I'
I
TBffiL StnSDAY OSBGONiaa PORTIAyD; JUNE : 11,, -1185.
Story of Borrowed Runaway Catboat
HE water In front of the Summer
nroan resort, Seabourne. was white
Kith rumbling, fluttering, flapping
Each one had a number on It In
p g figures, made out of black canvas, for
Iterc was to be a great race for all
p!a"jes of boats when the tide turned.
ixv. 'l wouia oq in a.ouuL nvo Hours.
Tlr biggest and swiftest catboat of tho
flat, the Flying Fairy, lay alongside the
brat float with a huge racing sail drum-
g Jn the wind. Her crew had Just
t".'hd bending it on, and they had raised
It f j'l and taut to stretch it and discover
a"- ::l-ntiiig places.
T r Flying Fairy wan bobbing like a
c rk and the thundering of the big sail
c'. k her from bow to Mem, for all her
iral ballast had been removed, and was
lyirg on the little pier waiting for her
ccw to return from luncheon and ad
J:s It.
cd Howell and Jim Phillips came
nl"ng just then. Fred was from New
"icrk. and therefore he had adopted a
knowing nautical air when ho became ac
quainted with Jim Phillips, who was from
t"".e Interior. Frod didn't exactly He; but
somehow what he said gave Jim the idea
that he was intimately acquainted with
crry style of craft that enters the great
harbor.
As a matter of fact, he had never been
cn board of anything except a ferryboat,
and all that he knew about other ship
ping was from seeing It as It passed up
and down the big river and the bay.
So when the two boys saw the Flying
Fairy and Jim Phillips, staring at the
enormous sail, said: "My. but It looks as
If that boat would fall right over when
phe gets away from the float," of course
Fred had to show his superior wisdom,
So he said, patronizingly:
"Oh, she's stiff enough. Pretty good
lines on her. I'd like to hold her tiller
in the race and see what she's got In
her"
"Could you sail a boat with such a big
rail as that?" asked Jim in admiring
wonder.
"ertalnly." said Fred. Seeing signs of
Slfcbclief In Jim' face, he stepped Into the
boat and took hold of the tiller, shoving
It to and fro as he had seen men do.
"She minds her helm beautifully." said
he. Now she couldn't mind her helm
because she was tied fast bow and stern.
But Jim Phillips did not know what
"minding her helm" meant, and neither,
to tell the truth, did Fred Howell.
However, It sounded so nautical that
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shadow crossed
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Rome.
Jim, with new respect for his friend, also
climbed into the catboat. And then the
spirit of vanity Impelled Fred to do Just
the foolish thing that might be expected
of a boy foolish enough to be such a
boaster.
lie cast oft the lines that held the boat.
The next moment he would have given a
great deal to undo the deed; for the stiff
breeze blew the catboat away from the
float instantly, and before he could collect
his frightened senses the craft was a hun
dred feet offshore.
if tiie boys had shouted for help, ail
would have been woll, for the boat was
only drifting stern foremost, and It would
have been easy to row out to her and sail
her back. But Fred was too vain to ac
knowledge to Jim that he could not sail a
boat at all, so he wasted precious time
trying to study out how to steer the boat.
Nobody on shore noticed anything
wrong, for there were so many alls that
one more or less did not attract attention.
So the Flying Fairy drifted well past the
anchored fleet before her owner, looking
out of the hotel window, saw her.
Just as he ran shouting down to the
boach. Fred Howell, still intent on deceiv
ing his friend, pushed the long tiller away
over to one side. Instantly the huge sail
filed and the boat keeled over with a rush,
throwing the boys into a heap tinder the
gunwale, while the water poured In. -
Luckily. Fred had let go of the tiller in
his terror when the great sail filled with
a roar. This saved their lives, for it gave
the boat a chance -to come up In the wind
a little.
But the big boom, in swinging, shipped
the tangled sheet rope around the tiller.
and again the boat heeled; then, in the
mysterious manner in which sailboats act.
she headed around, the rope dipped clear,
the bellying salt swung out until the
boom was at right angles wltbsthe hull.
and the Flying Fairy, light as a feather
without her ballast, dashed headlong out
into the open ocean!
