HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1915-11-11, Page 7November i 1 tb, 1915
THE WINGHAM TIMES
C
Freckles.
BY
Gene
Stratton-
Porter
Copyright 1904, by
Doubleday, Page & Co.
easessomillssiassmeri. roy, and be did say something about
snakes, 1 believe. The Burd Woman
put on leather leggins, and a nice,
parboiled time she must be having!
Worst dose 1 ever had, and I'd uotb•
In to do but swelter."
"Will you be coming out of there?"
groangd freckles.
She laughed as If it were a due joke.
"Maybe it rd be telling you 1 killed
a rattler curled uP on that same place
you're standing as long as me body
and the thickness of me arm you'd be
moving where 1 can see your footing,"
he urged insistently.
"What a perfectly delightful little
brogue you speak." she said. "My fa-
ther is Irish, and half ought to be
enough to entitle me to do that much,
'Maybe—if I'd—be telling you,' " she
imitated: rounding, and accenting each
word caretuli,
"If you was understanding the dan-
ger," he continued desperately.
"Ob, I don't think there is mucbl"
She tilted on the morass.
"If you, killed one snake here it's
probably all there is near, and any-
way, the Bird Woman says a rattle-
snake is a gentleman and always gives
warning before he strikes. 1 don't
hear any rattling. Do you?'
"Would you be • knowing it if you
did?" asked Freckles almost impa-
tiently.
How the laugh of the young thing
rippled!
"WouldI be knowing it?" she mock-
ed. "Well, you should see the swamps
of Michigan where they dump rattlers
out of the marl dredges three and four
at a time."
- Freckles stood astounded. She did
know. She was not in the least afraid.
She was depending on a rattlesnake to
live up to his share of the contract
and rattle . in time for her to move.
The one characteristic an Irishman ad-
mires in a woman above all others is
courage. Freckles • worshiped anew.
He changed his tactics.
"I'd be pleased to be receiving you
at me front door," he said, "but as you
have arrived at the back, will you
come in and be seated?"
He waved toward a bench.
The angel came instantly.
"'Oh, how lovely and cool!" she cried.
As she moved across his room Frec-
kles had hard work to keep from falling
on his knees, for they were very weak,
and he was bard driven by an impulse
to worship.
"Did you arrange this?" she asked.
"Yis," said Freckles simply.
"Some one must come with a big
canvas and copy each side of it," she
said "I never saw anything so beau-
tiful. How I wish I might stay here'
with you! I will, some day, if you will
let me; but now, if you can spare the
time, will you help me look for the
carriage? If the Bird Woman comes
back and finds me gone she will -be
almost distracted."
"Did you come in on the west road?"
asked Freckles.
"1 think so," she said. "The man
who told the Bird Woman said that
was the only place where the wires
were down. We drove away in. and
it was dreadful= -over stumps and logs,
and in to the hubs. I suppose you.
know, though. I should have stayed
in the carnage, but I was so tired. I
never dreamed of getting lost. I sus.
pect I will get scolded" finely. I go
with the Bird Woman half the time
during the summer vacations. My
father says I learn a lot more than 1
do at school, and get it straight. I
never came within a smell of 'getting
lost before. I thought, at first, it was
going to be horrid, bht since I've found
you, maybe it will be good fun after
all."
cfmaliax.
isnligsjimonnomossisiesm
SYNOPSIS.
Freckles, a homeless boy, Is hired by
'Boss McLean to guard the expensive tim-
s.ber in the Limberlost from timber thieves.
Freckles does his work faithfully, makes
,friends with the birds and yearns to know
.more` about nature, Ile lives with Mr.
.and Mrs.' Duncan.
—He "Fe ilei es TO get books and educate
himself. He becomes interested in a huge
• pair of vultures and calls his bird friends
his "chickens."
Some of -the trees be Is guarding' are
-worth x1,000 each. Freckles' books arrive.
elle receives a call from Wesaner.
Wessner attempts to bribe • Freckles to
.,betray his trust, and Freckles whips him
McLeah overhears them and witnesses the
•.fight.
