HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1915-11-25, Page 7•
November '15th, 1915
THE WINGHAM TIMES
Freckles.
BY
Gene
Stratton-
Porter
Copyright 1904, by
Doubleday, Page & Co.
SYNOPSIS.
Freckles, a homeless boy, Is hired by
Boss McLean to guard the expensive tim-
ber in the Limberlost from timber thieves.
Freckles does his work faithfully, maker
friends with the birds and yearns to know
more about nature. He lives with Mr.
and Mrs. Duncan.
'fIe resolves to get books and educate
himself. He becomes interested in a huge
pair of vultures and calls his bird friends
his "chickens."
Some 6t the trees he, is guarding are
worth $1,000 each. Freckles' books arrive.
He receives a call from Wessner,,
'wessner attempts to bribe Freckles to
.betray his trust, and Freckles whips him.
McLean overhears them and Witnesses the
fight.
Freckles' honesty saves a precious tree.
Ile finds the nest of the vultures and is
visited by a beautiful young girl.
She calls FrecklesMcLean's-eon: 1!'reckles
•calls her "the angel" and helps the Bird
Woman in taking photographs. McLean
promises to adopt Freckles.
Heckles mid the -angel become very
rii:c.
1' friendly. Assisted by the Bird Woman,
they drive Wessner and Black Jack, tint•
bor thieves, from the Limberlost.
McLean fears more trouble, but Freckles
insists upon being the solo guard of the
timber. Freckles calls upon the angel's
father.
CHAPTER XL
THE MAN OH' ArrAH1S.
•es HY don't you take it your-
self?" questioned the man of
affairs
Freckles' clear gray eyes
met those of the angel's father square-
ly, and he said. "If you were in my
place would you take it to her your-
self?"
"No, I would not," said that gentle-
man quickly.
"Then why ask why 1 did not?"
came Freckles' lamblike query.
"Bless me!" said the angel's father.
'He stared at the package, then at the
lifted chin of the boy and then at the
package again and muttered. "Excuse
me."
Freckles bowed.
"It would be favoring me greatly if
you would delayer the bat and the
message. Good` morning, sir," and' be
turned away.
"One minute," said the angel's fa-
ther. "Suppose I give you permission
to return this hat in person and make
.your own acknowledgments."
Freckles stood one moment thinking
intently, and then he lifted those eyes
of unswerving truth and asked:
"Why should you, sir? You are kind
e
indade to m ution It, and it's thanking
b
you 1 am fur your good intim-ions, but
my wanting to go or your being will-
ing to have me ain't proving that
your daughter. would be attuning- the
or care to bother with
The angel's father meted keenly
into the 'face of this esiraordivary
young Wan, ;tad be Nutlet it to• his
liking. •
-There's one other thing 1 meant to
say," saki F reckleg. "Every day I see
something and at times a tot of things
that 1 think the bird Woman would
be wanting pictures of badly If she
knew. Von mlgbt be speaking of It
to her, and If she'd want me to 1 can
send li .-. tCit: d o hen tin.!1 .things she
Was Not 'Much of. a Believer
in Patent Medicines
But Milburn's Heart and Nerve
Pills Are All Right.
Mrs. Wm. McElwain, Temperance
,Vale, N.B., writes: "1 am not much of a
believer in medicines, but 1 must say
Milburn's Heart and Nerve Pills are all
right. Some years ago I was troubled
with smothering spells. In the night I
would waken up with my breath all gcne
and think I never would get it back. I
was telling a friend of my trouble, and he
advised me to try Milburn's Heart and
Nerve Pills. He.gave me a bait, and I
had only taken a few of them when I could
sleep all night without any trouble. 'I
did not finish the box until some years
after when I felt my trouble coming
back, so I took the rest of them and they
cured mc."
Milburn's heart and Nerve Pills
have been on the market for the past
twenty-five years. The testimony of
the [users should i; enough to con-
vince you that what we claim for theta
is true. 1I. and N. Pills are 50c per box, 3
boxes for $1.25; at all druggists or
dealers, mailed direct on receipt of
rice by The T. Milburn Co., Limited,
Teranto,Ont,
wouldn't likely get-elsewheree:"
"11 that's the case," said the angers
father, "and you feel under obliga-
tions for her assistance the other day
you can discharge them in that way.
