Evening Star Newspaper, September 18, 1921, Page 64

th 'Zeke Preston and his N Ei he dlmv-reahnu taken up her abode i B : THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D, C., SEPTEMBER 18, 1921—PART 4. . > " STRANGER Y A Complete Story by Be S S S R S 2 low and star ou! n e | straighten up gingerly and caught ——— p— — — —— e — = darkness. “I believe the wind's goin’ | hold of the table to steady hi 1. o p ete to y rnlce Brown down some. And there’s goin’ to be a | “He was there, llkeny'u m’; w:li-tei ln(":)n. too. Look, Stephen.” 1 guess I didn’t find him none ton " tleulehha dffi}‘”ud (l’lfi’r"m ‘ge feon. J‘lm unowfltlmd Ja- it llboul :,;Ionn TEPHEN DOUGLAS had been|TeDeated. He had risen now and was B the Biranget's existence was a thing [“If it Weren't only the twenty-second | It there win o mocn oF indeed. if the | face Inoked wray in the lamplight Standing, feet wide apart, glaring e ineviitble g the fret bilssard of |of Novermber. 1 cHould Bay we. were | sun shouid ener i Agams . But he | -1 gueen Tl have a 1ttle nip out of placed out. Onme day in early | down at them. 3 wint S - . 2 L er, but neither Stephen nor Heph- | let in for a storm, a hell-raisin’, cat- | knew Hephzi Lryi to be | thi y: 2 March, Hephsibah Preston via- 'Leven,” the boy stumbled, * "leven. l F You Were a Sma_ll Boy Adopted Out j| | zibah liked to think of it. ‘The days|tle-scorchin’ blizsard.” kind to fim’ b%?n:’ ;‘n:;l)r:‘eye‘.- h: E—i..fi'&'.‘,"..':‘.’,;:!.‘ ‘gave it to him and jted the Home for Orphans in|This time his voice came stronger. . slid by and nothing happened. Per-| “I réckon maybe ye better not send | stared at the i ' Look : , X a garden, the barn, the|watched while he drank. The boy's Des Molnes, and she chose Stephen, | 2O 0E up, ::Mg‘l'y.rr-a t .theh?u O{ a Clnldr 3 H D M haps nothing would happen. Btill, | Hesekiah out with the critters, then.” | low huddle of sheds beside it, the|eyes went then to the Seepine Seehatailieausa ke Erd Alauaiat G |5 aver SU R o oAl en s ome 1n ves oines, they all had a feeling this was only | said Hephzibah as with squinted eyes | snow-blocked lane to the meadow. Stranger and slowly back to the man qi Taht ot et no'_“ym\;im‘ %““m‘ = a a transient paradise. A flaming sword | she appraised the lowering heavens. For a long time he looked withoul | As he gazed at Zeke the 100k of ten- twist to his smile, or because she | falfly screaming now—you—big bully! and I{ Y ou W t t L W tll Cl 2 or a pitchfork—would some day| Hephsibah's caution was the better | seeing anything, then suddenly his|dernexs did not die out. It was a saw, or thought she did, & Wistful|and twisted It baok sharpiy. Hepheic ent to Lave 1 a OS8C~ {|drive the. Stra back onto the|part of valor, but Zeke had planned |eyes focused. Down the lane came |long moment hefore he spoke. look in his solemn gray eves, or per- | bah did not look. up. Though the fisted Y k F Like Zeke P gireaming highway from which he |to make some'repairs in the cow shed: | figure, Junging and unsteads. | The | Well? Zeke grunted. p . oy's eyes acl ‘om e strain ol “You—must awful obave.” haps because his middle name was ‘!‘m:n!t:l'd&::p&a'::m from her ste ankee I'armer Like Zeke Preston The_twenty-third of November was |out of the way. Unitke most farmers, | conoentrntion. The thing was moving | The man wmiled, a littis wearily 1oL 826, t0 FoaaoMmDIE thoth . . o destined to become a day of momen- | Zeke a c‘lrlcmtl{ inflexible | nearer and nearer. Stephen caught! Down on the floor Stephen lifted Late that night she crept upstairs in 18 Story Then You Ml ht B¢ Glad tous change. In the t\:at place, Bte-|nature. Instead of adapting himself |his breath and his heart seemed (o] the head of the sleeping dog onto his 107 tho ‘mAbIAE Toot Whors Staphen ) phen was to go to school. The o1d|to the exigencies of weather and cli- | stop heating. With the first sound of | knees, and his hands caressed the s ofinatea saat o e o | Loy SR ot W SRS | JEF U o S ¢ Your W erpssosaslg soboaihoiss i ad ke | eacalton i detne N e R e ke | G iobeian ohe mer e RO e e h ay Do Came our ay‘ n, al icult—in loor. e ht of the lamp stream. love. or a long ime nol Yy said ippl. Not, of rse, that the bo: Aihile nas was mny. prectiof his) et e, Finally the boy stirted, one, splendidly equipped with weather | the name of the moat excellent of vir- | into the darkness. There was Zeke | anything. Hephzibah finished getting origin. but it pointed that way. " |eyes open. - Hephaibah knew she must AB D Unb bl e e L il T D I s R i e T T i nd 5 ophe: " , nt . At any rate, Mrs. Preston sign 8a; thing. oy a a og are