Frank of Freedom Hill

nced of it as soon as he saw old Frank, Irish setter, come galloping across the cottonfields from th

, jump the lot fence, and run into the yard. His red silken ears were thrown back,

called

en he came running straight to Tommy. There was an eager light in his ey

ed the melancholy refrain. He must not let Aunt Cindy see him leave the yard. That morning after breakfast his father and mother had driven off hurriedly in the car, following a telephone message from Greenville that

e yard and follow Frank into the woods. She would put her foot down on it flat, and Aunt Cindy had a

F'ank," whis

e into a run across the cottonfield and entered the woods, Frank leading. They had not gone far when Tommy stopped-stopped sudde

h it was reaching for more. It stopped eating when it discovered Tommy's presence and looke

ve on any hat, either; his hair looked as if it had never been cut; his clothes were ragged. Ordinarily, Tommy rather admired these things, b

the boy didn't

" he

said

s your

what's

oe

ange of essential information. Tommy

your

e's my

ere just now. W

'a

nce. Then th

es down thar in t

'em-lots

out goin' do

care," sa

pleasantly behind them. Joe's hair was wet and plastered down over his face like an Indian's; Tommy's w

Greenville and had run away. This he had found out, not all at once, but in fragments, while

some bananas from the fruit stand of one Tony, and that, previous to that, Joe had been hungry-"Hung'y as hell" was Joe's way of putting it-a way that commended itself

he didn't stop running for a long time. There was also the driver of a motor truck in the story, Mike by name. Mike drove the truck that carried an oil tank from the city to a town. Mike had giv

Now and then, while he was telling it, Joe had looked at Tommy with a wry, wise grin, as if sizing him up. He was

as if he were afraid of that big house on the hill, but Tommy had over-persuaded him. Ther

Aunt Cindy. She was an enormous black woman, dressed always in star

demanded; then sternly: "Who

idn't know; what's more, he didn't

wering abo

of the miniature Marco Polo who had come

her, an impertinent, scrappy sort of grin. In a

nteered Tommy at last. "He's los

d woman. "No, honey," she shook her

white folks like the Earles, black folks like herself, and poor white trash like

n' pa is, honey, an' sen'

. You ain't goin' to send him anywhere. He's goin' to stay here wif me. He ain't had anything to

looked at the

ever come to Freedom Hill hongry an' went away hongry. Yo

e condition of one pair of them. She set them down to a table and placed before them biscuits and butter and jam, and cold mi

ining room into the big front hall. She left the two of them and went into the ha

ods. He won't tell who he ma an' pa is, or whar he come from. Tommy say he los'. Mr. Steve ain't comin' back t

at Tommy

nigger talkin'

to be called that even by such a travelled

r a nigger," h

his eyes now-there had been, ever since he ent

ers clearly now. She always grew exci

e. Yes, suh, jus' drap from de clouds. Mr. John Davis he say you likely git some inquiries about

m. A dirty little hand that two bathings had not whitened closed tig

ied. "He's goin' to stay here wif me. He'

gh the hall, out on the high-columned front

ch de kittle an' not git smut on you. Yo' ol' mammy know. She raise you from a baby. Don't pull at my skirts, honey. It don't do no good. Yo' ol' mammy a

the back yard

e called.

darky uncoiled himself out of a split-bott

' chile here. I done spoke to Mr. Bob Kelley '

oman in such minor matters as washing his face and putting on a clean nightgown, but here was something differ

ere, I tell you! He's

ll back three steps, his hand over h

y wif me! He's goi

The spirit of Steve Earle had

ner sat at the kitchen table, bent over a plate, and

light crept slowly over the bed, across the floor, where it seemed to linger a while on a pile of toys-an engine with three passenger cars, a red hook and ladder whose fiery horses galloped forever, a picture book open at the place where a man in shaggy skins, with a shaggy

ced the body as it lay on the side the moonlight revealed a ridged place, a scar, purple and hard. But the hard grin was gone now, the face in repose; and the peering moon, which so silently inspected

s own chair, the visitor elevated to the proper height by a dictionary. They ate oatmeal and cream, waffles and syrup. While the dew still sparkled on the lawn and on the th

tick, and not a horse to be ridden. Tommy gave it up. They walked around inspecting things, like little old men. Now and then the visitor swore, the oaths coming naturally, like any other talk. He did not even know he was swearing. Tommy, liste

them saunter about, followed by old Frank, and noting

she said. "He teachin' dat chil

in at the end of the avenue and Frank race to meet it. At the boy'

goin'?" dem

at me up,

e two stood close together, Tommy's f

es and panama hat came toward them. "Hello, old man," he said and stooped dow

aid Tomm

e that caused the fine wrinkles to gather about

here did you

and Tommy saw the old woman talking earnestly up into his

me up on the porch where it's c

eness where grown people were, had been beaten into his small brain. Out behind the house, the confe