By this time, you may be sure, there
were plenty of boats in pursuit. But the
Fairy was so much faster than any other
craft in the fleet that she soon left them
hopelessly behind. There was no vessel
propelled by anything except .sails in the
harbor, and the tugboat for which the
owner of the Flying Fairy telegraphed
had to steam 30 miles from the city. So
the catboat was out of sight in the At
lantic Ocean long before the tug arrived.
You may be" sure that Fred Howell had
lost an his vanity by that time. Humbly
he confessed his Ignorance of boats, and
asked Jim Phillips what they would bet
ter do. Jim suggested that they pull in
the sail: but they did not know how, and
so they tried to haul In the sheet rope.
Immediately the unballasted boat rolled
so hard that it was clear she would cap
size. So Jim Phillips said that the only
thing to do was to hold the tiller steady
so she would sail straight ahead.
The Flying Fairy went straight to sea
and out of sight of land. As the-"afternoon
wore on the wind Increased till the
big ocean waves ceased to roll and undu
late slowly, as they bad been doing, and
began to break into white foam. The cat
boat soon took water over her bows, and
the boys, inexperienced though they were,
perceived that, she was likely to capsize
or sink It any of tne great waves sirucx
her sideways.
'But Jim Phillips had been studying
things, and suddenly he exclaimed: "How
foolish wo are! Why not untie all those
ropes along the mast and sec 11 tney
won't let the sail fall downi"
Fred Howell Immediately cast off the
ropes than ran down alongside the mast
and were fast to cleats at- tM loot or it.
The sail came down with a roar, but it
-was so distended with wind that It stuck
half-way down, and there it flapped so
fiercely that the. boat Jumped wildly Into
the big, hissing, green, rushing seas.
-Cut everything you can reach!"
screamed Jim Phillips. Fred Howell
obeyed humbly, and the canvas fell In a
great heap to the deck."
The boys Jumped on It and tied It up,
so that the wind should not catch It.
Then they could do nothing more. But
the Flying Fairy, being so light, rode the
seas buoyantly, now that - she was re
lieved. Night came but the boys did not sleep.
There were too many things to frighten
them. Once a school of porpoises, plow
ing along In the darkness, swam so close
to them, and puffed so terribly, that both
Fred and Jim thought a vast sea mon
ster had risen-to devour them.
Another time they suddenly saw what
looked like two big eyes, one red and the
other crccn. The thing came on with a
terrible noise, until they saw masts and a
funnel against tho stars, and realized that
It was a steamship. Tney snoutcu'wun
all their might, but, though It swept so
close to them that its rollers dashed over
the catboat, nobody aboard heard them.
Next morning at dawn they saw another
steamboat a small one It was tho tug.
Soon she was alongside. The boys were
taken aboard, and back they went to
Seabourne. with the Flying Fairy In tow.
Fred Howell was cured of boasting from
that day on. The owner of the Flying
Fairy forgave him and took both boys
out many times after that. And whllo
the adventure was enough to teach Fred
a lesson, he learned still another one In
humility, for Jim Phillip, the boy from
Inland, learned to sail a catboat long be
fore Fred Howell, the New York boy, oio
s a I ale i hat Is I old, 0
ByMary Huntington Sunday
an's Selected Fiction
.Copyright. 1505. by S. S. McClure CtO
IT WAS the first of November, but the
.grass still showed a pleasant green
ness, for hoar frosts were holding oft.
trickled on .as if the tongue of the whis
perer moved without consciousness from
her brain.
"Enoch he said ho'd married her in thet
The barrenness of tho woods was relieved j bunnlt. an he'd bury her In thet bunnlt.
by patches of russet, touched with dull
reds and yellows, and through the still air
leaves now and then sailed carta warn
like slowly descending birds. Because of
the Indian Summer mellowness, which
rested In dim blue haze upon, the hills.
and made the pale sunshine feel sort
against the cheek, the front door of
Enoch. Weaver's house stood open, and
here and there a window was half raised.
Teams were fastened about the outbuild
ings, and to the yard fence other horses
were tied their occasional neighs and
tamDlnrs a break upon the silence- Two
grizzled middle-aged men. bent upon
heavy farm work, shook hands with os
tentatious solemnity at the front gate.