an nbeatable [ . ot ot of hecassity been | sever “Thin would be his lant trip. |wermnt "1y ‘was Zeke and —the | “The homimy's pretty good to- y_som reat many papers. and assured an | MHere's yous box of lemon drops Eeient ana starchy matron that ahe | she Raciy Mommoret, roo e Combi ‘ d Miss B w added to the summer vacation. But|for tomorrow school began. He was|Stranger. night.” Zeke mald finally. “When the - it Stephen went to school he could|not afraid of the cows now. He was e " d vak 'il give him a bite, T e R Seiias ha | 1ot when you Weitt to bed Hess- ombination, an 1SS Drown Weaves | nocirlve the'cown up to Section Four. [Aimost " casual. . The® Stranger had|-umg o 1B, e Bl Ket 2 e R1e | in e wat il STwon't Bari * rades, Stephen's traveling outht, | *'For a long moment he aid not an- The laws of physics prevent even an |taught him that, the gay, rollicking |y Eoricry he 1aid the dog down. |him aone. this outin'™ = e including all his belongings, Wwas | ywer, then he stretched out his hand Them Into a Story of Conv1nc1ng Hu_ :flla boy, J{:fll'," u'}f:é'x' Jor tee) "D.I:C:; enerous-spirited Stranger. And now After a while the boy stood up and once. e was gone. Yol loo near the stove” he sald| .o, Clowly to Zeke's chair. The old packed in “the Dhotogravure. section | Froes’ the beachatnes — Nobody: neves 2 of & Chicago Sunday paper, and Ste- i become of the Btranger? Without! I the meadow the boy stationed hands the woman and | clock that had come from Benning- e e now Trotactor departed | Salls me that,™ he protested. But he|} IMAMNNESS. Stephen to hide and protect him, be [ nimuelf by the broken fence and the | hoy sieyed him. Zeke forced open the | ton ticked off many seconds before he certainly be discovered and| tile scattered over the field. With |dog's mouth and poured into it some (spoke. “Say.” he began, 'I used t. ©on the 12.13 for Green Mountain, Towa. | *"j3813 tight against him, the sharp- On the train the boy sat next to the | cqged 1lttl 4 2 driven away during the houts when |¢;,¢ mounting sun the wind had risen {of the liguid. Slowly the dog's eyes |say this was my dog. Well he ain window: but his eyeo ware fized upon | cased liitle Box, scsmed stransely Stephen was learning the multiplics-|and dirty-looking snow clouds lum- flckered opep and he sighed. Then his | He's half yours and half hers and- a perambulating cockroach that trav- ephzibah bore away of that t least, to Zeke's gruff|white hairs kept her distance. As|ported from Chile. Something would | bered across the sky. Zeke was right.|head flopped down again. Over him BalE e e e i, T AP CaFions, mamb. embar- & omn Alone with_ them. thelr |evening approached Stephen wondered | have to happen. “And It did. It was durn fool weather. " | Zeke drew the wacm enKet iy | £eod thing you m et goin’ 1o school 3 a e whole personality changed. e - if t 3 -4 a < v g Tassment. selzed upon Hephzibah | eetimate of Stophen Hesskiah's b e et aua Sl aes itk et A o e e DI ion ahetevenink jok the Lwenty frst | jng band of snowflake outriders, the | He was breathing deep breaths of ex- | tomorrow. What ‘rithmetic?” Preston. She wanted fo say Some: ess could not be said to err. Stephen |rolling eyes and tremendoun. quivering [to do and a master? But the dog ap- | the dishes, chatting as they only di storm charged down. In every rural | haustion. ivosigs, L) thing to this little chap, whom yes-| was distinctly failure.” Even Zeke, la. Even when dosing over an |peared strangely foot-logse. Perhaps|when Zeke was out of the room. Zeke Community there grew up legends; terday she never had heard of and 1oF spared neither himself nor any cud they appeared only con- |nobody owned him! With a throb of |had pulled on his heavy boots and [8Pout the drought of 1880, or the year whom today she was irrevocably was_ forced to admit there | templating some new and sinister | joy that fairly choked, Stephen won- | gone to the barn, they supposed. Zeke [ When the locusts came and ate up sponsible. "Perhaps if she had been hipgs too heavy for the |deviltry. v 3 ?|even the hardwood palings of the born west of the Mississippl she dered if Zeke wouldn't keep him. But | was the sort of man who liked to re. | sven the hardweod benes of CIe ‘Here, boy,” Zeke commanded, “ye 'he knew Zeke. The St h 1 of 4 ? all «© . . . o o led his hair and 3 X e Stranger had an |assure himself of the security of al 'l;'JE::-t Nim & box of Indigestible ;l'ha storm which began on the morn- l m 1 1 ng of November 22 became another honey-coated popcorn which a nasal- f November 28 anot voiced newsboy was shouting through e :l;cgr“:arln‘ w:m ': l!'),lb.