! Â •t Was Con- From I Antagonism u a * H ow She v erted H er Ï 't ± t ï x By ESTHER VANDEVEER There are all sorts o f persons In the world, both men and women. Those who have un abnormal development of some kind are usually called cranks. Miss Clara Bedford was one of these. There was no ism too radical for her. One o f her idiosyncrasies was antag­ onism to man. Man had kept woman under his heel for centuries, making her what she is, or, rather, what she was, for, thank heaven, site is now every day asserting herself. "IIo w about children ?- she was asked. “ There must be fathers as well as mothers. I f women hate men. where will the babies come in?" Miss Bedford had no reply for this T'nreasonuble persons dont seem to need a reply to question ih it tumble their theories about their heads; tiieir confidence in what they heileve is not a whit lessened from the want of rea­ son. They go right on just ns if they hud an answer and a | e.'c tty satis­ factory one. Nevertheless. Miss B el. 1 was a very human being. Down in the bot­ tom of her heart site loved mi i tngl- unry man nml yearned for a child. However, acting upon lier prejudices, she arranged for her summer to get away from men. Siie was wealthy and bought a tract o f land in New Hamp­ shire upon whic h she built a cottage. There she went with servants and a few companions« o f her own sex, re­ solved that if any man trespassed on her property she would call upon the law to eject hjm. She used to get up In the morning early and take* long walks. One morn­ ing on one o f these walks she saw on the Isirder of her domain a tent. What was worse than the tent was a man walking away from It Miss Bedford started at once for the trespasser, but before she reached him he had disap­ peared among the trees. Reaching the tent, she pulled back the canvas In front and peeped in. V\ lait was her astonishment to soo lying on a lied o f boughs n child - a lit­ tle girl about two years old -asleep. One chubby arm was thrown back upon the pillow—for there was some bedding—the other was under the cov­ er. The tine lmir was tumbled, ttie cheeks were round and rosy, In the chin was a dimple. The lips were parted and allowed a few little white teeth set in pink guns. Miss Bedford went Into the tent nml approached the sleeping child. The cover at the foot of the bed was disar­ ranged and showed tive little toes. Miss Bedford could not resist li temp­ tation to take them in her fingers. The child gave a little kick, oj>ened its eves nml frowned at the trespasser. Then, its brow smoothing. It said: "Mamma." Miss Bedford bent over the little girl, who put out both arms to her to l>e taken up. Hhe lifted the infantile bur­ den o f tlesh from the rude couch, kiss­ ing It as she did so, and, pulling Its clothes nt*out It, took a wicker chair, the only article In the tent on which to sit, and hugged the baby to her breast. "Dindln," said the little one. “ Dindln," repented Miss Bedford. "IIo w am I to get you. dear little child, any dindln?” She looked about her ami went on, “ There's nothing bore for a grown | * t s o u to eat, much less for u child." Th eiv were a cup and a saucer and a spoon, but not a morsel to eat, “ Dindln.” repeated the child. W it h r .tw b tilld in r e b«P<>r w iu lp m en t, and “ I ’d like to know where tliut horrid m a n y a d d itio n s to ¡to tfacalty, th e U n iv e rs ity man is who left you here to starve," «>t O r o .o t w i l l b e v in it* fo r t y - fir s t year, T u e «- Oar. S ep tem b er J K, 101 0. said Miss Bedford. f’ poi ia l tr a in in g in C o n o re rc e , Jou rn n ltsm , " I am here.” said a voice, and a man. A rc h ite c tu r e , L a w , He• • ) * § membered tier principles and resolved to give him a piece o f her mind as soon ns he returned. R E L IA B L E H A R N E S S M A K E R Harness and S ad dlery <0 But by tlds time the child had drank Conveyancing, Etc. £ Pullman Tires and Tubes— Best the ml!k and was ready for more. Opp. Court House, Tillamook, Ore. £ ou earth. “ Is there not a morsel o f bread in the | Tillamook-, - - Oregon. J tent?" asked Mi s Bedford. (0 axeexe oXo sXo sX«*XssK*sxs s X s A a V “ Not a crust." replied the man sadly “ Go to mv house and tell the cook to R. N. H E N K E L , Proprietors’ give you some o f the cereal she is pre Night and Day calls paring for breakfast and such other promptly attended. food ns she can find that will do for a baby’s food.” Next Door to Jones-Knudson Furniture “ You are very kind. I am surprised. Store. I was told that you would permit no TILLA M O O K . - - OREGON trespassing on your property, so 1 did not camp on it. I am just beyond your every time he came he offered to re­ to him:' — border.” “ It is in your power to do me a kind­ lieve Miss Bedford o f her charge. She "W h at do you mean by keeping this ness. Sit down to the same breakfast Invariably declined to he relieved un­ child In a tent with nothing to eat ex table with me and your child. I shall less he insisted on his right to take his cept wliat you can get by foraging?” enjoy every mouthful you eat more baby to himself, and the longer the re­ "P overty.” was the laconic reply. moval was put off the more difficult