“they's going to be a big nigger 'scursion to memphis at 'leven o'clock,” said jimmy as he met the other little boy at the dividing fence; “sam lamb's going and 'most all the niggers they is. sarah jane 'lowed she's going, but she ain't got nobody to 'tend to bennie dick. wouldn't you like to go, billy?”
“you can't go 'thout you's a nigger,” was the reply; “sam lamb say they ain't no white folks 'lowed on this train 'cepin' the engineer an' conductor.”
“sam lamb'd take care of us if we could go,” continued jimmy. “let's slip off and go down to the depot and see the niggers get on. there'll be 'bout a million.”
billy's eyes sparkled with appreciation.
“i sho' wish i could,” he said; “but aunt minerva'd make me stay in bed a whole week if i want near the railroad.”
“my mama 'd gimme 'bout a million licks, too, if i projeckted with a nigger 'scursion she 'bout the spankingest woman they is. my papa put some burnt cork on his face in the knights er pythi's minstrels and i know where we can get some to make us black; you go get miss minerva's ink bottle too, that'll help some, and get some matches, and i'll go get the cork and we can go to sarah jane's house and make usselfs black.”
“i ain't never promise not to black up and go down to the depot,” said billy waveringly. “i promise not to never be no mo' injun—i—”
“well, run then,” jimmy interrupted impatiently. “we'll just slip down to the railroad and take a look at the niggers. you don't hafto get on the train just 'cause you down to the depot.”
so miss minerva's nephew, after tiptoeing into the house for her ink bottle and filling his pockets with contraband matches, met his chum at the cabin. there, under the critical survey of bennie dick from his customary place on the floor, they darkened their faces, heads, hands, feet, and legs; then, pulling their caps over their eyes, these energetic little boys stole out of the back gate and fairly flew down an alley to the station. no one noticed them in that hot, perspiring, black crowd. a lively band was playing and the mob of good-humored, happy negroes, dressed in their sunday best, laughing and joking, pushing and elbowing, made their way to the excursion train standing on the track.
the two excited children got directly behind a broad, pompous negro and slipped on the car just after him. fortunately they found a seat in the rear of the coach and there they sat unobserved, still and quiet, except for an occasional delighted giggle, till the bell clanged and the train started off. “we'll see sam lamb toreckly,” whispered jimmy, “and he'll take care of us.”
the train was made up of seven coaches, which had been taking on negroes at every station up the road as far as paducah, and it happened that the two little boys did not know a soul in their car.
but when they were nearing woodstock, a little station not far from memphis, sam lamb, making a tour of the cars, came into their coach and was promptly hailed by the children. when he recognized them, he burst into such a roar of laughter that it caused all the other passengers to turn around and look in their direction.
“what y' all gwine to do nex' i jes' wonder,” he exclaimed. “yo' ekals ain't made dis side o' 'ternity. lordee, lordee,” he gazed at them admiringly, “you sho' is genoowine corn-fed, sterlin' silver, all-woolan'-a-yard-wide, pure-leaf, green-river lollapaloosas. does yo' folks know 'bout yer? lordee! what i axin' sech a fool question fer? 'course dey don't. come on, i gwine to take y' all off 'n dese cars right here at dis woodstock, an' we kin ketch de 'commodation back home.”
“but sam,” protested billy, “we don't want to go back home. we wants to go to memphis.”
“hit don't matter what y' all wants,” was the negro's reply, “y' all gotta git right off. dis-here 'scursion train don't leave memphis twell twelve o'clock tonight an' yuh see how slow she am runnin', and ev'y no 'count nigger on her'll be full o' red eye. an' yo' folks is plumb 'stracted 'bout yer dis minute, i 'low. come on. she am gittin' ready to stop.”
he grabbed the blackened hand of each, pushing jimmy and pulling billy, and towed the reluctant little boys through the coach.
“yuh sho' is sp'iled my fun,” he growled as he hustled them across the platform to the waitingroom. “dis-here's de fus' 'scursion i been on widout sukey a-taggin' long in five year an' i aimed fo' to roll 'em high; an' now, 'case o' ketchin' up wid y' all, i gotta go right back home. now y' all set jes' as straight as yer kin set on dis here bench,” he admonished, “whilst i send a telegraph to marse jeems garner. an' don' yuh try to 'lope out on de flatform neider. set whar i kin keep my eye skinned on yuh, yuh little slipp'ry-ellum eels. den i gwine to come back an' wash yer, so y' all look like 'spectable white folks.”
miss minerva came out of her front door looking for billy at the same time that mrs. garner appeared on her porch in search of jimmy.
“william! you william!” called one woman.
“jimmee-ee! o jimmee-ee-ee!” called the other.
“have you seen my nephew?” asked the one.
“no. have you seen anything of jimmy?” was the reply of the other.