-lore istory B T g g =3 : Zeke. at work in the cow shed, : - e A " aoat. e ia. Fanring % heard the first tumult. Grumbling, he Bv Ring W. Lardner. Castle and_the Brook, and then Green Mountain, pushed open the door and looked out. 2 she said at last. “We ‘Q; oft fl!lEl" - b'rl"l:fl WI:.:neg;lfleihl:“ll t;l;:iht'rl;; Still the boy’'s eyes did not leave \ 3 a y ¢ s : < . his carpentering vanished; he must - the det Elos=y ba o e hia: return| | bring in his cows. In a storm like O the editor: 1 don't suppose | %eiEhs 1103 or but they's generally throush the train,’thrust a yellow- 3 S this they would I:;"I,Ik:ym‘l:elh!:‘l; 8. they'n a domiclle in the U. 8. or | 2ane¥ty 8 Wy 'shin it for you and ax — e e ::-:;g. P Five cents, & 7 S Struggling against the gale, almost as Canada which by this time ain't | for the mrnll.ll::‘oen.wll); Dy the time m.;kn:), a half a dim: he bawled. " = NN though it were a physical thing, he furnished with one of these x’ .'1"’"“-: | of rd: they have Hephaibah _ Preston _bought it. % 3 53 A strained -':\:;«{;“ :Hfo:n 'v'\'{.?e'.';:.‘l': here tops that you spin and gamble | hraciically mastered the technicaltys iah.” she . 8 3 4 s vl e 9 e e rever. calla me that” he D2 v Bety Stenhens 40 In ah emergency ilke | With them and a home that ain't got | which is that ¥, siands for uL, vl protested. But he smiled his queer 3 i > this? Then he thought of the broken |one is as far behind the limes as a| J0 %00 without no big danger Tittle twisted smile at her and held = 5 fence and the ditch. If the cows got|bride that can't make gin and Pretty | of brain fever sitting in. . the Lox. unopenad; iclesped tightiy n N i : o Mg around, I Ras Inevitatie | near every place you go now days on * o ox x BRighanes 3 Pory Hioss " What & ool he had been |8 Darty. why instead of halling out| \"OW a few 100 wds. ago | made * % x % 3 - . HOT rush of tenderness surged SN \ 3 I el never to have mended that fo]nfw the cards or African golf balls, why | “* the remark that 1did not care for ~ A through her, and something like a+ ) \ 5 R, - AR S X - 3 R_‘"’m‘_"; e of which anls 8| the host generally always produces a [ the game and 1 suppose some of ms sob caught In her throat. Zeke would | | ™ s j N ' ! 4 . "He nad heen so theifty he would |Eold or diamond studed top and readers will say to themself that | N X S " A 5 starve to death for his pains. everybody squeels and can't hardly |am trying to pose like & smart Alex wait till the dinning rm. table is{and a wise guy because I claim 1o cleared off so as they can start the !not like a game that don’t take brains * fray. to play it But in case they's 1 or 2 Rip Van| Well. friends, they couldn’t nothink Winkles amongst my readers that!be father from the truth. As I have & be mad, she knew. Zeke wanted somebody big enough to be a hand. The thrifty theory that it was cheaper AT the gate from the lane to the to adopt than to hire was the motive : N : ¢ ncadow Btocd) Sicghu vaisiv ek ;-“;,o;'“‘,{,;;::;g;;fl e AN . e . i ¥ urging the red cow with the white herself with the thought that there N : . S ; - hairs to start homeward. The storm hadn’t been many big boys to choose S w2 X S had taken a mean advantage of him. from. anyway, and this one would N\ for the cows had been scattered all grow. Just the same, as the jogging . 4 \ N S X % 1 | over the meadow. tain, the size of Stephe; T ¢ T 2 < EAR e began toi shrink and her apprehen- . \ o N Q \ - shou{cd.m,{‘ll round é':'..*’dfi oufl,::;_hen sions to increase. N = : e : 3 camed, his voice a shrill piping Tt was a gray day. heavy with the g < i screame 3 portent of more rain, and the roads N N 3 o = above e wind “Theye all over Nere still logy from the late thaw.| | . \ : SrEwheresiil TN G Zeke had driven the plow horae to . Ly |l . é oneAny, 3 diteh? . the spring wagon. and it was stand- : \ ~ = outed. 5% i ! ing now outside the dreary station. : x S 3 A T !w':r!‘s‘pe\.l ;o ‘:nan)‘:n, (h"'le \{.a, ‘an- where many anom:r plow ho‘l;ua h'f': Z ¥ . : \ = = ~ - : =¥ R m:s noewr?' out a Efit;it’w'ifx."i’ P:al&:: gmmnlu:: with K = s 2 \ . g = > ll:r'::lm:t:‘l:t)l'de‘:ivirdlnte ot pklor ;'m Trim tt in the waiting room. 2 2 R 3 . 5 m stant barking, be- Zeke Preston wasn't the sort who A & 5 - S = > 2 - = :gmlrln)% elcl:hmulm:ntlnea:l:er Bnddnen i B e tacants : Rt S : = s dog came bounding. Tail straight D N necous. loose-fisted middle % 5 = N out, he meemed scarcely to touch the West he had brought the grim inherit- : = > : DAy . earth ag he drove onward. 4 0 - ance of a long line of Vermont farm- ] ) \ - . rlngrer',n . e oy shouted. 