Freckles' honesty saves a precious tree.
He finds the nest of the vultures and is
.'visited by a beautiful young girt.
f"Tell you what, Freckles," said one
-of the teamsters. "Have you ever
heard of this bird woman that goes all
over the country with a camera and
makes pictures? She made'some os.
.rel. brother Jim's place last summer.
and Jim's so wild about them he quits .
-plowing and goes after her about ay.
• •ety neat he finds. He helps her all bIl
-clan to get them, and then she gives
':him a picture.. Jim's so proud of what
•.be has be keeps them in the Bible.
roows them to eveaybodr WWI
and brags about bow he hell).ake them. If you're smart you'll
• send for her end she'll come and make
a picture just like life. If you help
seer she will :give you one. It would
beuncommon• r ttY to keepafterer your
birds are gone. I dunno what they
.are. I never see their like before.
They must be sometbing rare. Any
von fellows ever see a bird like that
nereabouts?'
No one ever had.
"Well." said the teamster, "failing
to get this log lets me off till noon.
. and I'm going to town. It I was
• making a living taking bird pictures
-seems to me I'd be mighty glad for a
"hence to take one like thnt."
"Then you be sure to tell ber to
^.ome." said Freckles.
The next morning Freckles hurried
:about the frail. and on• bis way down
the east side he slipped in to see the
chickens. The mother bird was on
the nest. He was afraid the other
,,egg might just be hatching. so be did
,not venture to disturb her. He made
:the round and reached his study early.
;He had bis lunch along and did not
.need to start on tbe second trip until
•the` middle- of , the. afternoon. He
.'would have long hours to work on his
,bower bed, improi-e his study and
..learn about his chickens,'
The hent became wore insistent.
.Noon came, :tut Freckles ate his din-
taier and settled for an hour or two on
,a bench with a boots.,:
Perhaps there .was n breath of
•sound, Freckles could never afterward
remember. but • for same reason he
his heats just as rhe bushes
p ed and the face of an angel look-
. through. Saints. ilymplts and fair -
Heart Would Beat Violently.
Nerves Seemed to Be Out of Order.
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0
I hsif8oeta- down his crillialaal
aisle for him many times, with forms
and voices of exquisite beauty.
Parting the wild roses by the en-
trance was beauty of which Freckles
bad never dreamed. Was It real or
would it vanish as the other dreams
had done? He tqok a step nearer,
gazing intent!*. This was real flesh
and blood. And it was in every way
kin of the Limberlost, for no bird of
its branches swung with easier grace
than this dainty young thing rocked
on the bit of morass on which she
stood. A sapling beside her was not
'straighter nor 'rounder tban her slender
form. Her soft, waving hair clung..
About her face with the beat, and
curled over her shoulders. It was all
of one piece with the gold of the sun
which filtered through the branches.
Her eyes were just the deepest blue of
the iris, 'her lips the reddest of the
foxiire, and ber cheeks exactly of the
same satin as the .wild rose petals ca-
ressing them. She was smiling on
Freckles in perfect confidence.. and
she cried, "Oh, I'm so delighted that
I've found you!"
"An'—an' was you looking for, met"
quavered the boy, incredulous.
"1 hoped 1 might find you," said the
angel. "You see, I didn't do as I was
told, and I'm lost. The laird Wotiian
said 1 should stay to the carriage until
she came back, Sbe's been gone hours.
Wasp_ perfeet Turkic) bath_.. there,"
WAS IT REAL On 'WOULD IT VAIUSH?
and Irm aII lumpy withado-aqui-tobitel
Just when I thouglit, that. I "couldn't
bear it another minute, .along •.comes
the biggest Papilio Ajax you ever saw,
I knew how pleased she'd be, so I ran
after it. It flew so slow and so low
that I thought a dozen times I had it
When all at once it went out of sight
over the trees, and I couldn't find my
way back to save me. I think I've
walked over an hour. I have been
mired to my knees. A thorn raked my
it is bleeding, arm until g, and I'm so
tired and warm."
She parted the bushes still further.
