i FRECKLES By Gene Stratton- Porter COPYRIGHT, 1904, BY BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE | & CO. [Continued from last week. | SYNOPSIS. Freckles, a homeless boy, is hired by Boss McLean to guard the expensive tim- ber in the Limberlost from timber thieves. Freckles does his work faithfully, makes friends with the birds and yearns to know more about nature. He lives with Mr. and Mrs, Duncan. He resolves to get books and educate himself. He becomes interested in a huge pair of vultures and calls his bird friends his “chickens.” Some of the trees he is guarding are worth $1,000 each. Freckles’ books arrive. He receives a call from Wessner. Again an awful wrenching seized McLean. Freckles stepped back as Wessner, tottering and reeling like a thoroughly drunken man, came toward the path. looking indeed as if wildeats had taken their fill of him. The cudgel spun high in air, and. catching it with an expertness ac- | quired by ng practice cn the line, the boy twirled it a second and, stepping out into the trail, followed Wessner. Because Freckles was Irish it was im. possible to do it silently, and presently his clear tenor rang out, though there | were bad catches where he was bard pressed for breath: “It was the Dutch! It was the Dutch. Do you think it was the Irish hollered help? Not much! It was the Dutch. It was the Dutch” Wessner turned and mumbled: “What you following me for? What ure you going to do with me?” Freckles called the Limberlost to wit. ness. “How's that for the ingratitude of a beast? And me troubling meself to show him off me territory with the honors of war!" Then he changed his tone completely and added: “Belike it's this, Freddy. You see, the boss might come riding down this trail any mioute, and the little mare's so wheedlesome that if she'd come on to you In your prisint state all of a sudden she'd stop thm short she'd send Mr. McLean out, over the ears of her. No disparagement in tinded to the sinse of the mare!” he added hastily. Wessner beiched a fearful oath, and Freckles laughed merrily. “That's a sample of the thanks a generous act's always for getting.” b continued. “Here's me neglectin’ me | work to eschort you out proper, aod | you saying such awful words. Fred- dy,” he demanded sternly. “do you want me to soap out your mouth? You don't seem to be realizing it, but if you was to buck into Mr. McLean in your prisiot state without me there to explain matters the chance is he'd cut the liver out of you, and | shouldn't | think you'd be wanting such a tine gin: | tleman as him to see that it's white.” Wessner grew ghastly under his grime and broke into a staggering run Freckles twirled the baton and stood lke a soldier nt “attention” until Wessuer left the clearing, but it was the Iast scene of that performance When the boy turned there was a deathly illness in bis face, and his legs wavered like reeds beneath his weight. He staggered back to the case, and opening it, be took out a piece of cloth He dipped it into the water and, sit ting on a bench, he wiped the blood and grime from bis face, while nis breath sucked between his clinched teeth. He was shivering with pain and excitement! in spite of himself He unbuttoned the band of bis right sleeve, and. tnrning it back, exposed the blue lined. calloused whiteness ot his maimed nrm. now vividly streaked with contusions, while in a series of circular dots the blood oozed slowly Here Wessner had succeeded in setting his teeth" When Freckles saw what it was he forgave himself the kick in the pit of Wessner's stomach. “Freckles, i'reckles.,” said McLean's voice. Freckles snatched down his sleeve and rose to his feet. “Excuse me, sir,” te said. “You'll surely be bhelavin’ | thought meself alone.” McLean pushed him carefully to the seat and, bending over him, opened » pocket case that he carried as regu. larly as his revolver and watch, for cuts and bhrnises were of daily or currence among the gang. Taking the hurt arm, he turned back the sleeve and hathed and bound up the wounds. He examined Freckles’ head and body and convinced himself that there was no permanent injury. —— Then he sat down beside All the indescribable beauty of the place was strong about him, but he saw only the bruised face of the suf- fering boy. who had hedged for the in- | formation he wanted like a diplomat, argued like a judge, fought like a sheik and triumphed like a devil. . ———— i It's either settled or it's just begun, | but between us I'm that late 1 haven't | started for the afternoon yet. | be goiug at once. for there's a tree 1 for mercy. Turn over that apparatus to go straight home. Soak yourself in the hottest bath your skin will bear and go to bed at once. Now, hurry.” “Mr. McLean,” said Freckles, “it's sorry | am to be telling you, but the afternoon's walking of the line ain't done. You see, | was just for getting to me feet to start, and 1 was on good time when up came a gintieman, and we got into a little heated argument. 