3 4 h ¢ e e ech " ahove. the marrow 3 =1 — ¥ The dog had reached him now. and ’ : e on ot "poverty. . Against those s N — Stephen drobped down on his knees, rocky. unrequiting hillsides they had 3 = = his_arms around the beast's neck, rubbed out their existence, like steel : while the dog squirmed and yelped against a whetstone. When the little with Joy and lapped his fac o o ek ferlowed Dut he had . man: Besiae im. - He atambie to hia Zone west. eke followed. bu P 3 il AW \ never caught up with them. Though cet. Here was his chance to make! P 4 ’ they brought to a mountainless, creek- Zeke acknowledge the doe. “He kin| Jass prairie the old Vermont names of “STRANGER! THE BOY SHOUTED; STRANGER, MY DOG!" help.” the boy shouted. “He kin heip. o D antain and ROATINE Brook, | sm————— oo e e e e e e e e e knows all sbout cows”" they left much behind. he left much t ired. kin sit this stone, 1 = dog can bring panic to a herd. tn Towa one farmed in a bix wav. ch to be desired. Even a sit on this stone. and if they come | appetite of immense dimensions. Any. | those things of which he wi e s rasd. the horitation: 1o e * x Kk * Iready tiy. successfully. | kindly disposed employer would have | near this ditch ye holler at them and | Zeke would what good was | certain. ] e . aantonly fertile |10 e excused a show of irritation | wave yer stick. Ye won't have no|a lasy, yipping dog? PR e I B A PR T ':; man's face. He was desperate for - and responsive. Men staked out big ;l;:nn?::a-::g‘;::o:n: carly sweet trouble, much.” he amended. ' |never understand how helptul he was had been pulled up into the barn, t! 'z“:‘:’e‘.‘;"sg:fl "“;‘:‘c’:‘:h N ihe o in harvest season. ZeKe re‘any. Towa | glephant ear and wild clover. Stephen [ were seven of them, and they were | Aided and abetted by the Stranger,| From the darkness of'the night out- | 8¢ nothin’ happens. I know, he’s Torming seemed to him wasteful and | Hesekiah's idea of weeding a garden | pleased to ignore him. _Heads down. |Stephen marshaled his flock of seven | side came a startled yelp of pain, suc- [ done it afore. to extract from it all growing |they plodded along, snifing and blow- | at sundown and drove them, ambling |'Ceeded by another Ind another 'and| This was no time to waste words, ing at the grass, already a little ntiff |and contented, down the lane toward | then silence. The boy and the woman | 3nd Zeke yielded. “All right” he for their pleasure. Stephen's nerves |the barn. Having the Stra along [looked at esch other in a panic of|8aid. “Take him over there, then relaxed, but his spirits did not as-|was like having Zeke—only a thou- | fear. come back and start these cows on. cend. Even though terror had de-|gand times pleasanter. .. The Stranger,” Stephen whispered | I'll follow with the rest: parted, a complete and absorbing | “Giriken with despair at the thought|“Zeke's found i Stephen did not wait to answer. wretchedness overpowered him. It of losing his friend, Stephen's brain| They both strained to h Finally | Half blinded by the snow, the boy and had been better than this at the home. | considered and rejected every possi-(the sound of Zeke's boots on the dog raced on till they found the ditch They had haq lots of good times on | bility. * Then came. an °inspiration. | Ersvel came to them. Hephsibah was and the broken fence. “Stay here.’ afternoons when scliool was = over. |In the corner of the pen where they | the fAirst to speak = Stephen ordered. “For your life, the cruel vividness of youth he [used to keep the pigs wan an oid |, “Don't say anyinin. she cautioned, (don't you move, dood-by. remembered the clay stove he and | snaci. ” 1¢ was Girly and it leaked,| <T1l do the talkin' D'vou mind now Twice the boy looked _around. cte Elkins had bullt behind the,but'ic would have to do for tonight,|Xhe 100k In her'eyes startled him fstraining his cyes. but the Stranger woodshed, and how they had saved | Tomorrow he would flx It up nome|-Y€,MINd now.” she repeated. ~You | was not visible his body swallowed a bolled potato rom their dinner and | wuy.” The Stranger would have to don't know anythin‘ about that dog.” |up in the whiteness of the stor: ": Beted ih Sl mes® anad |8leep there. Zeke would never know. Zeke stamped up the steps and|But a sharp bark and then another membered their marble games and|Ai“(he corner of the lane Stephen opened the door. A gust of air|told him the dog had not moved. their baze ball and (he Christmas tte¢ | douerica “his charko and e and. the whipped the kerosene p into a|He could be trusted. and _long strings _of popcorn and |08 cut across the plowed fleld to the old pig pen. cranberries. He took out of his|MG QPPN o ed, a sin. Not possessing the gift of ex- ;’m.: hes pression. he was understocd By h03| Besides, Stephen always found de- him toeiely long. plamb Sngloworiss, 5op- m. z ng, plum! leworms, hop- 7 1;1(!6:? o o '.:“E:"fd“ toads, ground thrush nests, and the o e e o great pey- | SludEish water In the quarter-section e o regton” neemed | dItch offered infinite possibilities in Sasatmonioun. his parsimony arose not | 1S, Yy of crawdads and tadpoles. from motives of \-)r-edF“F;V;:,v gf.