She is spending all her time in the
fields and woods searching for sub-.
jests. By all means let her know if
you find subjects you ,think, she could
use, and we will do ,anything we can
for you if you will give her what help
you can and see that she is as safe as
possible."
"It's :hungry for human beings I
get," said Freckles, "and it's like
heaven to me to have them come.
When it comes to protecting them I'd
tisk me life. to be sure, but even that
Mightn't do any good in some cases.
There's a good many dangers to be
reckoned with in the swamp, sir."
There was no way in which Freckles
could know it, but by following his
best instincts and being what he coo ,
ceived a gentleman should be be sur
prised the man of affairs into thinking
of him and. seeing his face over his
books many times that morning. He
stepped to the curb to mount his wheel
and heard a voice that thrilled through
and through him, calling: "Freckles!
Oh, Freckles!"
The angel separated herself from a
group of girls and came (tarrying ug
to him. She was in snowy white—a
quaint little frock with a marvel o1
soft
lace about her throat and wrist
a
Through the sheer sleeves of it het
beautiful, rounded arms showed dis•
tinctly, and it was cut just to the base
of her perfect neck. On her head was
a pure white creation of fancy braid
with folds on fouls of tulle, soft and
silken as cobwebs, lining the brim, ant'
a great mass of white roses clustered
against the gold of her hair crept
about the crowd and fell in a riot to
her shoulders at the back. There were
gleams of gold with settings of blue on
her fingers, and altogether she was
the daintiest, sweetest sight he had
ever seen.
"Oh, Freckles!" she cried. "I was
wondering about you the other day.
Is there any trouble? Are you just
starting back to the Limberlost?"
'"I came to bring your hat" said
Freckles. "You forgot it in the rush
the other day. I have just left it with
your father and a message trying to
express the gratitude of me for how
you and the Bird Woman were for
helping me out."
The angel nodded gravely, and.
Freckles saw in a flash that he had
done the proper thinginsoin to
her
father. Then she was saying that she
could scarcely wait for the time to
come for the next, picture of the Little
Chickens series: "I want to hear the
rest of that song, and I hadn't even
begun seeing your -room yet." she com-
plained ' "I wonder if f couldn't bring
my banjo' and ,some of the songs 1 like
hest. I'll play and you'll sing."
Freckles felt that if be lifted his eyes
the adoration in them would frighten
her.
"I was afraid your experience the
other day would scare you so that
you'd never be taming again," he
found himself saying.
The angel laughed gayly.
"Did I look scared;" she questioned
"No," said Freckles; "you did not." •
"Oh, 1 just enjoyed that," she cried '
"Those hateful, stealing old things! I
had a big•notiop to pink one of them,
but I thought maybe some way it
would be best for you that I shouldn't.
They needed it. That didn't scare me,
and, as for the'Bird Woman, she's ac-
customed to finding snakes, tramps,
cross dogs, sheep, cattle and goodness
knows what. You can't frighten ber
When she's after a picture. Did they
come back?"
"No," said Freckles. "The gang got
there a little after noon and took out
the tree, but I must tell you and you
must tell the Bird Woman that there's
no doubt but they will be coming back,
and they will have to make it before
long now, tot WS soon the gang will
be there to work on the swamp."
"0h, what a shame! erled the an-
gel, "They'll clear out roads, Cut down
the beautiful trees and tear up ev-
erything. They'll drive away the
birds and spoil the cathedral. When
they have done their worst all these
mills abort here will follow in and take
out the cheap timber, Then the land-
owners will dig a few ditches, build
some fireS, and in two summers more
the Limberlost will be in corn and p0 -
tepee."
"You like it, too," saidl'reekles.