-We meet again. Mr. Avery-"
Yes. Mr. Barbour. An th last sad
occasion was th funeral of old SSzs. Tlb-blts."
Mr. Barbour, who had the depressed
face of one given to seeing the pessimistic
side or life, sighed deeply not that Airs.
Tibblts had been even an acquaintance,
but a sigh seemed appropriate to the sub
ject under discussion.
Wal, Mr. Avery, we vo all got to travel
th same road."
Mr. Avery stroked his smooth fat chin
contemplatively, as if the thought had
never before occurred to him ana ne
meant to give It due attention.
"Yes. yes that's so." he answered.
That's so. Mr. Barbour. It Is, Indeed.
The degression of Mr. Barbour s face
The Story of the Wise Firemen of Pennyville
NE day the schoolmaster and the 1
Mayor of Pennyville were walking
toirether. admlrinc the town and
the streets and the town pump and the
rigs. The Mayor looked all around very t
oroudly and said to the schoolmaster.
"There is no town like Pennyville. We
have everything that a town can pos
sibly have and all of tho very best, I
do not regret at all that I am giving up
my time and talents to it." j
"That may all be," said tho school
master, who was of a contrary disposi
tion. "That may all be, but there Is
something that Is lacking In Pennyville."
' Is that so?" said the Mayor haught- '
i'y. "Woll, then suppose you toll me what
't is. But I warn you beforehand that I
will not believe It."
"No, I will not toll you." said the
hoolmaster. "I will tell all the other
f'tizens, and maybe you will find it out
that way."
So the schoolmaster said to every citi
zen that ho met:
"Do you know that our beautiful town
to scream and carry things out of the
houses. The women and men fell over
each other, and the goats and cows and
dogs and chickens and geese and pigs
of Pennyville fell over the - men and
women, and everybody was so fright
ened that the apothecary had to work
all the rest of the night making pills.
"This will never do!" said all tho
people next day. "It would be awful to
have such excitement whenever the bell
rings."
But nobody could think of a way to
avoid the trouble till all at once the
Mayor struck his forehead and said:
"I have It, We will take the clapper
out of the bell, and then nobody will
get excited, because tho bell will not
ring."
"Splendid!" said everybody.
All the citizens of the town soon
learned of the wise deed of the Mayor
of PcnnwiHe. and finally the Grand
Duke heard of it. So he drove to the
town of the wise people and called the
Mavor before him and got him to tell
the whole story.
"What what would you do if a house"
caught Arc. now that the firemen can
not hear the bell?" asked the Grand
Duke.
The Mayor scratched his head and
thought. Then he said suddenly:
'Please excuse me a minute. Your
Royal Highness." and ran away.
He returned in halt an hour and said
with a bow:
"I know now what would happen. The
house would burn down. Your Royal
Highness, before the firemen heard about
It,"
"Why did ycu go away before you told
me thatr' asked tne Grand uukc.
"Why. I wanted to- find out, so I set
my houso on. flrc to try It." said the
Mayor.
"You are indeed worthy to be Mayor of
Pennyville." said the Grand Duke and
all the people shouted, "Hurrah for our
Mayor."
f Pennyville is sadly behind the age?
It has no fire bell to alarm us In case
there should bo a fire."
The citizens all became very sad when
they heard this, for they saw at once
that the schoolmaster was right. "What
shall we do?" said they. "What shall
wc do?"
Nobody knew, so they ran to the Mayor
and he called a meeting of the Town
Council Immediately. Then he addressed
them and said:
"It is all the doing of that school
master. I do not see what we should
have a fire bell for, since we hav.e never
had a fire."
"That Is Just like our Mayor," Eald the
schoolmaster. "It Is lucky for you that
I am your schoolmaster. It is Just be
cause we have nevor had a Are that
we need a fire bell, because there is so
much to burn. If wc had ever had a
lir, of course there would be no danger
because there would be nothing left to
catch the flames. Anybody who is wise
can see that."
"Wc are all very wise." cried all the
people and tho Town Council, "far we
tan see It at once."
"Me. too," said the Mayor proudly.
So the schoolmaster and the beadle
and the shoemaker were ordered to buy
a fire bell and they hung It In a tower
in the middle of the town.