‘m—"f“" would have preferred a dog or of that stuhhorn New England fa'm | even a kitten to this entire galaxy of A pa A Freach neasont|amphibians, but dogs and cats had to ‘body. Nobody tri iNs hix garden. The ctrueele to 1170 | be fed extra and were consequently ad preaved comething deener 1nto|tahoo. In the house Hephzibah in- nim copecionsnecs thon mere thoift | sisted the boy was a great help. Per- o oW methine to hic land '<st| haps he was, but Zeke remained skep- s it owed something to him. If heltical. Anyway, as he growled. he had called that something a name. it | hadn't intended to adopt a hired girl. might ha been loyalty, but the hen Hezekiah's motives Prestons had no gift of speech. The | were unquestionably of the best. He slapdash. careless methods of any|would have every intention to pile pioneer neople seemed sacrilege t0;the firewood neatly in the lean-to] him. “They cheat the land,” he pro- of the kitehen, to empty the tested. in the Franklin burner, to Perhaps they did. but it appeared the haymow for the e of each season an inexhaustible treasury. | itinerant hens and to finish hoeing squash patch. But a field mouse, tryant flare of prightncan. Returning to the lane, Stephen ‘Funny thing,” he growled as he!found the red cow and two others tugged at the heavy leather, atiff now | Zeke ordered him to start on. from many wettings, “heard somethin' %"l‘lfihln' .rouand n l‘&l I;Ilfl 5" h.? IS “THE MINUTE THE GAME STARTS, THAT IS THE SIGNAL FOR ME TO ent over and opened the doo: t By the time Zeke drove the last of PUT ON MY HAT AND TAKE THE AIR™ doughnuts, but his throat refused to Yvas a mongrel our Must have got|the cown into the shed the road to swallow and Bis eyes smarted was In hia voice this time an urging fon 16T sent him about his uninesn | Thcpanin Grott bascicaden of driis | han been asloep for the past 7. and at could not be ; | han been as r. e e e o | e, boy, all right” There was a silence while | intersected it. between which _the |don't know what the top game is, I pocket the doughnut Hephzibah Pres- ton had given him in the kitchen be- ;he Stranger was skeptical. He fore e RAhathetad ne apbedis | mites, st fasezs, Siethen e, 8 What was the matter? He liked |4 P00, 00, B C0 L “Perhaps there ‘When Green Mountain heard at T oy ere, oy hepeasxed | Zeke tusged and puffed, “Won't have | ground lay naked and brown. Like|will explain that it is a game where Zife who kept house with the same|in the woodpile. How could one pile | her grass and sauntered bring 'you some supper I|7o‘mangy eur hangin' around my ] 3 a1 prairie bliszards, it was everybody puts & nickel or a quarter Yar e e e o Tt s i eaans D o " Bldos =1 Ful"oF Treaka At the Mitehen win.|in the pot as the case may be and | that is just ke carring coals to New "mmed-..' o ach: aveculation. and ot u | ment? There might be baby feld vith mean " diplon That she was rod SRYINE dow Stephen and Hephzibah waited|then the 1st player spins the little | Castle, Penna. That s I can't e i e viiege . lmigesr o Y el . bent on “the most HE Stranger hesitated, then he en-| 1 115 promise to Hephsibah forkotten, | ©°F, Zske and the Stranger. “Don't|top which has kot 6 vr 8 sifes of 1| take no ins. in top Spianine Jut LO0 9 suppone old Zeke'll give him one| Almost without fail, too, Zeke Pres. | strolls. Stephen stood up an tered gingarly. Staphen closed tha| E1 atopnon contronted hio tormentor | S0 12 oHey G, a1l lot me keep him | 8nd Hhe e e 55 and T & and | (hat’ does, becaurs T yealize. that a and an oranme on|ton would appear at the moment remarked Trim Hiatt. when some undertaking thoroughly | told him to holler—but the sound that garded ner. He remembered Zeke|sagging door of the shed and raced|with blazing eyes. “He wasn't no!a lot—just like a man, or. anyways, |otc. and one of the sides has got a|good many people meeds to rest up There were these who distrusted|uneonnected with werk was under e from his mouth weuld have in- [Pack. The rough fleld hurt his feet, & another star on it and another has got a O | different ts of their orgamisms mangy cur,” he stormed. “He—he was “P'raps #0,” Hephsibah pacified.