"Yes," said the angel; •'I love it,
Your room is a little piece right out of
the heart of fairyland, and the cathe-
dral is God's worts, not yours. You
only found it and opened the door
after he bad it completed. Come get
a cool drink before you start back. It
won't take but a mihute, and you can
ride fast enough to make up for it."
Freckles looked Into the beautiful
face of the angel in sheer wonder-
ment. Did she truly mean it? 1Vould
she walk down that street with him,
Crippled, homely, in mean clothing?
"I ralily must be off," said Freckles
earnestly, "but I'm thanking you more
titan you'll ever know for your kind-
ness] I'll just be drinking bowls of
icy things all me way home in the
thoughts of it."
Down came the angel's foot. Her
eyes flashed. "There's no sense in
that," she said "How do you think
you would have felt when you knew
I was warm and thirsty and you went
awl brought me a drink and I wouldn't
take it because — because goodness
knows whyl"
She deliberately slipped her band
under his arm—the right arm that
ended in an empty sleeve.
"You are coming," she said firmly.
Freckles' head swam.
"Please don't, angel," he said softly.
"You don't understand. If your fa-
ther came on to me on the street in
my station and dress with you on me
arm he'd have every right to be can-
ing me before the people, and not a
finger would I lift to stay him,"
The angel's eyes snapped. "If you
think my father cares about my do-
ing anything that is right and kind
and that makes me happy to do, why,
then you completely failed in- ritd1ng
my father, and L'11 ask him and just
show you."
She dropped Freckles' arta and turn-
ed• toward the .entrance to the build-
ing. "Why, look there!" sbe exclaim-
ed
Her father stood at a Window,
watching the scene with eyes that
comprehended quite as thoroughly; as
If he had beard every word. The Thl an-
gel made a despairing gesture toward
Freckles. The man of affairs answer-
ed her with a look of infinite .tender-
ness. He' nodded bis head, and the
veriest dolt could have read the words
his lips formed, "Take him along!"
A sudden trembling seized Freckles.
The angel turned on him with tri-
umphing eyes. She was highly strung
and not accustomed to being thwart-
ed. "Did you see that?' she demand-
ed. ."Now are you satisfied? Will you
come?" Freckles went.
On every band she was kept busy
giving and receiving the cheeriest
greetings. She walked into the parlors
exactly as if she owned them. A long
row of people stared with varying de-
grees of insolence and curiosity as
Frecklesbad felt they would. He
glanced at the angel. Now would she
see?
"On my soul!',
he muttered under his
breath. "They don't even touch her!"
She turned the full battery of her
eyes on the attendant.
"I want to mix a drink for my
friend," she said . "He has a long, hot
tide before him, and I don't want him
started off with one of those 010 palate
teasing sweetuesses that you mix just
on purpose to drive a man back In ten
minutes. I want a clear, cool, spar-
kling drink that bas a tang of acid /n
it."
The angel compounded the drink and
carried the brimming' glass to Freckles.
He said in the mellowest of all the
mellow tones of his voice, "I'll be
drinking it to the Swamp Angel."
And as he had said to ber that first
day the angel now cautioned him, "Be
drinking slowly."
As the 'screen door swung behind
them one of the men at the counter
asked of the attendant, "Now, what
did that mean?"
t
"Exactly what you saw," replied he
rather curtly. "We're accustomed to
it in here. Hardly a day passes this
hot weather but she's picking up some
poor, god forsaken mortal and bring-
ing him iu. Then she comes behind
the counter herself and fixes up a
drink to suit the occasion."
"Mighty queer specimen she had this
time," volunteered another. "Wonder
who he is?"
"I think," said a third, "that he's
McLean's Limberlost guard, and I sus-
pect she's gone to the swamp with the
Bird Woman for pictures and knows
him that. way."
Out on the street the angel walked
beside Freckles to the first crossing,
and there sbe stopped.
"Did you insist on axing that drink
because you knew how intoxicating
'twould be?" asked Freckles.
There was subtlety In the compli-
ment, and the angel laughed gleefully.
"Next time maybe you won't take so
much coaxing," she said.
"I wouldn't this If I had known your
father and been understanding you
better. Do you really think the Bird
Woman will be coming again?"