. "Now we must have firemen," said the
Mayor. "Let us have an election."
The citizens went around, and each
one said to the other: "You voto for
me and I will vote for you."
When the voting was over, each citl
zen had one vote, so each one bought him
self a fireman's suit and was vory glad
"We must have a Fire Commissioner
and a chief and a captain," said the
Mayor.
"We will take the jobs," cried tho
schoolmaster, the beadle and the shoe
maker.
"What good reason have you to offer?"
asked, the Mayor, haughtily.
"We want them. That's why!" cried
they.
"What an excellent reason!" exclaimed
the public So the schoolmaster and the
beadle and the shoemaker wore appoint
ed.
"We must do something to show that
we have an official position." said they
"Lot us ring the fire bell tonight to
try It,' said the beadle.
So they rang It aftor all the people
had gone to bed. Hardly had the first
sounds of the bell pealed out before
everybody Jumped out ot bed and began
"Ob hustle up you bully boys. Magulre eald one car.
"A big windjammer's off the coast, a beating for the bay.
AM we have got to race for her. Tfcs Juno' rot the tip:
She's half-ray to tho Hook by now. a-gtrlng ui the slip."
We swung the aacy Kitty out and drove her down the stream.
TIN the feew wave that piled In frost looked 'most like beaten cream.
We overhauled the Jus as she pounded down the Swash.
A ltd when we made the pea sea. she labored In our wash.
We laughed to foe feer 5rp astern. "Slow up," cald Bill Macuire.
Te beat that eM tea kettle we don't seed a rearing fire."
Fr twenty mites we pitched and rolled, the sex was runnlnr hlrh:
T1H we made eet a woolly cloud low on the southern sky.
"Hang It 'said Sill. "thert fos ahead. If we doa't alrht that ship
Before the thing drifts down oa us. I guess we'll lose our trip."
It spread as from a rpoctlng stack, and even while be spoke
It's whlta . wet folds rolled over us and hid us in Its smoke.
But Bill liar" I re drove straight on. till, sndden through the gloom.
Uere U a little lexson tn msklntr pictures. Suppoe yen fill In the nnc pic
tures of the series an dtee if you can get a result tike the art let wbo made this
one.
He said phe was Jest as much his bride
now as she ever was."
"Do tell!" Mrs. Brisgs gasped again.
"Yes. He's teched. of course a little'
teched. Th' Idea of beln laid out In a
bunnlt! Whoever heard of such a thing?
An don't you think Enoch declares his
wife ain't dead only slecpln'? Says- if th
minister .calls her dead he won't never go
Inside a church again. I pity th' min
ister:" Just then from the hall sounded the
minister's voice, vibrating with feeling.
Ho was new to the place, having occu
pied tho pulpit but six months, and this
was the first funeral since his pastorate
began. He waa a young man, with Ideas
which seemed hardly orthodox to even
tenored country folk: and there were few
present who did not wonder how he could
avoid what might seem like consciousness
that the woman beside whom the old man
watched, as we watch the sleep of one we
love, had been dressed for the grave in a
way which exceeded all precedent- Necks
craned, ears strained: curiosity was agog
to catch the words of this stripling, fresh
from divinity school.
"Probably there is not one of you here
today who did not know the wife of Enoch
Weaver better than it has been my privi
lege to know her you knew her quiet, un
obtrusive life, her kindness as a neigh
bor, her faithfulness as a helpmeet; you
knew how dear she was to hlra. who.
alone In old age, sits, the mourner ot
mourners, beside the one whom 60 years
ago he brought here a bride and whose
face, as she lies with her silvery white
hair agalnrt the time-yellowed white of
lifted slightly, it is pleasant to xeri uuii ner weddlng bonnet. Is sUH to him the
ono has spoken to effect. He shook his face cj tne bride so many yesterdays re
head to deepen the philosophy ot his last moved. To those of us to whom God ha3
A oea ghost higher than a church, we saw th vessel Icon.
Then as we ssrunc around her Kern to take her leeward side.
With bootlzx bora the Juao. lost, came blundering down the tide.
She heaved a Mne. They took it. In that fog all they could see
Was Jort a phastoa tug aad so they thought that It was we.
Then BUI Maguira bottled up. aad shouted: "Say. let go!