Freckles saw that her little blue cot-
-tea frock ching to her, limp with per-
spiration. It was torn across the
breast. One sleeve hung open from
shoulder to elbow. A thorn had raked
her artfi until it was covered with
blood, and the gnats and mosquitoes
were clustering about it. Her feet
were in lace hose and low shoes.
Freckles gasped. In the Limberlost
r t
In
low
shoes! He caught an armful
of moss from his carpet and buried it
in the ooze in front of her for a foot-
ing.
"Get out here where I can see where
you are stepping. Quick, for the life
of •you!" he ordered.
She smiled on him indulgently.
"Why?" she inquired.
"Did anybody let you come here and
tot be telling you of the enakesr
larged Freckles.
isHe met Mr. McLean on the cordu-
CHAPTER VIIL
THE BIRD WOMAN. •
ECKLBS was amazed to hear
himself excusing. "It' was so
hot in there. You couldn't be
expected to bear it for hours
•and not be moving. I can take you
back around the trail almost to where
you were. Then you can get up i'n
the carriage, and I will go and the
Bird Woman."
'You'll get killed if' you do! When.
she stays this long, it means that she
has /focus on something. You see;
when she gets a focus, and lies in the
weeds and water for hours, find the
sun bakes her,. and things crawl over
her, and then some one comes along
and scares her bird away just as she
has it coaxed up—wby,'she kills them.
If I melt, 'you won't go after her.
She's probably blistered and hall
eaten up,' but she will never quit until
'she is satisfied."
"Tben it will be safer to be taking
care of you," suggested Freckles.
"NOw you're talking sense!" said the
angel. •
"May I try to help your arm?" he
asked.
"Have you any idea how It hurts?"
she parried.
"A Little., said Fre i - tiles.
c
"Well, Mr. McLean said we'd prob-
ably find his son here"--
"His
ere"—"His son!" cried Freckles.
"That's what he said. And that you
.would do anything you could for us,
and that we could trust you with OW
lives. tut 1 would have trustedyour
anyway, if I hadn't known a thing
about you. Say, your father is ram•
paging proud of you, isn't he?"
"I don't know," answered the dazed
Freckles.
"He's
h is
all
proud of you e
es
II so
swelled up like the toad in Aesop's fa.
bies. If you have ever had an arm
hurt like this and can do anything,
why, for pity sake dp itl"
She turned back her sleeve, holding
out to Freckles an arta of palest cameo,
Freckles unlocked his case and band•
aged the ugly, ragged wound. He
worked With trembling fingers and a
face tenee With earnestness.
"Is it feeling any better?" he asked.
"Oh, it's well nowt' cried the angel,
"It doesn't hurt at all any mere
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The velvety touch of her warm arm
was tingling in Freckles' finger tips.
Dainty laces and fine white stuffs
peeped through her torn dress. 'There
were beautiful rings on her rangers
Every article about her was of the
finest material and in excellent taste.
There was the trembling Limberlost
guard in his coarse clothing, with his
cotton rags and his old pall of swamp
water. Freckles was sufficiently ac-
customed to contrasts to notice them
and sufficiently. fine to' be hurt by them
always.
He lifted his eyes to hers with a
shadowy pain in them and found them
of serene, unconscious purity.
"We must go and find the carriage,"
said the angel, rising.
Freckles led the way, sharply watch-
ing every step. He went as near the
log as he felt that he dared and with
a little searching found the carriage.
"This is a shame!" said Freckles.
"You'll never be coming here again."
"Oh, yes, I shall!" said the angel.
"The Bird Woman says that these birds
stay over a month in the nest and she
would like to make a picture every
few - days' for seven or eight weeks
perhaps."
Freckles barely escaped crying out
for joy.
"Thea don't you ever be torturing
yourself and your horse to be coming
in here again," he said. "I'll show
youa way to drive almost to the nest
on the east trail, and then you can
come around to .my room . and stay
while the Bird Woman works. It's
nearly always cool there, and there's
comfortable seats and water."
"Oh'! Did you have drinking water
there?" she cried. "I was never so
thirsty or so hungry in my life, but
1 thought I wouldn't mention it."