The angel jeered. "Wild horses
'Couldn't drng lter away," she cried
"She will have hard work to wait the
week out. I shouldn't be in the least
surprised to see her start any hour."
Freckles couldn't bear the suspense;
it had to come.
"And you?" he questioned, but he
dared not lift his eyes.
"Wild horses me, too," she laughed,
"couldn't keep me away either! Now,
goodby."
Freckles was half way to the Lim-
beelost when be dismounted He could
ride no farther, because he Could not
eft the road. I -le sat down under a
tree and, leaning against it, burst into
a storm of sobs that shook, twisted
and rent him,. If they would remind
him of his position, speak 'condescend*
ingly or notice his hand he could!
hear: It. but ,this --it Nould surely
Ni Fele Was Covered
With Pimples.
Pimples are not a serious trouble, but
they are very unsightly.
Pimples are caused wholly by bad
blood, and to get rid of them it is neces•
psarry to. purify the blood of all its lin-
kies
Burdock Blood Bitters bas made many
remarkable cures; the pimples have all
disappec ^ed, and a bx ght, clean, com-
plexion left behind.
Mr. Lennox D, Cooke, Indian Path,
N.S., writes: "I am writing you a few
lines to tell you what Burdock Blood
Bitters has done for me. Lastiwidter my
face was covered with pimples. I tried
different kinds of medicine, and all
seemed to fail. I was one day to' a
friend's house, and there they advised me
to use B,B.B., so I purchased two bottles,
and before I had them taken I found I
was getting better. I got two more,
and when they were finished I was
completely cured. I find it is a great
blood purifier, and I recommend it to all,"
Burdock Blood Bitters`has been on the
market for the past forty years, and is
manufactured only by The T. Milburn ,
Co., Limited" Toronto, Ont.
him! His hut. pulsing _ Irish blood
could not bear it. What did they
mean? Why did they du it? Were
they like that to every one? Was it
pity?
It could not be, for he !thew that the
Bird Woman and the angel's father
must know that be was not really Mc-
Lean's son, and it did .not matter to
them in the least. la spite of acci-
dent and poverty. they evidently ex-
pected him to du something worth
while in the world. That must be his
remedy. He must go to work on his
education.- He must get away. He
mustlt find and do the great thing of
which the angel talked. For the first
time bis thoughts turned anxiously to-
ward the city and the beginning of ole
studies. McLean and the Duncans
spoke of him as "the boy," but he was
n man. He must face life bravely and
act a man's part. The angel was a
mere child. He must not allow her
to torture him past bearing with her
frank comradeship that meant to him
high heaven, earth's richness and all
that lay between and just nothing to
her.
There was an ominous growl of
thunder. and Freckles snatched up his.
wheel and raced for the swamp. He
was worried to find bis boots lying at
the cabin door. The children playing ,
on the wood pile told him that wither
said they were so heavy she couldn't
walk in them and she had come back
and taken them off. Thoroughly
frightened, eB. stopped only long
n
enough, tosl them .on' himself and
a
�'
th t.n sped with` all his strength for
the Limberlost, To the west the long,
black, hard beaten trail lay clear, but
far un the.east
side straight across
the path, he could see what was cer-
tainly a liinp•brown figure.
Face down, Sarah Duncan lay across
the trail. When Freckles turned her
over his blood chilled at the look of
horror frozen on her face. There was
a low humming, and something spat-
ted against him. Glancing about,
Freckles shivered in terror, for there
Ras a swarm of wild bees settled on
n scrub thorn only a few yards away.
The air was thick with excited, unset-
tled bees making ready to lead fur-
ther in search of a suitable location.
Then he thought he understood, and
with a prayer of thankfulness in his
heart that she had escaped even so
narrowly he caught her up and bur-
ned down the trail until they were
well out of danger.
CHAPTER XII.
WITH ins SWAMr ANGEL.
