“ W ell, yes; a race between a widow thin and faded at thirty that she Is a
and a g ir for a man is about like one tragedy
Lee goes to see her twice a
between n young duck and a spring week, and on Sunday afternoon takes
(Continued from first page(
chicken across a ndll pond—girl and her out in his new and rakish run-
out on. and I lay in wait to capture
chicken lose—hey? But let Sallie have I about that is as modern as his behavior
him and the chips. This morning I
him since you don’t need him. I ’ve . is obsolete. Caroline knows uo better
waited behind the old purple lilac at
got to go home and listen to Augusta nnd stands it witb sublime patience
the gate, which immediately got into
talk about my business that she knows I and lack of character. That is a situa
the game by sweeping its purple plum
nothing to the world about or I won’t tion 1 won’t be able to keep tny hands
ed arms all arouud me, so that not a
be ready fc-r town meeting this after off o f much longer
tag o f my dimity alarmed him as he
noon. Women are all fools, hey?”
Ned Hull’s w ife has seven children
came slowly down the street.
“ W ill you come again. Uncle Peter?” with the oldest one uot twelve, and
“ Uncle I'eter,” I said ns I stepped
I asked eagerly. I had set out to offer she looks fifty. Ned goes to all the
out in front o f him suddenly; “ please.
Uncle Peter a cup o f niecely affection, dunces at the Glendale hotel dining
Uncle Peter, won’t you come in and
and I had got a good, stiff bracer to room and looks thirty. He dresses beau
talk to me?"
arouse me In return.
tifully. and Nell and all the girls like to
"U ey? Evelina?”
“ I will whenever I can escape Au dam e with him. Just ordinary tor
“ Yes, Uncle Peter; It’s Evelina," and
gusta,” he answered, and there was ture wouldn’ t do for him.
i hesltnted with terror at the snap in
such a kindly crackle iD his voice that
Polk Hayes wouldn’t he allowed to
his dear old eyes back under their
I felt that he had wanted and needed run loose in London society.
white brows. Then I let my eyes un
what I had offered him. “ I’ ll drop In
Bailie Carruthers is a great big husky
cover my heart full o f the elixir 1 had
often and analyze the annals o f the woman, with three children that she
prepared for him and offered him as
town with you
Glad to have you is responsible for having had.
She
much as he could drink.
home, child, good young blood to stir and her family must consume tons of
“ I ’ m lonely,” I said, with a little
green groceries every month and a per
me up—hey?"
catch in my voice.
And ns I sat and watched the mayor fectly .innocent man pays for them.
“ Lonely, hey?” he grumbled, but his
Mrs. Dodd, the carpenter rind con
go saunteringly down the street, with
feet hesitated opposite my gate.
tractor’s
wife, is a Boston woman who
bis crustiness carried like a child on
in about two nnd a half minutes 1
Ills shoulder, whirb It delighted him came down hero. Before 1 could write
had him seated in a cushioned rocker
to have knocked off, so that he could all about that Boston girl so that Jane
on the south side o f the porch. Jasper
philosophize lu the restoring o f it to could understand perfectly the situa
had given us both a mint Julep, and
its position, suddenly a realization of tion Polk came around from the side
Uncle Peter was much less thirsty
the relation o f Glendale to the world street and seated himself on the rail
than he find been for a long time.
In general was forced upon me, and I ing o f the porch so near the arm o f my
chair that I couldn’t rock without in
Aunt Augusta Is as temperate in all
quailed.
conveniencing him.
things as a steel ramrod.
Glendale Is like a dozen other small
I am glad he found me in the mood 1
“ You see. Uncle Peter, 1 needed you
towns In the Harpeth valley. They
was in and I am glad to record the
so that I Just had to kidnap you.” 1
are all drowsy princesses who. have strong minded—it came near being the
said to him us he wiped Ills lips with
Just waked up enough to be wonder strong armed— contest in which we In
a pocket handkerchief ns stiffly starch
ing what did it. The tentative kiss dulged.
ed as was his w ife herself.
has not yet disclosed the presence of
“ Me for a woman tbnt has a lot o f
“ W hy didn’t you go over und live In
the prince o f revolution, and they are spirit! She la so much sweeter when
“
Does—does
Cousin
.tames
have
to
James’ hennery—live with James—
likely to doze for another century or
hey?" he snapped, with the precision support Sallie and the children. Uucle two. I think I had better go back into tamed. Evelina!" was one o f the gen
tle remarks with which be precipitat
| Peter?” I asked, coming with reluc-
o f a pistol cap.
the wide world and let them sleep on. ed the riot.