Don't tell rse that you didn't know tho Kitty bad this' tow!"
The Juno'a captain raag his bell and laughed: "Magutre. tey.
A tow is his who gets It when tho Juno comes that way."
"Oh. say you soT' Magulre cried, and Jingled sharp and abrUL
I turned In evry pound of steam and drove her with a will
Straight at the Juao's Quarter with." a smssh aad roar we rlpped.
The water broke oieen over her. so deeply was she dipped.
Then BUI swept off aad turned again to rara ber In the bow.
It tilted the old Juno up and rolled ber like a scow.
Sooa aa the Kitty backed away, tha Juno'a captain spoke:
"Oh. take your tow; I guess that you doa't understand a Joke!"
You're wrong." said Bill. "I made a very clever Joke Jest cow.
It had a good point to U-th Saucy Kitty's bow."
Temark. and said
Enoch's pretty much broke up over ms
loss. I s'pose."
"That's what thoy say." Mr. Avery re
plied, hurriedly. "Wal. I guess I'll bo go-
In Into the house."
He passed on and disappeared through.
the open ooor. Mr. Barbour saw a phae
ton not ft r from the gate and tne nutter
of alighting skirts. He guesral that his
companion had made haste to avoid a
courtesy, and with disgust at such ooor
Ishness. went to offer his own services.
Tho younger of the two women glanced
around at him.
"Mr. Barbour!! hitch Dolly an' blanket
her, mother. I'm so glad that I shan t
have to get hair all over tnis navy mue
skirt- She's shedding dreadfully, and
white hair does show so!"
"S'h!" murmured the other. Then, with
a nod of smiling relief: "Why, Mr. Bar
bour! Yes. thanks, we 11 be glad to have
you 'tend to th horse. A horse Is a
bother to women. Isn't It drctful sad
about Mrs. Weaver goln so sudden? I
do pity her husband. My! what a lot
of teams there are here. I guess itii
be a real big funeral. I think a small
funeral always seems forlorn as If a
body hadn't any friends. Simon couldn't
get away today. He's behind with husk-
In an' everything, this Fall, an' nes
sprained his ankle a little, too. Ho was
complalnln this mornln about luck. tut
I told him he wasn't half so bad oft as
old Enoch Weaver, who hasn t even a
glrl'llke Angel here left to him."
Mr. Barbour was not so pessimistic nut
that he glanced at the comely and still
fresh face of "Simon s ' wife.
"I sh'd think not," he said.
Angel went slow"" ou ahead. leaving her
mother and Mr. Barbour to follow the
subdued sound of their voices meaningless
in her ears. The leaves rustled under her
feet, and she looked down at them with
the half consciousness with which she let
her eyes lift to the beauty of the haze-
wrapped hills stretching away, and away.
and away into the blue etner. bne was
thinking rebelllously how she hated-
funerals, and how she wished her mother
would have let her stay at home. And
what was there sad about the death of
such an old person as Mrs. Enoch Wea
ver? Why she was SO! How could one
wish to live to be SO? She tried to Imag
ine what life would seem like at SO and
her thoughts trailed into blankness. for
great. Indeed. Is tho space between to and
19! She had never spoken to Mrs. Enoch
Weaver, but she remembered seeing her
occasionally a rather bent little woman,
with white hair and Tclndly eyes and
cheeks red as a withered Winter apple.
Her face had plead the young girl .
. . and yet to be SO! A Concord buggy,
with a frisky sorrel horse, drove rapidly
up to the gate, and Angel, with a quick
glance at the driver, started for the open
door. Her mother called to her In a sharp
undertone:
"Angelina!"
She paused obediently, keeping her back
to the gate. Her mother, leaving Mr.
Barbour to greet the new arrivals as if he
was master of ceremonies, reached her
side.
"Why. what In th world alls you, Ange
lina Briggs? Anybody'd think you never'd
been to a funeral before, an' I took you
three times while you was a baby in
arms. 'Taln't a party to go rushln in
like that,"
"I didn't know I was rushing." Angel
said, with hushed Indignation and a blush
which passed as swiftly as It came.
"Then you'd better know. An I won't
hev you answerin' so putcheky. You've
been putcheky ever sencc th' . surprise
party at th church last week. I guess
surprise parties don't agree with you.