on't hurt

was afraid of Steve Earle, afraid of those

teve Earle call

son," he said. "I'm

e sitting on the concrete base of the windmill when from around the house Tommy saw Mr. John Davis and his wife drive up the avenue and get out near the porch. They lived across the creek and were neighbours. They d

they want," grinned J

n't going to hurt him. They would give him apple

about Joe; and Tommy catching the infection of secrecy from his guest, stopped at the side of the portico that

use, and out in the garden they had a row of bee gums painted white. They lived alone; they had no children, which struck Tommy as being strange, like not having a dog or a cow. The water at their well was very cool, and you drew it with a bucket. W

e words got tangled in. They thought the child had been sent away until they got Steve's me

driver of a truck stopped by Squire Kirby's house on the big road and a

house. A fruit dealer reported him to the police for stealing bananas, and the police passed the case on to them. The kid live

a brute, even for the gas-tank section. The neighbours hear him beating the little devil-see him doing it! He threatens the kid with poli

avis, and Davis growled something tha

ther knock the ash

the child. They've laid the case before Judge Fowler. You know what that means,

s, "you've seen the chi

ng to their chances," said Earle.

ohn and I have talked-have talked-about adoptin

ht on the trees was growing strange in colour, that the trees themselves stood motionless as if the leaves were made

on a horse and was dismounting and coming up the walk. He looked

Then he remembered that he and Joe had played in the barn that morning. Maybe Joe was afraid of the cloud and had gone to the barn. He u

said

d at him

ied Tommy, out of breath. "Bob

o's

asem

ga

op

country as well as in town. "I'll go an' fin' out what he wan

lar this time. He went right up on the porch. Policemen di

s saying. "John or I will look af

re the storm broke. He went down the step

sed up as if it were Sunday. Mr. Davis rose, too. You could ne

. "Oh, I hope I will love him! I could not take a child I did not love. I always thought I wanted one

ing up at them with wide eyes.

ur friend stuck away,

barn, Papa.

d. This was his place as well as theirs, and he had his share in all that went on. As they turned the corner of the house they

e of life open to that boy in the barn. They went into the wide, lofty hall, l

lled Tomm

in the loft,

reathing hard, as if some great test was about to be put to her. They heard

y's going to h

t to them now. She had been in the front room, listening between the

Tommy suddenly. "Papa, I

s. He choked down the sobs that had begun to rise. With terror he saw that the trees that had been standi

took charge

ut, his nose to the ground, and turned at the entrance to look at them once more, ears pricked. Frank had known from the first. That empty ladder, that straw-carpeted hall, that cleanly k

ank!" he said.

the top of the planks. Then he drew back, gathered himself, and sprang up on the fence. He remain

stay, Mrs. Dav

y face was set, the wind was

She was going, too, declared the black woman. They all hurri

let Tommy go?

hn," replied Earle. "He's go

s. "Better than if I had seen him, I know." His long silken ears were blown back by the wind. As they drew nearer they saw the eagerness of

rk with the approaching storm, Earle

raight for the

ep, his father said. Below, the water tumbled and foamed over rocks that would beat a man's life out. On top of the dam

Everything had turned black. He only knew his father was calling him to look up, not down. But he could not take his eyes

t high up in the trees was a roaring sound, and now and then leave

e Frank?" a

Steve. We may b

t rains hard, as it's apt to do an

!" cried Davis above the wi

nd he had not paused to pick it up. Tom

e boy," he said. "I'

ame a bark-a strange little yelp to be made by so big a dog, but the kind a bird

dog's tre

d running, Tom

k!" he called. "Let

came the shrill, self-conscious yelp

y. Tell 'em to follow the bark. You know the place, don't you? That'

g the stormy sky, then covering it over, then showing it again. And there, looking up into the tree also, eyes shining, tongue hanging out, sides heaving, was o

s strangely quie

of the top limb. If his head swims--" He began to talk loud, his face still ra

edly pulling off his shoes. His beard fell dow

w the look on his father's face. "The limb he's on will never

own, telling him that she would be his mother, not knowing, anxious, excited woman that

he swaying limb, saw the frantic arms clinging to the lofty perch, saw the whole tree moving dizzily back a

ill and clear above the tumult of

t was to be had steadied. Only grammar went all to pieces; it had been deteriorating these last

nt him home. He's gone, Joe, honest he has. Y

d, for a lower branch; a small hand that had clung to a glass of milk now clung to a limb above his head. Then Tom

, old scout!

o him, Papa,"

Steve," spo

fter this

at un on the

mbling down. Closer to earth drew the small figure. They could hear the calloused little bare feet scraping the bark. Then, all of a sudden, Steve Earle had swun

orld was gone, and in its place was terror-terror of those awful heights, of that swaying tree, of night and storm

thunder that seemed to burst the woods open. In the mo

nk to her knees,

a sort of embarrassment, for Joe had run into Mrs. Davis's arms, and Joe was sobbing on Mrs

a go, Steve,"

it, John," r

eld back so long came down t