"And I bad not the wit to be see-
ing!" wailed Freckles. "I can be get-
ting you a good drink in no time."
He turned to the trail.
"Please wait a minute," called the
angel. "What's your name? I want
to think about you while you are
gone."
Freckles smiled quizzically.
"Freckles?" she guessed, with a peal
of laughter. "And mine is"-
- ,"I'm knowing yours," interrupted
Freckles.
"I don't believe you do. What is
it?" asked the girl. .
"You won't be getting angry?"
"Not until I've had the water at
least."
It was .Freckles' turn to laugh. He
whipped off his big, floppy straw hat,
stood uncovered before her and said
in the sweetest of all the sweet tones
of his voice. "There's nothing you
could be but the Swamp Angel."
The girl laughed happily.
Once out of her sight Freckles ran
every step • of the way to the cabin.
Mrs. Duncan gave him a small bucket
of water, cool from the well. He car-
ried it in the crook of his right arm
and a basket filled with bread and
Matter, cold meat, apple pie and pickles
In his left hand.
"Pickles_ are kind o' ooling," said
thhhabAthill
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The angel was on her knees reach-
ing for the bucket as he came up..
"Be drinking slow," he cautioned
her.
Freckles stood blinking in the dale
zling glory of ber smile.
"Mercy!" she exclaimed, "I think
I bad best be naming you 'the angel' --
my guardian angel."
,"Xis a" said Freckles. "I look the
character every day, but today most
emphatic!" -
"Angela don't go by lop s," tau
that' tat "tour father told ns you • a
een scrapping. But he told us why.
iii grainy wear all your cuts and
bruises if 1 could do anything that
would make my father look as pea.
eeeky as ours I. . Ie strutted about
proper. I never saw _anyi one ilook
prouder." •• urft•
"Did be say be wag 15roud of me!'
ma yele.d Freckles.
"He didn't need to," answered the
angel. "He was radiating pride from
every pore."
The angel spread the lunch on the
carriage seat. The daintiest parts she
could select she carefully put back into
the basket. The rest she ate. As be
watched her with famished eyes
Freckles told her of his birds, flowers
and books.
Suddenly the angel cried, "There
comes the Bird Woman!"
Sbe was staggering under a load of
cameras and paraphernalia. Freckles
took all be could carry and helped her
Into the carriage.
Soon they were out of the swamp.
Then he showed tbem how to reach
the chicken .tree from the outside, in-
dicated a cooler place for the horse
and told them bow the next time they
came tbe angel could find his room
while she waited,
"Were you forgetting Little Chick-
en's picture?" Freckles asked the Bird
Woman.
"Why do you call the baby vulture
'Little Chicken?' " she asked.
"'Twas Duncan began it," said
Freckles. "You see. through the fierce
cold of winter the birds of tbe swamp
were almost starving. It is mighty
lonely here. and they were all the com-
pany I was having. I got to carrying
scraps and grain. down to them. Dun-
can wasthat ginerous he was giving
me of bis wheat and corn from his
chickens' feed. and be called the birds
me swamp chickens. Then when
these big black fellows came, Mr. ide-
Lean said they were our nenrest kind
to some in the old world that they
called 'Pharoah's Chickens,' and he
called mine 'Freckles' Chickens.
"Good enough!" cried the Bird Wo -
mad. "You must shoot someting for
them occasionally, and I'll bring more
food when 1 come. If you will help
me keep them until I get my series. 1'il
give you a copy of each study i make.
mounted in a book."
"I'll be doing me veru best." prom -
sed the boy, and from the deeps he
neant it.
"I wonder if that other egg is going
hatch?" mused the Bird Woman.
'1 am afraid not It should have been
ut today. Isn't it a beauty? I never
aw either an egg or the young before.
['hey are rare this far north."
"So Mr. McLean said," answered
Freckles.
The Bird Woman gave him ber hand
.t parting, and Freckles joyfully real-
ized that here was going to be another
person for him to love. Freckles
couldn't remember, after they had
driven away, that they bad even no-
ticed his missing band, and for the
first time in his life lie bad forgot-
ten it.