|On it and If th ar comes up, the|gnd lpbfll“l.rlho weak parts, square m To the bof i adow lark, |and it seemed R el thine for them | oBte sonjured e tous of the darinens | T e brandished his stick, but the | bleed with f,,em:‘,nm:,l:?"h'"'::‘d a g00d dog. He had black hair—all | “Now don't get fldgeted. Wait and|Dlaver that span the top tukes the| :So instead of me sturting s cam- to de.” announced Dade Fellows. of an unfriendly world. To Zeke Bte- [cow ignored him and_came on—| = " M n: in of Dis breath-|smooth, except for just a few burrs, [sec” In Ber heart she did not think :‘:'{;“fnl"“'h::l'}!‘,f.":,’,,,‘;"fl:’".‘:,;‘,‘;',“’m’; DAEN S N ety Zeke. as he walked up and down represented the flowering of | slowly, inexorably. P A ppy. Even! e was, I think, the nicest dog that | the thing unlikely. Zeke possessed a | ROthing happens oniy TC 1995s 0| grounds that Wt e & same wh phen : : P D onences ana alolovalty b | oW Y ne gurgle of the muddy water | Zeke’s ill nature because he was late "' | urlous Atreak of justness. If the dog e T bl Shniuet: 2 raw |aBhorred In his nelghbors, but which |in-the ditch. Perhaps she was as in- |could not dampen his splrite. Oyer lived. He is my dog, my doF”|nad helped him "he in’ turn owed Mageh wind, thought so teo. When|in them he was powerlass to eradi- | nocent at heart as her affectations After supper that night he helped His voice caught in a sob that threat- [ something to the dog. Maren wind, thousht co tee. When| (7 hom, et "o sensible’ man would | were ntended to lead one to suppose, | Hephaibah clear up. - Zeke had ro-|ened to put and end o his eloquence. |, Zeke appeared at last. his face as xray-eyed urchin at her side he knew that means he has got to put 3 more | o, mind, why 1 am going to Guarters or nickels in the pot and if | pase a lmprovement on it nam S oomen up T 2, he takes 2 nickels or | S5t & LnBrovement 2" even half uarters out of the pot moved , and, k B ete. s 3 but Stepheni was In no mood for N SUose, xud,nisistockinged || My dog AllsmIne i Ete1liy0n) sXon | hroedittolithe avin dtas the sicit: ot Bk tie Foand T micanlug | et M s T 5 feet on the rounds of the hickory|&ot no call to toucl im. ‘The boy's |a sallor. But there follow: A E ek, g0 bagk he shouted, | Eker ne Derked the coturinn of i | Vholt deurs ‘auivered with Tage and | Suednael, Biuphon' et Bim St dhe | TG bt P EL e Hand na 1, ram hendlelne L e, 00, (00 ‘Go back, g0 b—-"" lollls vul:a wag el by the light | misery. threshold, his eyes burning with the | oyjdnt have no better nickname as | a8 SRAYS 0 0 e played by ans so. “Zeke. thir is Hesekiah.” she said She couid not know the pleading that 5 . a 5 w almost a sob. (1 of the one kerosens lamp. aps the fervent valiancy of this | question. “Where’s my dog?” he cried. Bitnad In N CXOM: nted himself to be the divinely appointed, On came the red cow with In'the midat of the plate scraping | protest amused Zeke, for he only | Mne Stranser, you didn'tleave hime: as T am conserned as the minute [number of 1% wits but we will pre- Zeke sfayed ane grynied. chastener. ‘eyebrow. Bhe was like |Stephen hesitated. “That's a pratty | chuckled grufily. “You mea: Zoke. aton was_ no _ aetor. #amsiatarts, that it 2"&041 | tend like they’s 10 people playing I' L O L s % ox i Tophe, like | §ood bone, Aunt Hephzibah, ain't it | your dog.,” he corrected. was | That first quick look of surprise be- me to Put on my hat and Tuke| gogrybody brings one of their visit- e T little, e man . She would | he queried. goin’ west when I last meen him— trayed him. He had forgotten the doj e * e ing cards and gives them to the Len i il e e e VV/!TH the strong fail rains a trag- 0 “Yew, don't throw it away. We'll|Tapidly. Must be ’'bout halfway to|In the frantie haste to drive back the 3 host and he drops them in a hi e i R (e tw e tRe hox edy took place up on Hection | muddy cr d h use it for woup.” she maid. Denvarinows 10 0 e i Inst of his herd, It was no wonder he | \TOW friends when a game gets|Then everybody puts a guarter i : 5 = Eay : 9 the reins flon un and down on the|Four. The wire fence along the quar- ,zy“:l;‘:,_"- Stephatiiwasiaabbingiopen=| e RRe NI e ’If“‘h'““;: Rt ooy aeony the by Quas|nsd not remembered that lonely sen- such a hold on the public like this | the Dot ' The hoet then FRERCE o hroad back of old Ringer. He won-|{er_gection ditch was washed away * % % X it,” he ventured finally. .With instine. | toward the big shed, calling and sob-| “He ain’t there now.” Zake's pro-|&ame why they must be some reason i o meed e Hile Soxof omon | ireensrpbl, Bieidcs, g, e, B 1o whe doad senves and dunty soleen:|Shvbed' N ThAC mysiariods and duil| asdSioind, Isugncly o ha daten | THHewTont there newtn the storm. | LY 0200 " Lhtauae tnay ay Pniviad o Randle SR hat andl 7 Srew white. time for mending fences. A long in- K. the printed word, “Come on." | {1® o b cross o aars: dug | You_forgot him and helll die!” The | ;o other game ever invented thai is the cards. . will by found to bs & n, nd. mernin® glory weeds,” the man was|Rim new poles and ‘wire were re-|one splendid leap & dog cleared the| ., more now,” she said, When I say that 1 don’t include no i o of the players that is & she followed him where thin, gusty Ware sraved lines too deep for any e e e layed ottdvors be- | they's only one of the plavers thet 17 u come = uired, and that would mean a spe- ; saving. Hephaibah ' Preston never ;n'm trip to town. a day lost on the ::;:; ::.:.::T;z:a":::r';‘: l;‘le 'T.’r'.".:? A tarions Tosling. of excitomens and ieeve The 5“"::“’.;:: T ohes ym. o ¥ou B S de. Ons tasies o ;lc:;i Sause of course they's a0 I or St | it has been proved by mation wide =T s Sontars. deke Iungled 'Efymnu 1997 | anticipated walcome. Stephen had nat gomragaip filled tha heatt of Mephtl. e aea .tg“:’t’“" Deyand which it in mpossible ‘to suf- | 1" sors S S P T L a1 | tests - “:“"“"““r’"'.,‘:;,,:',"{hfi'.‘. JFOR subper that night they had cod- | and that in his mind. and furrows of | moved. In his hand he still held the ah Preston. She was party to Bti]l sobbing, the Loy clung to her, more. With a dried-up feeling in|spena to piay it which can be proved 3 person's mird 1o TTU G0, ot fish balls and mince pie. The cod- &NXlety deepened between his shagey | stam ‘of diseipline, but his lips were | AU SEESTY 0y meapnen, 1 eome baskt Do you a e L TR by going up to the' next great Eolf O N s o hace fhe SO fish came In a woaden box, and It al. | Bropwan Theule Iree ths reae e pey | Blde with “fright, and terror #poks black dog with m{fy heip and duits|"%p¥ t 4 Dlssfied shes. Hephabeh was gettin B tedium tough test questions, like: [ of & A Mo 1 tep rans anywhare ture each ni nd n not al meal r A en the smell o d xmas come in?" ::l,s;'l':?l::? n‘n‘.:‘:;:‘rf:?::':.’y:":.': them ’,':‘l'e it ‘;’3"' "ll'(" ol nn:::nd men i '."i'p‘;:.'e"m':‘.?.'-l ?‘":,,",‘;":,E':,?:’_"n':‘,'t {o‘m“.l like| gicor o in h:‘-r‘lsoro’; fops oams te s ""'::"."‘- At and et ocenst s mear the Pacific ami vou can set 100 visiting cards 5 - - ence he should take up his g “Dinnes nally. r' 35 yodfish for supber in Vermont. Theland with a lang stick drive them back [ PIUf of suthority, he ran Yipping and | | Hephaibah became from that mo. Qently sho draw him back t0 the|.voy betier eat somothin' But she CORBLT but and Take is the indoor cecy, I W. LARDNER. which. Stephon discoyered, would | whenever an' adventuraus urge fo. |{NmPIng lomars e IR e e e |t A L A CoRe im, Hophaibah too knew | champ and even parchesi is a whole| Great Neck, Sept. O D O e e e | ward new flelds of clover should e raer note | hope he don't bark." she” whispered. t! arpnens of first grief, ot more strain on the mind because yellow cream than Zeke Preston, by | gvercome them. rmination. The red cow capitu- | Zeke might hear. i he bega iy T in parchesi you have got to remem- Kinds of O e e Kty moss | q AL N WaY (0 the pasture that frst 3 O rdienlo| ipae s very samet dog " Staphen ber 'what' color men you ate playing Many Salmon. ay Zeke Impres 3 el mes coun! nx. than he would have decmed meces- | oy deke Impressed ooy ihe | along | to him. Ho sin't_—exnctly. e X prison days the hours draggen e e« wosd many people that use | Ssimon in asimon to WOSt PEUTCY s Prestons been born with the gift of | D Hom sl Rt That ‘we" was the last stroke in di-| " k a and the early winter twilight|to be a great admirer of parchesl has | but there are many After supper Stephen helped redd|speech, Zeke's words would have Tho whost af thet ecille an- Hephzibah capitulated. swered .. “Now corme in, dear. ity Zoke drasped ny |deserted it in favor of the top and a|to these who know & “hawk from o itchen. At the home he had|hurned. Mere was Htephen's ch tor had come inta his own. In ¢ s that followed "the | Tried boen o long Lime Indeed aihoe | 01080 in. Finally Zeke Gragged on |, ;ociy)jy the women folks whose men- | ; ngsaw” and 2 salmon from a sal- & curious. but_ matis- | Ffolsinan Preston had calied any one | his heavy boots, buttoned up his over- | tal mechaniams is so much more deli- i S vk Ba Seymiwka have heeii inced T ¢riend He waa fod u coat and pulled down his far cap, |cate than ours that 2 or 3 sets of mon. The buresu unhandy, but tonieht, elther |a sparis of loyalty; nere was his ep-|of _friendl led and | most eno e oautiously if not | ““Morning came, curtously gray and|*“wnere you soin't” Hephsiban neai or haima is libel to cause a | report on Pacifie ssimon fisheries, Jsts 8¢ he was very tired or just ton riunity to redeem the sins of his| W "rl too well, ail the pas-|gtill, The sl was & stesly white, There. ¥ complete nervous break down. the following Pacific species of the re- miserable to care, Zeke's mustache | heed] But all Zeke could say | hands with wet, red mni sion of & ] through -m:‘ the sun made but a |asked. f.'