“they were talking together at the fence about an hour ago,” said billy's aunt. “possibly they are down at the livery stable with sam lamb; i'll phone and find out.”
“and i'll ring up mrs. black and mrs. hamilton. they may have gone to see lina or frances.”
in a short time both women appeared on their porches again:
“they have not been to the stable this morning,” said miss minerva uneasily, “and sam went to memphis on the excursion train.”
“and they are not with lina or frances,”—mrs. garner's face wore an anxious look, “i declare i never saw two such children. still, i don't think we need worry as it is nearly dinner time, and they never miss their meals, you know.”
but the noon hour came and with it no hungry little boys. then, indeed, did the relatives of the children grow uneasy. the two telephones were kept busy, and mr. garner, with several other men on horseback, scoured the village. not a soul had seen either child.
at three o'clock miss minerva, worn with anxiety and on the verge of a collapse, dropped into a chair on her veranda, her faithful major by her side. he had come to offer help and sympathy as soon as he heard of her distress, and, finding her in such a softened, dependent, and receptive mood, the major had remained to try to cheer her up.
mr. and mrs. garner were also on the porch, discussing what further steps they could take.
“it is all the fault of that william of yours,” snapped one little boy's mother to the other little boy's aunt: “jimmy is the best child in the world when he is by himself, but he is easily led into mischief.”
miss minerva's face blazed with indignation.
“william's fault indeed!” she answered back. “there never was a sweeter child than william;” for the lonely woman knew the truth at last. at the thought that her little nephew might be hurt, a long forgotten tenderness stirred her bosom and she realized for the first time how the child had grown into her life.
the telegram came.
“they are all right,” shouted mr. garner joyously, as he quickly opened and read the yellow missive, “they went on the excursion and sam lamb is bringing them home on the accommodation.”
as the major, short, plump, rubicund, jolly, and miss minerva, tall, sallow, angular, solemn, were walking to the station to meet the train that was bringing home the runaways, the elderly lover knew himself to be at last master of the situation.
“the trouble with billy—” he began, adjusting his steps to miss minerva's mincing walk.
“william,” she corrected, faintly.
“the trouble with billy,” repeated her suitor firmly, “is this: you have tried to make a girl out of a healthy, high-spirited boy; you haven't given him the toys and playthings a boy should have; you have not even given the child common love and affection.” he was letting himself go, for he knew that she needed the lecture, and, wonderful to tell, she was listening meekly. “you have steeled your heart,” he went on, “against billy and against me. you have about as much idea how to manage a boy as a—as a—” he hesitated for a suitable comparison: he wanted to say “goat,” but gallantry forbade; “as any other old maid,” he blurted out, realizing as he did so that a woman had rather be called a goat than an old maid any time.
the color mounted to miss minerva's face.
“i don't have to be an old maid,” she snapped spunkily.
“no; and you are not going to be one any longer,” he answered with decision. “i tell you what, miss minerva, we are going to make a fine, manly boy out of that nephew of yours.”
“we?” she echoed faintly.
“yes, we! i said we, didn't i?” replied the major ostentatiously. “the child shall have a pony to ride and every thing else that a boy ought to have. he is full of natural animal spirits and has to find some outlet for them; that is the reason he is always in mischief. now, i think i understand children.” he drew himself up proudly. “we shall be married to-morrow,” he announced, “that i may assume at once my part of the responsibility of billy's rearing.”
miss minerva looked at him in fluttering consternation.
“oh, no, not to-morrow,” she protested; “possibly next year some time.”
“to-morrow,” reiterated the major, his white moustache bristling with determination. having at last asserted himself, he was enjoying the situation immensely and was not going to give way one inch.
“we will be married to-morrow and—”
“next month,” she suggested timidly.
“to-morrow, i tell you!”
“next week,” she answered.
“to-morrow! to-morrow! to-morrow!” cried the major, happy as a schoolboy.
“next sunday night after church,” pleaded miss minerva.
“no, not next sunday or monday or tuesday. we will be married to-morrow,” declared the dictatorial confederate veteran.
billy's aunt succumbed.
“oh, joseph,” she said with almost a simper, “you are so masterful.”
“how would you like me for an uncle?” miss minerva's affianced asked billy a few minutes later.
“fine an' dandy,” was the answer, as the child wriggled himself out of his aunt's embrace. the enthusiastic reception accorded him, when he got off the train, was almost too much for the little boy. he gazed at the pair in embarrassment. he was for the moment disconcerted and overcome; in place of the expected scoldings and punishment, he was received with caresses and flattering consideration. he could not understand it at all.
the major put a hand on the little boy's shoulder and smiled a kindly smile into his big, grey, astonished eyes as the happy lover delightedly whispered, “your aunt minerva is going to marry me to-morrow, billy.”
“pants an' all?” asked william green hill.