When the Bird Woman and the an-
g;el were well on the home road the
angel told ,of the little corner of para -
Ilse into which she had strayed and
.rf her new name. .
"Did you know Mr. McLean h'td a
;on?" asked the angel. "Isn't the little
accent be has and the way he twists
a sentence too dear? And isn't it too
old fashioned and funny to hear him
call his father mister?"
"It sounds too good to be true." said
the Bird Woman, answering the last
question first. "I am so tired with
these present day young men that
patronizingly call their fathers 'dad,'
'governor.' 'old man' and 'old chap'
that the boy's attitude of respect and
deference struck me as being as fine
as silk. There must be something rare
about that young man."
But she did not End it necessary to
tell the angel that for several years
she bad known the man who so proud-
ly proclaimed himself Freckles' father
to be a bachelor and a Scotchman.
The Bird Woman had a tine way of
attending strictly to her own business.
Freckles turned back to the trail. but
stopped at every wild brier and looked
at the pink satin of the petals. She
was not of his world. and better than
any other he knew it: but she might be
his angel. and he was dreaming of
naught but blind. silent worship. He
finished the happiest day of his life,
and that night be ,went back to the
swamp as if drawn by a magnet. That
Wessner would try for his revenge he
knew. That be would be abetted by
Black Jack was almost certain, but
fear had fled the happy heart of Freck-
le,. Ile had kept his trust. Ile had
won the respect of tba boss. Nobody
could ever wipe from his heart the
flood of holy adoration that had welled
up with the coming of his angel.
At the edge of the clearing he came
out into the bright moonlight, and
there sat McLean on his mare. Freck-
les hurried up to him.
"Is there trouble?" be asked anxious-
ly.
"That's what I wanted to ask you,"
said the boss. "I stopped at the cabin
to see you a minute before I turned in,
and they said you had come down
here. You must not do it, Freckles."
Freckles stood combing his Angers
through Nellie's mane, and the dainty
creature rtj2 twist,}" b r hnry111=0
Children Cry for Fletcher's'
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CENTAUR COMPANY, NEW YORK CITY.
to SW'caresses. ae `pushed Baer lila
hat and looked up into McLean's face.
"It's come to the 'sleep with one eye
open,' sir. I'm not looking for any-
thing to be happening for a week or
two, but it's bound to come, and soon.
If I'm to keep me trust as I've prom-
ised you and meself, I've to live here
mostly until the gang comes. You
must be knowing that. sir."
"I'm afraid it's true, Freckles," said
McLean. "And I've decided to double
the guard until we get here. It will
only be a few weeks now, and I'm se
anxious for you that you must not be
left alone further. If anything should
happen to you, Freckles, it would spoil
one of the very dearest plane of my
life."
Freckles beard with dismay the
proposition to place a second guard.
"Oh! no, no, Mr. McLean," he cried.
"Not for the world! I wouldn't be hav-
ing a stranger around, scaring me
birds and tramping up me study and
disturbing all me ways for any money!
I am all the guard you need! I will be'
faithful! I will turn over the lease
with no tree missing—on me life, I
will! Oh, don't be sending another
man to set them saying 1 turned cow-
ard and asked for help. It will just
kill the honor of me heart if you do
it. The only thing I want is another
gun."
McLean handed a shining big revol-
ver down to Freckles, who slipped it
beside'the one already in his belt.
"Freckles," he said at last, "we never
know the timber of a man's soul until
something cuts into him deeply and
brings the grain out strong. You've
the making of a mighty fine piece of
furniture. my boypand you shall have
your own way these few weeks yet
Then if you will go 1 am going to take
you to the city and educate you. and
you are to be my son. my lad—my own
son!"
Freckles twisted his fingers in Nel-
lie's mane to steady himself.
"But why should you be doing tbat,
sly?" be faltered.
McLean slid his arm down about the
boy's shoulders and gathered him close
to him.
"Because I love you. Freckles," he
said simply.
McLean tightened bis clasp a second
longer, then he rode away down the
trail.