Walt I want to speak to Mrs. Woodman-
soe! How d'ye do. Mrs. WoodmanseeT
Nice day for a funeral, ain't It? No rea
son why most everybody can t come
seem's though. 1 see Tom fetched you."
"Tes-s-s," Mrs. Woodmansee said soft
ly. She was a large woman with a purr
ing voice. "His father couldn't get away
as he s one o tn" jurors on mat case
In court to town now. Tom don't like
funerals, but I made blm fetch me. How
d'y do. Angel?"
Angel didn't want to come, eitner. due
Insisted, as Simon couldn't spare th
time," Mrs. Briggs said, wondering why
the child should blush again under Mro.
Woodmansee's greeting. She hoped Angel
wasn't developing bashfulness at 19.
Dretful sad 'bout Mrs. Weaver, ain't
itr
Mrs. Woodmansee nodded solemnly tnat
It was very sad indeed, and with an all
over glance which took In the other's
dress from headgear to shoes, the two
women went into the house Angel follow
ing. The sitting-room and parlor, square
front rooms opening out of the long, nar
row hail, were filled with people sitting
in decorous silence, ana tne nan was
lined with, standing men. The undertaker.
waiting upon the lowest stair opposite .tne
open front door, came lorwara wiin tne
suave manner of his kind, and carried
some extra, chairs Into the dining-room
beyond which was already well crowaea.
Angel went on after her mother with a
sensation oz relief, ror ner glance into me
parlor bad shown her a. coma, oesioa
which sat a bent old man- A few whis
pered greetings met them as they took
scats. '
"Awful queer "bout her havin on her
weddin' bunnlt. ain't Itr whispered &
woman next to Mrs. Briggs. "What?
Hadn't you heard? Yes. Enoch Insisted
iiBon her beln laid out In her weddin
bunnlt: took on so th. undertaker said
they'd better let him hev his way. His
uncle was Jest as odd as be could be. you
know always wore two coats, th shortest
outside, an when his wife died he hung
himself In th smoke-house an wasn't
found for three days, though they hunted
high an low. Sairey Ann Wetcott corns
In to help here after Mrs. Weaver died,
an she said if 'twasn't fur that bunnit
th poor sould would 'a' made a beautiful
corpse. Thet looks like she come out o
the ark. of course."
"Do tell!" Mrs. Briggs gasped back. In
astonishment, while Angel listened nerv
ously, halt fascinated, yet with a feeling
of repugnance to this 'gossip, which
given the blessing of a good woman's
love, to those of us to whom such bless
ing is yet to come. It brings a feeling of
reverence ror our own that she who rests
In yonder room is still a bride to the
bridegroom of 60 years ago will always be
a bride. Shall we think of her as dead?
No for she sleeps!" The people sat stir
less, expectant, strangely moved yet
many of them hardly comprehending.
And as they sat thus the minister's girl
wlfe, on the hall ptalrs, began to sing
with rare tenderness the words of Mrs.
Browning's "Sleep."
The tenor-soprano loft behind it a hush
thrilling with sacredness; the minister's
voice broke as he said: "Let us pray
Tom sh'd fetch th team before I get
around, tell him I shan't be long."
She moved ponderously away her pur
ring voice wafted softly back ta the girl,
who stood, flushed and silent, looking
after the three figures until they were
lost to sight behind the white stones on
the slope of the cemetery hill. The waters
ot the little pond beyond the cemetery
slope gleamed blue; a light wlnd rustled
some crisp leaves at her feet; the
branches ot a near hackmatack tree
sighed llsplngly like waves upon a beach.
Absorbed In thought as she was. the
blending of sound covered a step be
hind her but a shadow elongating In the
westering sun suddenly fell past her Into
the open grave. With a start she turned
from the blue pond waters to meet the
young fellow behind. "O Tom!"
His frank face was working with emo
tion.
"I saw you when you kissed him! No
body else would have thought to do it.
I'm sorry I got mad at nothing th' even
ing of th' surprise uarty. Angel."
"O Tom!"
