‘ third money.
Dey'll be Jus us three-Ah’ll scare any odder guys
out. Lets hustle obcr to de Academy, oneqat a time."
But these darkies had not taken into account the
iron will of an ambitious woman.
-That night the theater was packed to sndocation.
Sin. summon Laborlmuly Ittnd the Announcement,
The manager glowed with satisfaction.
"What did I tell you?" he demanded of his per-
spiring stage carpenter. "Didn't I say we'd hang ‘em
on the rafters with this stunt? Holy mackerell take
a.pikc at Mrs. Crowd!” ' -
A ‘voluminous Ethiopian female was cleaving her
rnajestic way tliru the assembled company of per.
. ‘formers aloof as a dreadiiaught nosing across a busy
harbor.‘ liar‘ heroic lines would have been an in-
spiration to a sculptor designing a statue to 11,9
Goddess of Suet.
' The colossus was headed for the manager and by
the bulge of her canvas he rightly judged that her
1103111055 W35 IXTKBDL A wilted buck nigger‘ fast
in the mighty clutch of her right hand intruded a
touch of barbarblc atmosphere from the Stone Age;
on his chocolate face was the blight of utter deso.
’ He done got. col’ feet on’ ma’
‘fight Hy-send ’em on."
"Why, you dear, silly genius. this means money.”
“Wages?“ he inquired. ,
"Yes, more than wages for years to come. You
must understand that you are no iongera hired man.
You are an author and have written it great book.
The whole country is talking about you.”
‘The preacher, too?" ’ ' ‘
“Yes, he’ says you are 3. marvel.’
to discover it, he says.” . ‘ -
"hive him another slab of ham and let him hush';’f
“Do you know What '1 promised you?" i
“Love or:"x V’ i '
“No, not love or-but love. You and I are going
to get married.” ‘
“Who to?" asked the genuis‘that had laid bare a
great but simple soul. , ‘
To each other." , -
And the newspapers printed their picture, she a
' ‘beauty and he a. genius, and when they were mar-
ried the minister said: “The most wiinderful youth
of the century. I. wish I could recall the first con-
versation I-had with him. He dazzled me with the
p jewels of his mind." ‘
.. r s ‘
-- ““I‘l’,"‘:0lllIIiI;,”
. ‘ - - ,. ,
r .. I
131305; 11630411116 1119311113. but under control. likexya
tagged lamb to the cook tent. ’ ' . '
The vast brunette was Mrs. Demosthenes Samp-
‘son and the meek and lowly biped she had dragged
in to storm Mammon’s Citadel for a twenty-five dol-
lar cut of the contest‘ money, was her 1am and
master. ‘ ’ s ,
"M15TA11 MANAGER." began the‘ upholstered
Juno, “Ah had to bring dis heuh no ‘count nlg--
ger dawn by de scruff ob ‘is dirty‘ neck. so Ah 'did.
wn.n’t comin' nohow."
"Is he ii good sitter?" . ‘ ’
"Bestes setter in town," praised Mrs.‘ Sampson’
glibly. ‘Tracktisin’ all de time, he is.” .
The manger smiled and nodded. "Hey, Zip," he
0311991 10 the Droilertyman, "take his nibs here down
‘0 "19 Pfdbefty-room with the rest of the punks.”
"Says which?" demanded Mrs. Sampson, sus-
piciously. ."Ah‘s soinlter stay alon’ wit ‘mi, Mistah
M33439?’ all’ see he don‘ spoil de act by thinkin’ he's.
gittin’ too wahni. Ah Wants dat twen-
tv-live dallahs. powerful had an’ Ah‘m
here to see Demos wins de urstjvrize
9593 '1 he sits scorched lak a fried
aigg.” ‘ V I
When the curtain rose on the set for
9116 Sllecial act the audience's attention
was fixed in eager expectation of four
large transparent glass jars, padded at
the bottom with a few folds oi! cotton
and 0l>en at the top. - V
The manager. a quart bottle ofvde-
natured alcohol in his hand, made his
entrancexand struck E Mark Antony
Dose. He gazed over the vast assem-
blage with zi pleased air.
‘ 4"“ gives me great pleasure,’ ladies
" and. gentlemen," he begaril. 4-to an.
nouiice that our special feature will
1"-OW 131-'9 blace. We have four colored
entrants who are going to sit on mesa
‘Jars over a hot name in-a heat-endur-
nnce contest for three pr1zeg...gg-n, 11:.
teen, and twenty-five dollars. I thank you.‘ All
1
The four colored med-Demosthenes, Little Six.
Eph and Snowball-were propelled onto the stage by
the husky carpenter amid great applause. T59 cob.
testants viewed the situation and the ominous-look-
ins Jars with solemn appreciation of the magnitude
of their undertaking.
Little Six sized up Demos and his massive, grim-
faced wife and his black features set like cold tar.
There was a tense husbins the manager poured
the denatured alcohol into the jars and touched it
03 WW1 9- lighted match. Ominous blue names rose ,
and fell in‘ sinuous undulallon over the surface of
the cotton. Little Six, his two henchmen and Demos
eyed tho miniature bonfires in strained attitudes. un-
easy, fascinated.
, T‘ s
He was the first,