Freckles lifted his bat and faced the
sky. The harvest moon looked down,
sheeting the swamp in silver glory.
The Limberlost sang her night song.
The swale softly rustled in the wind.
Winged things of night brushed his
face. and still Freckles gazed upward,
trying to fathom these things which
had come to him. To one above the
sky he must make acknowledgment
for these miracles. His lips moved
and he began softly:
"Thank you for each separate good
thing that has come to me," be said,
"and, above all, for the falling of the
feather, for if it didn't really fall from
an angel its falling brought an angel,
and if it's in the great heart of you to
exercise yourself any further about
me, ob, do please to be taking goad
care of her!!"
CHAPTER IX.
A TrIOIIT WITH Bt7LLETS.
HEN Freckles crossed Sleepy
Snake creek and the goldfinch,
waiting as ever, challenged,
"See me?" he saw the dainty,
awaying grace . of the angel Instead.
What is a man to do with an angel
who dismembers herself and scatters
over a whole swamp, thrusting a vivid
reminder upon him at every turn?
"You needn't be thinking," be said
to the goldfinch, "that beeause I'm
coming dowel this line alone day after
day it's always to be so. Some of
these days. son'.li..be swinging -on tl+l8
wire. and you'll see. -Me 'coming, and
you'll swing. skip and flirt yourself
around and chip up right spunky.
'See me?' I'll be saying 'See you? See
her!' You'll look, and there she'll
stand, The sunshine won't look gold
any more, nor the roses pink. nor the
sky blue, becauseshe'll be the pinkest,
bluest, goldest thing of all. You'll be
yelling yourself hoarse with tbe jeal-
ousy of her. The saw Bird will stretch
his neck out of joint., and she'll turn
the heads of all the flowers. • Wherev-
er she goes. I can go back afterward
and see the things she's seen, walk
the path she's walked, bear the grass-
es whispering over all the thiugs she's
said, and if there's a place too swampy
for ber bits of feet; maybe -maybe
she'd be putting the -beautiful arms
of her about me neck and letting me
carry her over!"
Freckles shivered as with a chill.
He sent the cudgel whirling skyward,
dextrously caught it arid set it spin-
ning. g
"Maybe she'll be wanting the cup
me blue and brown claickene. raised
their babies in. If there's nnywfeathers
falling that day, why, lt's from the
wings of me chickens—it's sure to be,
for the only angel outside the gates
will be walking this timberline,. and
every step of the way I'll beholding
me breath and praying that she don't
unfold wings and sail oft before the
hungry eyes of me."
When the week was up Freckles had
his room crisp and glowing with fresh
living things that rivaled every tint '
of the rainbow. He carried bark and
filled up all tbe muckiest places of the
trail.,
It was middle July. The heat of the
last few days had dried up the water
about and through the Limberlost. so
that it was possible to cross it on foot
in almost any direction if one had any
idea of directkin and did not become
completely lost in its rank tangle of
vegetation and bushes.. --
The heat was doing one other thing
that was bound to make Freckles, as
a good Irishman. sbiver. As the awake
dried its inhabitants were seeking the
cooler depths of the swamp.: They
liked neither the heat nor teaving the
field mice, moles and young rabbits
of their chosen location. He saw
them crossing the trail every day as
the heat grew intense. The r'lttlers
were sadly forgetting their manners.
for thq struck on no provocation
whatever and didn't even remember
to rattle afterward. Daily Freckles
was compelled to drive big black-
snakes and blue racers from the nests
th
of his chickens. Often e terrified
squalls of the parent birds would
reach him far down the line, and he
would run to the rescue of the- ba-
bies. -•
He saw the angel when the carriage
fromcorduroy `the
turned the co u oy into
clearing. They stopped at the west
entrance to the swamp. waiting for
him to precede them down the trail.
as be had told them it was safest for
the horse that he should do so. They
followed the east line to a point oppo-
site the big chickens' tree, and Frec-
kles carried in the cameras and sbowed
the Bird Woman a path he had cleared
to the log.
(TO 13E CONIINUEn.)
Children. Cry
FOR FLETCHER'S
t ASTOR1A