The Project Gutenberg EBook of Miss Minerva and William Green Hill, by
Frances Boyd Calhoun

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Title: Miss Minerva and William Green Hill

Author: Frances Boyd Calhoun

Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5187]
Posting Date: April 20, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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MISS MINERVA AND WILLIAM GREEN HILL

By Frances Boyd Calhoun

CHAPTER I

A SCANDALIZED VIRGIN

The bus drove up to the gate and stopped under the electric
street-light. Perched on the box by the big, black negro driver sat a
little boy whose slender figure was swathed in a huge rain coat.

Miss Minerva was on the porch waiting to receive him.

"Mercy on me, child," she said, "what on earth made you ride up there?
Why didn't you get inside?"

"I jest wanted to ride by Sam Lamb," replied the child as he was lifted
down. "An' I see a nice fat little man name' Major--"

"He jes' wouldn' ride inside, Miss Minerva," interrupted the driver,
quickly, to pass over the blush that rose to the spinster's thin cheek
at mention of the Major. "Twan't no use fer ter try ter make him ride
nowhars but jes' up by me. He jes' 'fused an' 'fused an' 'sputed an'
'sputed; he jes' tuck ter me f'om de minute he got off 'm de train an'
sot eyes on me; he am one easy chile ter git 'quainted wid; so, I jes'
h'isted him up by me. Here am his verlise, ma'am."

"Good-bye, Sam Lamb," said the child as the negro got back on the box
and gathered up the reins. "I'll see you to-morrer."

Miss Minerva imprinted a thin, old-maid kiss on the sweet, childish
mouth. "I am your Aunt Minerva," she said, as she picked up his satchel.

The little boy carelessly drew the back of his hand across his mouth.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Are you wiping my kiss off?"

"Naw 'm," he replied, "I's jest a--I's a-rubbin' it in, I reckon."

"Come in, William," and his aunt led the way through the wide hall into
w big bedroom.

"Billy, ma'am," corrected her nephew.

"William," firmly repeated Miss Minerva. "You may have been called Billy
on that plantation where yo