. fact a _good many doctors has fish: Chinook, quinmat or cup, that had come ail the way from be mindful of the eril uncordial world had| The Stranger proved to b fesble_ protest. or_f on "Po the bara” A whirl of snow |recommended their female patients to nowned : Benningt quirmed somehow from | ters, boy,” and “None of that laggin', | besn t to friend, m\l character as He | abroad early an. swept in before he could slem the |give up poker and bridge and start|king salmon; humpback r pink sal- boy; st y door behind him » mon; dog or chum salmon; sockeye. under his soapy fingers and went Zinn D slong. 4 could be trus ha 2 ! ton Docanac’t parag tephen Hesekiah had every good St th -:n“r}‘urltu ‘while Stephen raced sibsh P;o-ton had nurl:“ woman's mind ain’t quite up blue.back or red salmom; silver or v i hy crashing to the floor. Perhaps if thle come over to ¢ tine Sex and many a gal has broke her(word “rhynchus” meaning a snoul, ro! Hey =ob that had been struggling in reason in the world for lai Wi jle down the road te Tri h.i" qfl“ an h n_of her own she mi mental strain of bridge and poker, mr‘:'-l for an houyr had not was oeld already, the the dog b Hiatt's apple orchard or while he lr'n': fl .on ! r!llflll=. hl;.ea:nown how to coméort Stephen. | like for inst. nmom‘nrinc which | coho salmon, and steel-head trout. then the accident would not h early winter tinged panting an a | vestigated in the|did not call his de lowly even Finally she brought out the dough-|hand you just teok the last trick in| A ¢hese salmon, with the exeeption come a tragedy. But Zeke hated a[flelds, sesred brown and with Jolly light in his amber e o hed the d pushed open [ nut jar and the gooseberry jam. e |or trying to figure out how much included in cry-baby. held nene of the resources or witch-|Stephen gte his. Curious uoh it he. ‘1.. ad blown | goasebarry jam was very special. Ste- |1 {L uynts to at % a ct. a pt. or 0B, that “How old d'you say he was, this|ery of summer. He woyld be in luck it was the Stranger from his post once Stranger was not | pl had tasted it only once. wl t is. your turn to ante or tough-lookin; ho‘:!rT' the man thundered. to find mor:mhlln -.dl:l}n:olun erick- hnlmut of pleasure he wae eharged with hia mission. A | there. ell, ‘Just_try_to dl %h I.I=:l-‘muk of wln:,lh-rm-.. 'L';.';‘mm‘-n‘a:t: .n ‘k":!rflm o | the Greek word “onk Stephen umm! ai h:’l'm'ufh he had | ets and & s TS 3ing grass dosei ehlfl’lillllnhl m l'llslt. 1:'-9:“ them- | would come has o o ‘would | this,” ske glM- B a8 .ll!_l!l. B :o”o" Ry n tor the weaier | barb or a hook, and & o ere was hungry, k nstant he | hopper to beguile hia salitude. All afternoon uu,l_:uy and the dog in the dust o 8o ¢ heen Struel a tried to meet the mai eyes, but it| Byt Stephen's chief reason for lag- | romped together. ¢ first ? 3 op ¢ fish is distinguished a failure. On his k hi i one of thege. It was a|man mes o it, on was in & fret of i tience | g1 X toe vs. her partn shin or throwed |so that genus of fish is wul i‘:'lfnud.nu'vevuh (z:n:' .l::' l:l..i’:; f.::on' ;:t'-‘ ‘would never tolerate—a wm-'un gination; retrieving, t: t! sracteris uulr::';u‘ to wo n 5- oonla 'l‘a o 0 x:::". " he answered, her neck out l.ql to wee what her ?r’; ul“ ehauh'l.x ed- ::n.. u'rl:‘ :\n:l.l:.-': pick up the rough piecss, Kneoling | miserabl cowardly reason. Stephes |hide and heek. The Btranger possessed | wers i soul ot this| howl mush and nn% he e |4 husband doubled her 6. 1ucky to]to & o3 beside him was l{imfl ir | was f the eows! e, as_he a t, a t \. smugy ed uj his ng, m; n-t:::t. jam “Iio '”1.1‘.- b A ryge B e ) iy ¢ mb.l:“m:‘l:'::-u:: o 2250 uq-= ke :-2:! :ll;‘lI L] e:‘l!!:hrn‘” N Lt -'aonz : i |="‘ :: : g..m il ::"‘t the sl yu.‘ Shu.aiE a9 o il e, o kitel hen s m:.n hardly any physical or mental “How old d'you say he was?" Zeke ' unbelievably clumsy and stupid, buf The e wmn';ekn would d'im rer “:Burn fool weéather,” he grumbled, * "1‘.-. strain, neither one. The average top