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Voi.. Lxxi. No. 3 Ch: Dllgrim Dress, ttsosron, ‘I-‘tcw Jgorlt anb Cbicago JANUARY 17, igi4
. ,7 or tinbrol-ccii prairie that melted away in from work, carrying his team whip in his
61 ‘ a dim horizon. hand, came around the barn.
W The moon rose in the east, big and “What are you doing uith that calf.
i round and yellow, and beamed on him Smelzer?" His voice rang like steel. “I
- through the leaves of the cottonwood tree. told you this morning that you couldn't 5
The tired boy drifted OFE to sleep, but be- take that calf until you had paid some- "
fore the moon was altogether clear of the thing on the damage your cattle haic done
they‘re been! I turned them out and cottonuood tree he was roused by John's my corn! They have done nfty dollars‘
mended the fence4tt'ires had been cut‘. voice. sharp with anger. Looking out into worth of damage. and more. I‘m not de-
but next time I'm going to tie one of the yard he saw John tying a husky>look- inanding fifty dollars, but you'll not take
them up here in the yard until he pays ing calf to a stake near the barn. that calf until you pay me one dollar, any-
to get it out-and I'll keep on doing it “Now, Mary," John was saying storm- way, and you'll pay it every time you turn
until he quits!" ily, “that's where that calf will stay till your stock through my fcnce!"
“It's a shame, John, but don't let it that low-down sneak pays to take him John was almost twice as big as Smel-
spoil your disposition. Nothing is worth home! I'm willing to half kill myself zer, and he looked immensely threatening.
that,” There was an anxious note in her working for you, sweetheart, but not for Mary was white with aiixiety. Rod gazed
voice in spite of her smile. that-that"T spellbound at Smelzer, who finally gave I
“Well, my appetite isn't spoiled. I'm “O John, I don‘t blame you, but don't an inarticulate snarl and left the yard. ‘
ready for supper, anyway. ot com- feel so. Nothing's worth it.” And Rod "How did you happen to come, John?"
‘puny.’ Hosted away again to the lovely land of asked Mary, with a slight. nervous trem-
"Yes. This is Rod Harper." She out- sleep. blc in her voice, after Smelzcr had dis<
- ‘ lined Rod's tale. “I'm going to let him The big yearling calf was still there in appeared.
I)rnii-hi(iIla,:[E.F..BL7:urlll. work for me until I‘m sure he’ll come to the morning, witness of the half-reineme “Just got: to thinking of it, I came
going on." bered incident of the night before; and near horsewhipping that sneak!"
In Two Ptuzrs. PART I I “Where’ll he sleep?" askctl John, giv- it fell to Rod's lot to feed and water Ile sat down on the porch step with
HF. boy sat on the porch admiring his “,5 ‘he b,03"5 5h0‘,‘]d"" “ f"9‘f,dlY 51,3“ hl“"- his ‘M8 in his hands-
yellow, blue-banded bowl of bread Oh. 111 S1931) 111 the ham. Put In Red a gala morning. Rod, in his “O John.” choked Mary, “don't feel so.
and t he Iadled imo his hastily, completely won by the man's clean clothes, saw and admired every nook Nnthing‘s worth it. Nothing he can do
momh the Hrst spoonfm, he looked up kiiidly eyes and cordial ht-uid. . and corner of the little. three-rooined cmild really hurt us, if only you didn't
rmhm. shy]-V at the b[ue.g0wned) fresh. 355. 3 blanket and a pillow in the hay'- house;‘ listened enthusiastically as Mary feel sol” ‘ A
faced young woman in ‘he doorway. loft by the window will rnakeya good told ot plans for uture rooms, quaint "How should I feel? I‘m working for
...I-his tastes awful good. he smiled. enough place foranyliotly. fliats where windows, convenient cupboards and all you, Mary, not him."
“BIBS your heart-I Thugs me” if you we slept, Rod, while we were building this the rest. llod had been trying to appear very
,“.am inn ho v.’ ‘ ’ . "Our only extravagance, Rod," she btisy doing one thing and another. but Me,
BM by ‘he time he had eaten we last ‘Well let him look inside at the bed laughed, "was our wide eaves and this his heart was raging within him hlomj% I
bit of bread, and turned the bowl to drain hy 501719 SW!“ imD"lS5 hc SP-%$'ef0I‘e ‘,'
(he hst dmp, he was smisgedt John and blurted out: “Say 'John‘Jr.-lm "‘
“ lVallack-l'll go over thercr'?tn<l fight him. . ,.4.g.r..- A-V - R
Now, youngster, tell me your‘ name
and vilicre you are going.”
“My name's Rod Harper,” he answered
promptly. “I was with- some. movers
named Plummer. They>gimme- the slip
about ten miles west. They took me over
a month ago, when my aunt died, and said
I could work my way along with them.
He meant to settle in the western part
of this state" V’ ‘ >
“Well.” She looked at him with clear,
shrewd, but not iinkindly eyes.
“Oh, guess he’s been longer getting
there than he meant, and of course I was
0y 1". . .
see here," and the boy's face
“I'm not needing any pity! I
guess [ could liakfe caught up with them,
maybe. Btit‘I clidn’t try. If they wanted
to be rid of’m'c."siire I wouldn't try! I
was glad to be rid of'the lot, most ways."