“ I think It has been
j
tnuee
down
to
the
rock
bed
o
f
the
dis
To be Just. I suppose Aunt Augus
One live member is likely to irritate spunkily fn.sc1nr.tlng o f you to come
cussion.
ta’s adamant disposition accounts to
and live by yourself in this old barn.
“ Thinks he does, and it serves him the repose o f the whole body.
some extent for Uncle Peter’s explo
Their faint stirrings o f progress are It keeps me awake nights just to think
right—serves
him
right
for
starting
out
sive way o f thinking nnd speaking. A
pathetic.
o f you over here—alone. How long
husband would have to knock Aunt to run a widow ranch in the first place.
They have an electric plant; but. as Is the torture to go on ?’’
It’s
like
making
a
collection
o
f
old
Augusta’s nature down to make auy |
I have noted before, the lights there
Jane, I tried, but If I had frankly
Impression whatever on It. Uncle Pe- | shoes. He let Henry Carruthers per from show a strong trace of their pine
nnd courageously shown Polk Hayes
suade
him
to
mortgage
everything
and
ter always has the air o f tiring an idea i
knot heredity and go out on all impor what was in my heart for him at that
nnd then ducking his head to avoid , buy land on the river for the ear shops tant occasions, whether of festivity or moment I couldn’t have answered for
of
the
new
railroad,
which
Just
fooled
the return shot.
the town out o f $100,000 and Is going tragedy. Kerosene lamps have to be the results.
“ His houso is so full, nnd I need a
From the time I was eighteen until
by on the other side o f the river with kept filled and cleaned if a baby or n
lot o f spnce to carry on my work,” I
I
was twenty the same sort o f nss n:it
revival
or
a
lawn
festival
is
expected.
the shops up at Bolivar.
If James
answered him, with the words I have
They have a lovely, wide concrete and battery had been handed out to
didn’t get all the luwing in Alton coun
used so often in the last two weeks
ty they would all starve to death, pavement in front of six of the stores me from him. He had beaten me with
that they start to come when the Petu
lie didn’t want me
He
around the public squares, but no two his love.
nia asks me If I want waffles or batter which would be hard on the constitu
stretches of tin» Improvement Join each doesn’t want any woman except so
tlon
o
f
old
lady
Hargrove
and
her
two
cakes for supper.
other, and it makes a shopping pro long a« he Is nncfrtaln that he can get
“ Well, Snllle Carruthers will get him hundredweight."
“ Oh, has Cousin James really lost gression around tin* town somewhat her. Just beerm e I had been firm
tnd then there’ll be a dozen more to
dangerous on account of the sudden witb him when even a child and de
run the measure over—children—hey? all o f his fortune?" I asked, and I was change of grade o f the sidewalk about nied him, he has been merciless. And
All girls! A woman like Sallie would surprised at the amount of sympathet every sixty feet. Aunt Augusta want now that I am n woman and armed for
not be content with producing less than ic dismay that rose in me at the infor ed Uncle I’eter to Introduce a Dili in ! the combat. It will be to the death.
mation.
a dozen o f her kind, hey?”
Shall 1 double and take refuge in a
"Everything hut what he curries the city council forcing all of the prop
Ills chuckle was so contagious that 1
labyrinth o f subterfuge or turn and
ert.v
owners
on
the
square
to
put
down
couldn’t help but Join him. though I around under that old gray hat of his. the pavement in front of their houses fight? So I temporized today.
didn’t like It so very much. But why Not so bad a fortune at that, hey?”