ARAH DTJNCAN bad not fol-
lowed the trail many rods
when her trouble began. She
was not Freckles, and not a
bird of the line was going to be fooled
into thinking she was. They kept
whizzing from their nests and darting
from all sorts of unexpected pikes
about her head and feet with quick
whirrs that kept her starting and
jumping. Before ,Freckles was half-
:way..•1(i. the , own . ns „-rig:., r.
kheslitithihdfiflaihMitAiWAIMOIMAI
Your Liver
is Clogged up
That's Why You're Tired-4*t of
Sorts—Have ao Appetite.
CARTER'S LI7 TLE
LIVER PILIS
will put you right
is a few days.
They do
their duty.
Cure
Conti-
Patton,
Binsusness, Indigestion, ani Sick Beattache.
Shall Pill, Small Dose, Small Price.
Genuine must bear Signature
0
CARTEla
ITTI.g
IVE€,
PILLS.
eivimprwmpErsivermwout
wa hysterical and the I.iiitierrost batt
neither sung nor performed for her.
"I wouldna stay in this place for a
million a month," she bad said, Asad
the sound of her voice brought no sem.
fort, for it was so little like she had
thought it that she glanced hastily
about to see if it bad really been she
that spoke.
Her chin was quivering like a terra.
fled child's. Almost into her face went
a nighthawk stretched along a limb
for its daytime nap. Mrs. Duncan
sprang down the trail, lighting on 't
frog. The croak it gave as she crush-
ed it sickened her. She screamed wild-
ly and jumped to one side. That car-
ried her into the swale, where the
grasses reached almost to her waist.
and her horror of snakes returning she
made a dying leap for an old log lylug
along the line. She lit on it squarely.
but it was so damp and rotten that
she sank straight througb it to her
knees. She caught at the wire as
she went down and, missing. raked per
wrist over a barb until she lald it
open in a bleeding gash. Her fingers
closed convulsively around the second
strand.
She was too frightened to scream
now. Her tongue stiffened. She clung
frantically to the sagging wire and
finally mnnaged to grasp it with the
other hand, Then she could reach the
top wire, and so she drew herself up
and found solid footing. She picked
up the club that she had dropped in
order to extricate herself. Leaning
heavily on it, she got back to the
trail.
The wind rose higher, the changes
from light to darkness were more
abrupt, and the thunder came nearer
and louder. In swarms the blaci:hlyds
rose from the swale and carne hocking
to the interior with a clamoring c-ry,
"T'check, t'ebeck." Grackles mar-
shaled to their tribal call, ••Trull-a-hee,
trail-a-hee." Red winged blackbirds
swept low, calling' to belated mates,
"Fol -low -me, fol -low -me." Huge jetty
crows gathered about her. crying, as
if warning her to flee before it was
everlastingly too lute. A heron, fish-
ing the nearby pool for Freckles' "(Ind-
ian" frog, fell into trouble with a
muskrat and let out a rasping note.
Mrs. Duncan was too shaken to run
far.
Several bees struck her and were nn
grily buzzing about before she noticed
theist. 'Then the humming swelled to
a roar on "all sides. A great, convui
sive sob shook her. and she ran into
the bushes, now into the swale. any-
where to ovoid the swarming bees.
dnchiug, dodging, fighting for her very
life. Presently the bumming seemed
to grow a little fainter. She found the
trail again and ran with all her might
ft'out at few of her angry pursuers.
And as she ran. straining every mus
cle, she suddenly became aware that
crossing thei1
trail before her was a
great, round, black body with brown
markings on its bac-k, like painted get)
metrical patterns. She tried to 'stop,
but the louder buzzing behind warned
ber she dared not. Gathering her
skirts still higher. with hair flying
about her face and her eyes almost
bursting from their sockets. she rim
straight toward it. The sound of liter
feet and the humming of the bees
alarmed the rattler, and It stopped
squarely ncros;. the trail, lifting its
head above the 1.; -wises of the swale
and ratting - !nig :rlugly'—rattled until
the bees we'itt ortdone.
