Miss Minerva and William Green Hill | Page 7

mans, He could make Hi'self the
troublesomest person ever was, and little boys couldn't do nothing a tall.
I sure think a heap of God. He ain't never give me the worst of it yet."
"I wonder what He looks like," mused Billy.
"I s'pec' He just looks like the three-headed giant in Jack the
Giant-Killer," explained Jimmy, "'cause He's got three heads and one
body. His heads are name' Papa, Son, and Holy Ghost, and His body is
just name' plain God. Miss Cecilia 'splained it all to me and she is 'bout
the splendidest 'splainer they is. She's my Sunday-School teacher."
"She's goin' to be my Sunday-School teacher, too," said Billy serenely.
"Yours nothing; you all time want my Sunday-School teacher."
"Jimmee!" called a voice from the interior of the house in the next yard.
"Somebody's a-callin' you," said Billy.
"That ain't nobody but mama," explained Jimmy composedly.
"Jimmee-ee!" called the voice.
"Don't make no noise," warned that little boy, "maybe she'll give up
toreckly."
"You Jimmee!" his mother called again.
Jimmy made no move to leave the swing.
"I don' never have to go 'less she says `James Lafayette Garner,' then I
got to hustle," he remarked.
"Jimmy Garner!"
"She's mighty near got me," he said softly; "but maybe she'll get tired
and won't call no more. She ain't plumb mad yet.

"James Garner!"
"It's coming now," said Jimmy dolefully.
The two little boys sat very still and quiet.
"James Lafayette Garner!"
The younger child sprang to his feet.
"I got to get a move on now," he said; "when she calls like that she
means business. I betcher she's got a switch and a hair-brush and a
slipper in her hand right this minute. I'll be back toreckly," he
promised.
He was as good as his word, and in a very short time he was sitting
again facing Billy in the swing.
"She just wanted to know where her embroid'ry scissors was," he
explained. "It don't matter what's lost in that house I'm always the one
that's got to be 'sponsible and all time got to go look for it."
"Did you find 'em?" asked Billy.
"Yep; I went right straight where I left 'em yeste'day. I had 'em trying
to cut a piece of wire. I stole off and went down to Sam Lamb's house
this morning and tooken breakfast with him and his old woman,
Sukey," he boasted.
"I knows Sam Lamb," said Billy, "I rode up on the bus with him."
"He's my partner," remarked Jimmy.
"He's mine, too," said Billy quickly.
"No, he ain't neither; you all time talking 'bout you going to have Sam
Lamb for a partner. You want everything I got. You want Miss Cecilia
and you want Sam Lamb. Well, you just ain't a-going to have 'em. You
got to get somebody else for your partner and sweetheart."

"Well, you jest wait an' see," said Billy. "I got Major Minerva."
"Shucks, they ain't no Major name' that away," and Jimmy changed the
subject. "Sam Lamb's sow's got seven little pigs. He lemme see 'em
suck," said Sam Lamb's partner proudly. "He's got a cow, too; she's got
the worrisomest horns ever was. I believe she's a steer anyway."
"Shucks," said the country boy, contemptuously, "You do' know a steer
when you see one; you can't milk no steer."

CHAPTER V
TURNING ON THE HOSE
"Look! Ain't that a snake?" shrieked Billy, pointing to what looked to
him like a big snake coiled in the yard.
"Snake, nothing!" sneered his companion, "that's a hose. You all time
got to call a hose a snake. Come on, let's sprinkle," and Jimmy sprang
out of the swing, jerked up the hose, and dragged it to the hydrant. "My
mama don't never 'low me to sprinkle with her hose, but Miss Minerva
she's so good I don' reckon she'll care," he cried mendaciously.
Billy followed, watched his companion screw the hose to the faucet,
and turn the water on. There was a hissing, gurgling sound and a stream
of water shot out, much to the rapture of the astonished Billy.
"Won't Aunt Minerva care?" he asked, anxiously. "Is she a real 'ligious
'oman?"
"She is the Christianest woman they is," announced the other child.
"Come on, we'll sprinkle the street--and I don't want nobody to get in
our way neither."
"I wish Wilkes Booth Lincoln could see us," said Miss Minerva's
nephew.

A big, fat negress, with a bundle of clothes tied in a red table cloth on
her head, came waddling down the sidewalk.
Billy looked at Jimmy and giggled, Jimmy looked at Billy and giggled;
then, the latter took careful aim and a stream of water hit the old
woman squarely in the face.
"Who dat? What's yo' doin'?" she yelled, as