deeply rooted dislikes‚ÅÝ‚Äîcaught their imagination.
Finally, after several other meetings five men took courage‚ÅÝ‚Äîthree of the best and two of the weakest. During the Spring long negotiations were entered into by Miss Smith to ‚Äúbuy‚Äù the five men. Colonel Cresswell and Mr. ¬ÝTolliver had them all charged with large sums of indebtedness and these sums had to be assumed by the school. As Colonel Cresswell counted over two thousand dollars of school notes and deposited them beside the mortgage he smiled grimly for he saw the end. Yet, even then his hand trembled and that curious doubt came creeping back. He put it aside angrily and glanced up.
“Nigger wants to talk with you,” announced his clerk.
The Colonel sauntered out and found Bles Alwyn waiting.
“Colonel Cresswell,” he said, “I have charge of the buying for the school and our tenants this year and I naturally want to do the best possible. I thought I’d come over and see about getting my supplies at your store.”
‚ÄúThat‚Äôs all right; you can get anything you want,‚Äù said Colonel Cresswell cheerily, for this to his mind was evidence of sense on the part of the Negroes. Bles showed his list of needed supplies‚ÅÝ‚Äîseeds, meat, cornmeal, coffee, sugar, etc. The Colonel glanced over it carelessly, then moved away.
‚ÄúAll right. Come and get what you want‚ÅÝ‚Äîany time,‚Äù he called back.
“But about the prices,”