Between the two utterances of his name
was such a gamut of feeling as scales
from surprise to Joy. Through the Indian
Summer mellowness a bluebird, belated
In Its Winter migration, fluted once."
twice, thrice from the hackmatack tree,
and flew away toward the foliage-denuded,
haze-covered hill?, warbling melodi
ously of Spring! Spring! Spring! the
Spring which beat In the hearts of two
who kissed beside an open grave, with
Autumn and Age and Death forgotten.
It was Angol who. remembering, said
with a choke In her throat:
"I'm glad she was burled In her wed
ding bonnet. Tom."
Angel had learned now how one might
wish to live to be SO; . . . yet SO was
far away! Tom did not answer, for. look
ing radiantly into her eyes, he saw mir
rored, as It were, her own face, .sweet
and blushing and alive framed in a wed
ding bonnet!
Only a Girl
"What do you think of it. ff Hows?" and
Cliff Morton drew his face into a long and
lugubrious frown to express hi3 own feel
ings on the subject.
Ben drew a long breath.'
"Well, It's just this way," he said as
though there was but one solution to the
problem, "we've got to cut her dead.
That's the only way. Tho Idea of a girl
One by one those assembled Dassed In 1 belnsr tied to our heels all Summer. Why.
single nie through the rooms to look It a It s wordless."
good-bye at Enoch Weaver's bride. An
gel held back until the last; not now be
cause of her usual nervous shrinking
from looking at Death, but because an
emotion, against which she fought down
a choke in the throat, made It seem like
profanation that any curious gaze should
fall upon the dead this day. When she
went up to the coffin, against which
Enoch Weaver rested the withered, trem
ulous hand of age, as he had don
throughout the service, she saw. framed
among the white lilac blossoms of a time- I
yellowed white silk bonnet, a serene old
face which smiled the bride smile of 60
years ago. She looked from that smile
to the mourner and he. lifting his eyes as
he had not done while the others filed by.
met tnose or the girl brimming with pas
sionate sympathy. "Oh!" she said softly.
and then she was slipping away In con
fusion at her own Impulsiveness, for she
had bent and kissed the old man's wrin
kled cheek.
The cemetery was at the foot of the
hill, a quarter mile below Enoch Weav-
Cliff shook his bead and glanced toward
the sitting-room window. They had just
come from an Interview with their moth
er, and he did not wish her to hear their
.unfavorable comments.
"We can't do that, boy3," he said, de
cisively. "It wouldn't be fair to mother.
She's turned the girl over to our care, you
know, and we can't cut her direct. Be
sides, the girl Isnt to blame; she's an
orphan and counts on us cheering her up."
Archie considered.
"Can't we let her into some ot our
plans?" he suggested. "Some of those that
require plenty of spunk and strength, I
mean. She 11 be glad enough to drop out
pretty soon, and spend her time around
the house with the chickens and cats.
Then she'll be satisfied, and mother'!! be
satisfied, and we'll be free to go our own
way."
The boys brightened.
That evening the girl came, and the next
morning, after breakfast, Mrs. Morton
smiled across at the boys and said:
"Now you may show Edna round and
cr"s house, and nearly all present went j make It as pleasant for her as you can.
soberly down the grassy roadside bank
to where In the small burylnir nlaca
heap of fresh earth marked a newly dug
grave; tne nearse. followed by two or
three carriages, turned In through the
Iron gates after the people, and the bride
of 60 years ago was lowered to her last
resting place. Standing on the edge of
the crowd which hemmed the minister
the bearers, the few remote cousins who
had joined the little procession, and the
chief mourner, who leaned tremulously on
the undertaker's arm Angel heard the
minister repeating: "Dust to dust, ashes
to ashes"; and then, after a pause which
seemed part of the autumnal hush: "We
spend our years as a tale that Is
told " "
Tne chief mourner was ;ed away, his
dim eyes turning backward to the grave,
and among these about him youneer.
alert and strong he looked like an Au
tumn leaf that, shaken from the bough.
was waiting In. sear uselessncss the pity
ing anrouaai of winter snows. The
crowd drifted away by easy degrees, for
tne brief afternoon was already waning.
and further delay meant "chores" by
lantern light. Angel found herself be
side the open grave with only her moth
er, Mrs. Woodmansee, and the woman
who had whispered about the wedding
bonnet.