“What are you going to do?"
“I started back for Topeka. It isn't
twenty miles from here now, is it? If
I don't find a place to work on the way
I will in Topeka."
His ingratiating smile with the hint
made her laugh.
‘‘“'ell, ‘ Rod. I don’t propose to let
twelvceyear-old boysvbe running around
loose till I have time to think it over.
Perhaps I'll have you work for me until’
can get your clothes washed and your-
self fed." ' ’
"Say. now, honest?"
lighted hopefully.
"Maybev-we'll see what John says.
John is my husbandgltlr. VVall:tck’and
I'm John's wife, Mary,” with a laugh.
“There he comes now!"
Thrniiglt the young com a big, broads
sliouldervd. shirt-sleeved young fellow
it as striding toward the house. He looked
harassed andvangry-a bad sign for Rod.
As Mary stepped off the porch toward
the fence that surrounded the home yard,
Rod saw the man’s face brighten, and
His dark eyes
hoped again. ’ 1
"What's the matter now, John?" she
asked.
"0 Mary, that old sneak will be the
death of me! Those cattle have been in
:igaiuAyou ougl'It“f0' see the corn uliere
,-.)., ,,,
"luux ..
once in a while," laughed Mary, “so
he won't forget what a real bed is like.
I'm going to wash your clothes, first
thing. I'll wash them out tonight after
you've had a tttbbing out there in the
b:irn.”
“Oh. say. I can wash them myself."
Hushed Rod. “You don‘t have to."
“I'd like to know what you'd stand
around in while you were doing it,“.
cliuckled John-and Mary's face lighted
tip at the sound.
od was keen enough to see that Mary
was anxious about hcr husband, for some
reason, and welcomed anything that di-
verted him. So he tucked that away in
mind.
Mary helped him spread his blankets
and pillows in the hay, near the window,
in the barn loft. Its wooden doors stood’
wide open.
After a hot. sudsy scrub, that left him
every whit clean, sivathed in a soft old
shirt of John's, he snuggled down in his
comfortable‘ nest most contentetlly. Ile
could look out on the little fenced house
yard, and latticed side porch where Mary
and John sat talking. and on across the
road, over lields and fields of young corn
E‘
m.
. LOOKED iiniisssstv 1’HRKATE:i
K
porch. Isn't it
adear?’ ,
He reveled in Mary's friendly confr
deuce, hcr good-natured approval of all
his rather clumsy attempts to help, her
marks and. above all, hcr
llowriuexprcssibly contented hcr
laugh made him!
The afternoon, on the contrary, was
anything but pleasant. While John was
away working. the short, stocky, bearded.
low-browed, mean-eyed Smelzer lunged
into the house yard and began to untie the
alf " .
We live on this porch.
Mary caiue to the door
“Good afternoon. Mr. Smelzer. John
would like to see you before you take the
calf.” ’
No answer, and Smelzer continued try-
ing to iintie the rope.
“Mr. Smelzer." went on Mary evenly,
though with heightened color, “Rod will
bring John. This matter ought to be set<
fled now."
Smelzer but hurried the more, and
finally, taking out his knife, began to cut
the rope.
Rod had started on a run for John;‘
but at that moment John himself, hot
. lavished on
x
for you. I’ll-I'll pommcl' him good!” "
John looked up in amazenwnt and at
the sight of the cocky little pugilist, so
full of fight, broke into a laugh. Mary's
face cleared, and she smiled gratefully at
I
t.
"I will if you give the word I" reiterated .
R l
04.
John held out his hand. "Put it there,
Scrapper! You're the right stuff! But
I'm trying hard enough not to fight my .
battles, without working them off on you,
Mary, for some reason, doesn't like a
fight-do you, Mary. dear?" A
llut Mary was taking the good the gods
provided. and was being cheerful whil
she could. >
“You men hustle along about your
work," she laughed. “It's getting on in
the day and well have an early supper
for once-and a good one. I‘m going
right to cooking.”
"I'm half afraid to leave you, Mary,"
said John anxiously. "I'm satisfied we
don't realize how far that snrak would
go. Rod. you stay with Mary-I'll feel
better about her. I'm glad you're here,
Rod. Blow the horn if you want me.“
Rod glowed. “I'm your man,” he said
solemnly, and John turned away cliuckling.
If Rod was to take care of Mary it ” "
scented to him his plain duty to keep
l(‘l' smiling, She did not like John to
feel enraged at Smelzer: that did not
trouble Rod-he felt enraged himself; but
it did trouble him to have Mary lose her
smile. So he told of his atlventurcs with
the Plummers-and they hail been many-
and sang songs, an art in uhieh he ex-
d. ‘
“‘.Vhy, Rod," said Mary, when supper
was ready and John came bar r with the
team. “you're splendid company!"
“Then this must be a company supper,"
nodded John; “this is fine; everything
lint the fatted calf." with a glance at the
comfortably munching animal, “and we'll
li.-ire him later."
They ate on the morningeglory-covered
porch. and the adjectives that were not
used up in the preliminary course were
the apple dumplings and
cream that formed the crowning glory of
the meal.