Shields High School - Patriot Yearbook (Seymour, IN)

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pasture and on over the hill, where some white stones were seen marking the graves of generations of Caldwells. The family graveyard was enclosed by an iron fence, but as the gate always stood open, a path had been worn through the place by the feet of those who went to and from the sugar camp. With a grin Tommy turned toward the stately old brick house that his grandfather had built after the old home had burned. C ' mon Dave, let ' s get our sleds and go hunt ' Lijah. As the tall old clock down-stairs boomed out the hour of ten o ' clock, Tommy sat up in bed. Everything was as still as if it were the witching hour of mid- night, which he imagined it to be. He had lain awake centuries it seemed to him, waiting for mid-night, and he was sure that he had counted twelve strokes. Across in another corner of the great square room, in another small white bed, he could see the small mountain which was David. He chuckled to himself as he thought how mad David would be the next morning when he discovered what he had missed. Baby! thought Tommy scornfully, he ' d be scared to death. Tommy had had the good fortune to be born a full two years before David put in his appearance, and at present he was feeling the full importance of his twelve years. Reaching under the bed, he drew out a small white bundle which he laid on the bed while he put on the necessai ' y clothes. It had been necessary to undress as usual, or David would have suspected something. Picking up his little bundle, he glanced toward David ' s bed. His brother had not moved, and Tommy, with a sigh of relief, stole out of the room and down the stairs. He knew which boards creaked, so carefully avoided them. It was cold outside, and he stopped at the hall closet to put on his heavy wraps before he tried to unbolt the door at the end of the hall. The bolt was already drawn, and he made a mental note that here was something with which he could make Moses ' life miserable for the next day or so. By threatening to tell his father, there was no knowing how many dozens of slings and new sled-runners Mose would make for him. Once outside he did not have to be so careful, for there was no danger of waking anyone. The slave-cabins were at a considerable distance, and everyone in the big house was sound asleep. Turning up the collar of his coat, he began to run toward the little hill, about a half mUe away. There was a moon, and he was able to distinguish the white marble slabs of the grave-yard. At every step his courage diminished, and by the time he reached the open gate of the cemetery, his teeth were fairly chattering with fear. Daily association with his father ' s negroes had given him the same fear of grave-yardis and ha ' nts which ' Lijah or any of the slave children enjoyed. But even twelve year old. Tommy had the Caldwell chin and determination, so he tremblingly entered

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Gnosis eoD oa Pig 5U6(?a Mart Goodloe Billings, ' 20 Bussing and scolding the old negress drew on her thread- bare broadcloth coat (a piece of her mistress ' discarded wardrobe) and warmed her mittened hands at the open fire. Wy don ' Mahse John send Mose or Gawge ovah to that there sugah camp? Ain ' t no speshul cooking has to be done ' bout makin ' a little maple sugah. Dis hyah ain no weathah foh no woman to tramp put nigh a mile in no slush an ' snow. Git out en hyah, you Mahse Tommy! as a small white face was thrust into the door of the cabin, Ain ' no little pick ' ninnies roun ' hyah foh you to torment. ' Lijah he took de whole mess ob ' em down on the hill to slide. Tommy ventured in, followed by a. somewhat smaller boy — evidently his brother, for he had the same freckled snub nose, and inquisitive blue eyes. Mahse Tommy Caldwell, did you heah me tell you-all to clear out? You an ' yo ' li ' l brothah David is the beatenest white chillen in the county, comin ' in hyah an ' messin ' up my new-scrubbed floah with yo ' dirty feet — Where you goin ' , Aunt Sukey? said Tommy, as he fingered the long fringe dangling from a vivid tidy on a rickety wooden chair. None o ' yoah bus ' ness, suh! Git outen hyah — trackin ' up my clean floah with all that duht! I know where she ' s goin ' . Tommy, said David, because I heard father tell her. She ' s goin ' over to the sugar camp to stay all day and make mother some maple sugar. Take me, Aunt Sukey, begged Tommy. If you will, I ' ll give ' Lijah my new fish pole that Uncle Archie brought me from St. Louis. ' ' Huh! snorted Sukey, Who ' d want a fish pole in February, with the snow on the ground an inch thick? No suh, Marse Tommy, I aint goin ' to have no limbs of Satan foolin ' roun ' an ' gettin ' in my way — no suh Pushing the two little boys before her, she shuffled out the door. ' ' Go ' long home you-all. An ' Marse Tommy, ef you don ' t let my ' Lijah alone, I ' ll skin the hide off ' n you. Tommy and David watched her as she lumbered across the premises toward the sugai ' -woods. There was a road to the camp, but it was so round-about and muddy that no one ever thought of using it, but went instead through the

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the unspeakable place, fully expecting to see his great-uncle Harry ' s ghost, or the shade of his great-great-grandmother rise from its long resting place and point a phantom finger at him. Most of the graves were very old, and the slabs had sunk until they were fully a foot or two below the surface of the ground. As he passed each one, Tommy ' s heart pounded a little harder and he was sure he heard a rustling noise in one of the deeper ones. He had often visited the graveyard in the daytime, and he knew exactly which were the oldest and most sunken stones. When he reached the grave of his father ' s cousin William, he peered down into the oblong black space and then crept gingerly into it. His father ' s cousin William had died when he was only fifteen, and Tommy was not afraid of encountering the ghost of a mere boy. He unrolled his bundle, which was only the top sheet from his bed and wrapt himself in his ghostly garment. As he crouched there shivering, the time seemed interminable, for there was nothing to do but wait. What if Sukey should already have returned? What if she should come around by the road? What if she should have decided to spend the night at the camp? He could not be sure of anything. Perhaps he had better give it up and run back as fast as he could. But after an eternity of fearful waiting had passed, he heard the huge negress ' flat-footed tread. She was walking as softly as she could, and Tommy knew by her uneven gait that she was as badly scared as he. When he was sure that she was near enough, he rose slowly from the grave of his father ' s cousin William — when to his horror he saw emerging from its tomb the ghost of great-uncle Harry, gigantic and shapeless, it seemed to him. Sukey, helpless with fright was standing rooted to the spot, her large eyes rolling heavenward, when she heard two familiar voices scream ' ' Aunt Sukey ! ' ' and both white figures rushed madly toward her. Her ready tongue was re- gaining all its former power, enhanced by her present rage, as she scolded and swore at the ghostly figures clinging about her knee. You good-f ' r-nothing chillen, you! Traipsin ' aroun ' hyah in yo ma ' s sheets a-tryin ' to act like the daid. You-all git — and git quick! Ef this hyah nigger didn ' t have no buckets of maple sugah in both huh hands, she sho ' would tan the hide off en ' you. You Mahse David, le ' go my laig, an ' git home as fast as you can. The nex ' time you-all plans to scare ol ' Sukey you bettah come together so ' s you don ' t both git white-headed a-seenin ' each othah rise up !