Straight at it went the panic stricken
woman, running wildly and uncontrol-
!ably. She took one great leap, clearing
its body ou the path. and then flew ou
with winged feet. The snake, roiling
to strike. missed Mrs. Duncan and
landed among the bees instead. They
settled over and about it, aud, realiz-
ing that it had found trouble, it souk
!:ff�tVt� rL1
taste: e.9
STRAIa13T AT IT WENT Tin PANIC STItICK
EN WOMAN.
among the grasses and went thrashing
toward the deep willow fringed tow
ground where its den was until the
Swale looked as it a mighty reaper
were cutting a wide swath. The mass
of enraged bees darted angrily about.
Searching for it, and, colliding with
the scrub thorn, began a temporary
settling there to discover whether it
was a suitable place. Mts. Duncan
staggered on a few steps farther, fell
faee down on the path. where Freckles
found her, and lay still.
Freckles worked with her until she
drew a long, quivering breath and
opened her eyes.
When she saw hini bending ocer her
she closed them tightly and, gripping
:htrlt,. t:Lllg -tet hot faint. Egs !gap.
anommisomminsmosionsionsimisi
Children Cry for Fletcher's
�
✓i ,
TORIA
The Kind You Have Always Bought, and which has been
la use for over 30 yeas's, has borne the signature of
and has been made under his per-
sonal supervision since its infaney.
Allow no one to deceive yon in this.
All Counterfeits, Imitations and " Just -as -good" are but
Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of
Infants and. Ghildrea—Experience against Experiment„
What is CASTORiA
Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Pare..
goric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is pleasant. It
contains neither Opiurn, Morphine nor other Narcotic
substance. Its age is its guarantee. It destroys Worms
and allays Feverishness. For more than thirty years it
has been in constant use for the relief of Constipation,
Flatulency, Wind Colic, all Teething Troubles and
Diarrhoea. It regulates the Stomach and Bowels,
assimilates the Food, giving healthy and natural sleep.
Tho Children's Panacea—The Mother's Friend.
GENUINE CASTO R IA ALWAYS
Bears the Signature of
In Use For Over 30 Years
The Kind You Have Always Bought
•T},E CENTAUR COMPANY. NEW
YORK CITY,
ea
he -•u,. and ' wifft Tris ni n atiuiit
and half carrying her, they made their
way to the clearing, Then, brawny
Scotswoman though she was, she keel-
ed over again, The children added
their wailing to Freckles' panic.
This time be was so near the cabin
that be could carry ber into the house
and lay her on the bed. He sent the
oldest boy scudding down the eii Iuroy
for the nearest neighbor, and betit•een
them they undressed ber and discover-
ed that she was not bitten. They bath-
ed and bound up the bleeding wrist
and coaxed her back to consciousness.
She lay sobbing and shuddering. The
first intelligent e t worda
she said was.
"Freckles,
look at thataron
j
the
kitchen table and see if my yeast is no
running ower."
Several days went by before she
could give Duncan and Freckles any
detailed account of what had hap-
pened to her. She could not rest until
she sent for McLean and begged him
to save Freckles from further risk
about that place of borrors. The boss
went down to the swamp with his
mind fully made up to do so.
Freckles laughed. "Why, Mr. Mc-
Lean. don't you let a woman's nervous
system set you worrying over me," he
said "I'm not denying how sbe felt,
because I've been through it meself,
but that's all over and gone. It's the
height of me glory to light it out with
the old swamp and all that's in it or
will be coming to it and then to turn
it over to you, as 1 promised you and
meself I'd do, sir. You couldn't break
the heart of me entire quicker than
to be taking it from me now when
I'm just on the home stretch. Yon
mustn't let a woman get mixed up
with business. for I've always heard
about how it's bringing ^ t r
t cubic"
The Bird Woman and the angel ar-
rived on time for the third of the
series and found McLean on the line
talking to Freckles. The Koss was fill-
ed with enthnsiasm over a marsharti-
ole of the Bird Woman's that he had
just read. He begged to be allowed
to accompany her into the swamp and
watch the method by which she se-
cured an illustration in such a loca-
tion.