" I t is lonely—but not quite ‘torture’
at small payments per auutim. the
shouldn’t I? Sallie is such a gorgeous ! I feel I am going to love Uncle I’eter
to me with the fam ily so close across
town
assuming
the
contract
at
fl
per
woman that a dozen o f her In the next for the way he disdainfully admires
cent. Uucle I’eter refused, because he ; the street," I answered him, and I
generation will be o f value to the state. Cousin James.
went on whipping the lace on a piece
"A n d —and all o f his—his guests are said that he felt a smooth walk around o f fluff I am making to discipline my
Still. I didn’t like it. I didn’t enjoy
the square would call out what lie call
thinking o f Cousin James as so serving really dependent on him?" I asked
self because I loathe a needle so.
again as the stupendous fact filtered ed “ a dimity parade" every afternoon
his country.
They have a water system that is "Please don’t you worry over me.
“ Carruthera left her to James. He’ll into my mlml.
dear.” I raised my eyes to his, and
“ All the flock, all the flock.” answer supplied by so much mud from the I tried the common citizenship look.
• have to take care o f her. Henry turned
river
that
it
often
happens
that
the
toes in good time.
Piled rotten old ed Uncle Peter, with what seemed un
It must have carried a little way. for
business and big family on to James’ fler the circumstances u heartless town has to go unwashed for a week, he flushed—the first time I ever saw
shoulders, and then died—good time— i chuckle. "T h ey each one have little while the pipes are cleaned out. There him do it—und his hand with the ciga
Is a wonderful spring that could In*
hey? Get a woman on your hands, dabs o f property about as big as a used with a pump to supply the town. rette in it shook.
handful
o
f
chicken
feed,
and
as
they
“ Evelina, are you real or a—farce?”
only thing to do Is to marry or kill her
Aunt Augusta says
he asked after a few minutes o f peace.
Poor James—hey?”
He peered at me have each one given It all to James to
The city council tied up the town
manage they expect au income In re
“ I ’ m trying to be real. Polk." I an
with a twinkle In his eyes that de
for a $100,000 subscription to the new
turn
and
get
It—all
they
ask
for.
A
swered. and this time 1 raised my eyes
luuudcd assent from me.
railroad and failed to tie the shops with perfect frankness. “ I f yon could
“ Why. Uncle Peter, 1 dou’ t know that lot o f useless oid live stock—all but
down
In the coutmct. They are to be define a real woman. Polk, In what
Sallie has any such idea. She grieves Sallie, and she’s worse—worse, hey?”
built In Bolivar. A great many of the terms would you express her?*’ I asked
1
agreed
with
his
question,
but
I
dreadfully over Mr. Carruthers. and I
rich men have lost a lot of money him straight out from the shoulder.
don’t believe she would think of mar didn’t say so
thereby.
Cousin James tlie most o f all.
"H e ll tire nnd a hallelujah chorus If
"Glad your money is safe In public
lying again,” I answered, trying to pur
nnd everyliody is sitting up In lied she’s beautiful." he answered me
enough warmth lu my defense to con town bonds nnd city securities. Eve
blinking
promptly.
vince myself.
lina. I f James could he might lose It.
There are still worse things happen
I laughed. I thought It was best un
"M ost women are nothing but gourd nnd you’d have to m oreover It would
vines, grow all over a cornstalk, kill then be nip nnd tuck between yon and i Ing In the emotional realm o f Glendale der the circumstances.
I.ee Greenfield has lieeu In the state
It, produce gourds until it frosts und Faille which got James -nip nnd tuck
! of going to ask Caroline I.ellyett to
l>egln all over again In the next gen
(T o be continue ! )
hey?"
eratlon. James has to do the hoeing
” Oh. Uucle Peter!" I exclaimed with ! marry him for fifteen years and has
P ", Wendt fits glasses. Tilla-
i.round Sadie’s roots and feed her positive horror that was flavored with never done It. Caroline has lieeu benn-
tiful all her life, but she Is getting so
Might us well marry her, hey?"
niook. Ore.. I. 0. U. F. Bid.
n large dash o f Indignation.
“ THE TINDER BOX”