it than you can conceive.” “ W here is the child’s mother?" H e gave in to this w ay of putting It would be for Miss Bedford to give np "Dead." Miss Bedford placed herself between the child. But the father would not "W h at are you going to do?" him and his child, and it is question­ accept o f the lady’s hospitality, and “ God knows.” There was something woeful In the able which she the most enjoyed help­ this made It awkward. I f he would ing, the man or the child. H e had have made his headquarters at the words. “ I think,” Miss Bedford went on. managed to get the simple food re­ house when not out painting it would “ that you had Getter let me take the quired for Ids little girl. For her he have been much pleasanter, for the would take what did not belong to him child was constantly fretting for him. baby to my house." or accept it from strangers, but not for Finally when lie began to get some “ I don't cure to ¡tart with all that la left which I and my w ife loved to­ himself. H e was very hungry and ate return for his pictures Miss Bedford a great deal, liis hostess pressing him proposed that if lie would make her gether." A tender cord was touched In Miss to do so. A fte r lie had finished she house his lodging place when not out sketching she would rerm it him to pay Bedford's breast. She forgot her no­ said to him: “ You have done me one favor; now a nominal board. A fte r much hag­ tion of hating all men In this un­ ion of a living man with a dead wo­ I wish you to do me another. Leave gling as to the amount, the lady de­ man. cemented by their child. She said the child here with me while you make claring what he proposed to pay noth­ your sketches. You are welcome to ing less than robbing him, a compro­ In a kindly voice: “ It need be only n temporary sojourn come here to see her whenever you mise was made, and for the rest o f the If you prefer it, till you can make other like, and you may feel privileged to summer a room in a w ing o f the house provision. You can come if you like. take her away when you can provide was at his disposal whenever he chose for her." Have you bad a breakfast?” to use it. Th e artist could scarcely conceal the -N o." The truth Is nature was working in relief this offer brought him. “ Since T "D o you know where to get one?” Miss Bedford, the artist and the little have only a tent for her," he said, “ I “ No." girl to make the three one. They were have no right to deprive her o f the "1 can give you one." becoming necessary to one another, and “ You are very kind, but I can man- com fort you can give her.” a time arrived when the woman found “ And yon have no right to deprive ngo without your help, I think. The me o f the happiness I shall have In It out. One would suppose that her baby"— antipathy to men In general would “ Yes, the baby. You w ill not let your taking care o f her." have at least troubled her at finding A n hour later the artist kissed his pride stand In the w ay o f your baby. herself In a position to succumb. But Certainly you w ill carry her to my child and took his departure. The tent It did not. The child stepped In to disappeared, and nothing was seen of home.” man or tent for several we'fcks. Then render that a thing o f the rnst. One "O f course." day when Miss Bedford was on one He took the child from her nrms and he came to Miss Bedford’s home with side o f the baby’s crib and the father a number o f sketches. One of them, a together they started fo r the house. on the other, he trying to unwind the On the way he gave her a brief expla­ w ater vista, the original being on her little one’s nrms from his neck that he own ground. Miss Bedford very much nation o f the situation. He was an might go forth to sketch, Miss Bedford fnnolod. She offered the artist a good artist and, like most artists who have said: price for it. H e declined It on the not made a name, very poor. Not being "There's no use In our making our­ able to keep up a home, lie and his w ife ground that through charity she would pay him more than it was worth. But selves uncomfortable and troubling the and tiieir child started on a sketching when she proposed that he should send child any longer, l ’ ou w on’t propose tour, camping here and there, the hus­ band (tainting landscapes. The w ife It to a denier In New York to fix Its to me, that I know. ‘I f the mountain had died, and the husband, not having value he accepted the proposition. Miss ■ w ill not go to Mohammed, Mohammed any other al>ode, stuck to his tent. It Bedford privately wrote the dealer to ' must go to the mountain.’ You can was n pathetic story, and Miss Bed­ fix n price she named herself, and this marry me whenever you like.” I A fte r that when he went on sketch­ ford's horror for man— at any rate tills I she paid the artist. N ow and again he came in from his J ing tours he usually took his w ife and particular man—melted before It When they reached the bouse she said sketching tours to 6co his child, and i the child with him. “GREATER OREGON"^ PROFESSIONAL CARDS F. R. BEALS REAL ESTATE T.3.G0YNE, ATTORNEY AT LAW Tillamook Undertaking Co. I W. A. WILLIAMS * FRANK TAYLOR, Notary Public Cloverdale, Ore.