The Bird Woman explained to him
that it was an easy matter with the
subject she then had in hand, and as
Little Chicken was too small to be
frightened by him and large enougts
tO be getting troublesome, she was
glad of his company. They went to
the chicken log together, leaving to
the happy Freckles the care of the
angel, who had brought her banjo and
a roll of songs. The Bird Woman
told them that they might go to Freck-
les' room and practice until she fin-
ished with Little Chicken, and then
she and McLean would come to the
concert.
It was almost three hours before
they finished and came down the west
trail. As they reached the bushes at
the entrance the voice of the angel
stopped them, for It was commanding
and filled with mach impatience.
"Freckles James Boss McLean," she
was saying, "you fill me with dark
blue despair! You're singing as if
your voice was glass and liable to
break at any minute. Why don't you
sing as you did a week ago? You
are a fraud! You led me to think that
there was the making of a great sing-
er in you, and now you are singing—
do you know bow badly you are sing-
ing?"
"Y1s," said Freckles meekly. "I'm
thinking I'm too happy to be singing
well today. The tousle don't come
right only when I'm lonesome and sad.
The world's for being all sunshine at
prlsint, for among you and Mr. Mc-
Lean and the Bird Woman I'm after
being that happy that I Can't keep me
ts11Quit trt,mastore ,It's..rttfitp,titan
sorry I' am to be disap iointing you:
Play it over, and I'll be beginning
again. and' this time I'll hold hard."
"Web." said the angel, "it seems to
me that If 1 had all the things to be
proud of tbat'you have I'd lift up my
head and sing!"
"And what is it I've to be prond of,
ma'am?" politely inquired Freckles.
"Why, a wbole wo ldfui SA things,"
cried the angel explosively. "For one
thing, you can be good and proud over
the way you've kept the timber thieves
out of this lease and the trust your
father bas in you. You can be proud
over the way every one speaks of you.
I beard a man say n few days ago that
the Limberlost was full o disagreeable
bl
e
thing's—positive dangers unhealthy as
it could
be. and that since the memory
of the first settlers it has been a ren-
-dezvous for runaways, thieves and
murderers. This swamp is named for
a man that got here and wandered.
around 'till he starved. That man I
was talking with said be wouldn't take
your job for $1,000 a month—in fact.
he said he wouldn't have it for any
money. and you've never missed a day
or lost a tree. Proud! Why, 1 should
think you would just parade around
about proper over that!
"And you can always be proud that
you are born an Irishman. My father
is Irish, and if you want to see him
just get up and strut give bim a teeny
opening to enlarge on his race. He
says that if the Irish bad decent terri-
tory they'd lead the world. He says
they've always been handicapped by
lack of space and of fertile soil. He
says if Ireland had been as big and fer-
tile as Indiana. why, England wouldn't
ever have had the upper hand. She'd
just be a little appendage. Fancy Eng-
land an appendage! He says Ireland '
b s sorators ••�
a the finest and the1 oe t.
, n t
statesmen in Europe today. and when
Englnod wants to tight with whom
does she 611 her trenches? Irishmen,
of course! Ireland has the greenest
grass and trees. the tinest stones and
lakes. and they've jaunting cars. L
don't know just exactly what they are,
but Ireland has all there are anyway.
They've a lot of great actors and a
few singers. and there never was n
sweeter poet than one of theirs. Yon
should hear my father recite 'Dear
Harp of My Country: He does !t this
way."
The angel rose. made an elaborate
old time bow and, holding up the ban-
jo, recited in clipping teet and meter,
with rhythmic swing and a touch of
brogue:
"Dear harp of my country" (the an-
gel ardently clasped the banjo), "in
darkness I found thee" (she held it up
to the light); "The cold chain of silence
had hung o'er thee long" (she muted
the strings with her rosy palm); "Then
proudly, my own Irish harp, 1 un-
bound thee" (she threw up her bead.
and swept a ringing harmony), "And
gave ail thy chords to light, freedom
aid song" (she crashed into the notes
of the accompaniment she had been
playing for. Freckles).
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Children Cry
FOR FLETCHER S
C A S T O R t A.