"I've enjoyed the funeral so much! Alrft
you, Mrs. Briggs? It passed off reel well.
Mr. Bennett, the undertaker, does know
how to manage things. But I b'lleve peo
pie would 'a cried more if they'd known
what was comln. We was all so took
up with wonderin what th minister
would say that there wasn't hardly a tear
shed. It didn't seem right- An' th' min
ister's wife ought to 'a chose a more
lamentln hymn. Why. death , wasn't
nothlnat all th' way she sung. '
Angel flashed a quivering face upon the
speaker.
"wnat th ministers wire sung was
beautiful! beautiful."
The critic stared, startled at such vehe
mence.
"Mebbe 't was," she acquiesced hur
riedly. "But It does seem as If th' mln
Ister ought to 'a preached a reel sermon,
tellln' about her many virtues. That's
th way things -was done when I was
young. An It th person was deservln'.
like Mras. Enoch Weaver, they was al
ways spoke of as loo kin down on us
from heaven. I sh'd think sech a dis
course would 'a been more edlfytn' an
soothln' to poor old Enoch than all that
hlfalutln' talk. But th minister was reel
smart to get In. as he did about th bunnlt,
an she. poor creeturl looked a pretty
corpse In spite of bavin It on. However,
It's a- pity nobody dared take It off before
folks see her.
"It isn't either!" Ansel flashed again
"Angelina!." But the maternal warn
ing was given with an unusual degree ot
gentleness.
Mrs. Woodmansee spoke In her purring
voice.
"S"po3Jn we women go an see th' new
monyment Deacon Babbit has put up to
th' lower end of th cem'try. Angel. If
Maybe she would like to go out on the
lake."
"Yes, Indeed," the- girl said, quickly.
I'm very fond of rowing and sailing, or."
as she noticed the blank looks on tha
boys faces, "we might try the horses, or
or bicycles."
"We we thought of going out on our
stilts," hesitated Cliff. "We've got some
new one3. but they're pretty high."
..The stilts were brought out to a high
bank at the foot of the garden. Archie
was rather awkward in mounting his, and
when .he finally moved away from the
bank Cliff was fully 20 yards distant.
whllo several paces in front of him was
Edna, walking as composedly as it stilts
were an every-day means of locomotion.
That evening the boys gathered In their
favorite place for consultation, the ridge
pole of the barn. They were never inter
rupted there.
I tell you what It Is, fellows." said
Archie, emphatically, "that girl will be a
chum worth having. Why, you ought to
havo seen her swing the Indian clubs
after dinner. She's the best boy among
us."
And Cliff and Ben pounded-their fists
against the barn roof in hearty assent.
Solution of "Uncle Sam's Checker
Puzzle.
The solution of last Sunday's checker
puzzle was as follows: The first object
at the top of the "board to select was
FROG. Thence tho moves were to
ROPE. ANCHOR, NOOSE, (I LAW and
EYE. The initials of these various ob
jects spell FRANCE, which Is the name
of the nation with which Uncle Sam was
supposed to be playing this game.
Solution or Iiast Sunday's Play
Algebra Puzzle.
The answer to the puzzle of what tha
boy In last - Sunday's picture was carry
ing was LILIES. Two times one-fifth
of LIGHT made LIU, as explained last
Sunday. Then came a PLUS mark and
then one-third and then the picture ot
an ESKIMO. Now one-third ot ESKI
MO would be ES. That would make the
solution, LILI plus ES. which Is LILIES.
A Numerical Word Puzzle,
I am a word of letters elzht.
My whole spells something simply great.
My head'o a letter rare of use.
My tall you'll and In every noose.
My 5 wherever it la heard
Itself .sounds like a perfect word..
My 3. 4. 5 a beast will name
That once was wild and now Is tame.
Now If my whole you would descry
Just think what's coming in July.
A Half Dozen Biddies. -
(1) What times are the beat?
(2) What way is farthest awrayr
(3) What tree has no leaves?
(4) What comb Is best?
3 What Is the biggest ant?
(6) What shoe has no sole? '
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:
THE PICTURE PUZZLE OF THE JILTED BUG.
There is one single word that will nt all the blank spaces In the verse In this
picture correctly and make It read smoothly. What la it?