1 must must find before the day's over.” “You plucky little idiot,” growled McLean, “you can't walk the line! 1 doubt if you can get to Duncan's. Don't you know when you are done You go to bed. [I'll tinish your work.” “Niver!" protested Freckles. “I was just a little done up for the prisint a minute ago. I'm all right now. Rid- ing boots are away too low. The day's hot and the walk a good seven miles, sir. Niver!"” As he reached for the outfit he pitch- ed forward and his eyes closed. Me- Lean stretched him on the moss and applied restoratives. When Freckles returned to consciousness McLean ran to the cabin to tel! Mrs. Duncan to get a hot bath ready and to bring Nellie That worthy woman promptly filled | the wash boiler and set a roaring fire under it. She pushed the horse trough | off its base and rolled it up ta the | kitchen. By the time McLean came again. | leading Nellie and holding Freckles on her back, Mrs. Duncan was ready for business. She and the boss laid Freck- les in a trough and poured on hot wa- ter until he squirmed. They soaked. rubbed aud scoured him. Then they let the bot water off and closed his pores with cold. Lastly they stretched him on the floor nnd chafed, rubbed and kneaded him until he cried out As they rolled him into bed his eyes dropped shut, but a little. later they flared open. “Mr. McLean,” he cried, “the tree! Oh, do be looking after the tree!" McLean bent over him. “Which tree, Freckles?” “1 don't know exact, sir, but it's on the east line, and the wire is fastened to it. He bragged that you nailed it yourself, sir. You'll know it by the bark baving been laid open to the grain somewhere low down, and it was $500 he offered me—to be—selling yon out—sir!"” Freckles’ head rolled over and his eyes dropped shut. McLean's mind traveled back to the night almost a year before when he had engaged Freckles, a stranger. McLean bent, covering the burt arm with one hand and laying the other with a caress on the boy's forehend. | Freckles stirred at his touch and twit. tered as softly as the swallows under | the eaves. | “If you're coming this way-—tomor- row—Dbe pleased to step over—and we'll repate the—chorus softly.” “Bless the gritty devil.” growled Me- | Lean. | Then he went our and told Mrs. Dun- can to keep close watch on Freckles and send Duncan to him at the swamp the minute he came home. Following the trail down to the line and back fo the scene of the fight. the boss entered Freckles’ study softly, as if his spirit sleeping there might be roused, and gazed about with astonished eyes. How had the boy conceived it? What a picture he had wrought in living col- ors! He had the heart of a painter: he had the soul of a poet. The boss stepped carefully over the velvet car- pet and touched the walls of crisp ver. dure with gentle fingers. He stood long beside the flower bed and gazed at the banked wall of bright flowers a= if he could never leave off. YAT WN such ferns? As Mclean turned from them he stopped sudden- ly. He had reached the door of the cathedral. That which Freckles had attempted would have been patent to any one. What had been in the heart of the shy, silent boy when he bad found that long. dim stretch of fores:. decorated {ts entrance. cleared and smoothed Its aisle and carpeted its al tar? What veriest work of God was in these mighty living pillars and the! arched dome of green! How like stain- ed cathedral windows were the long openings between the trees, filled with rifts of blue, rays of gold and the shift- ing emerald of leaves! Where could be found mosaics to match this aisle paved with living color and glowing lights? Was Freckles a devout Chris. tian and did he worship bere? Or was he an untaught heathen and down this vista of entrancing loveliness did Pan come piping and dryads. nymphs and fairies dance for him? Who can fathom the heart of a boy? McLean had been thinking of Freckles 8s a creature of unswerving honesty, courage and faithfulness. Here was evidence of a heart acting for beauty, | art, companionship, worship. It was writ large all over the floor, walls and furnishing of that little Limberlost | clearing. i When Duncan came McLean told him the story of the fight, and they laughed until they cried. Then they started around the line in search of the tree. | Said Duncan, “Now the boy is in for sore trouble!” i “1 hope not” answered McLean. “You never in all your life saw a cur CHAPTER VIL AN ANGEL MATERIALIZES. HERE had Freckles ever found and how had he transplanted Be won vt ©! ~. We can surely find the tree. If we can’t Freckles cau. | will bring enough of the gang to take it out at once. That will insure peace for a time at least, and | 2m hoping that in| a month more the whole gang can be about the trail, and on his way down ! It will soon be fall, and | i moved bere. then. if he will go, | intend to send chickens. The mother bird was Freckles to my mother to be educated. | the nest. He was afraid With his quickness of mind and body | egg might just be hatching. so and a few years’ good help be cao do anything. Why. Duncan, I'd give a hundred dollar bill if you could have been here and seen for yourself.” : Locating the tree was an easy task: because it was so well identified. | When the rumble of the lumber wag-| ons passing the cabin on the way to the swamp wakenred Freckles next| morning he sprang up and was soon’ folloving them. The tree was a giant maple and so precious that they al most dug it cut by the roots. McLean had told Freckles to ride on! a section of the maple with him, but now the boy begged to go into the swamp with Duncan. *1 don't see why you want to go,” sald McLean. *l1 have no business to let you out today at all.” “It's me chickens, sir,” Freckles. Freckles hurried into the swamp. | He was some little distance behind. | but he could still see the men. Before he overtook them they had turned, from the west road and bad entered the swamp toward the east. The un- derbrush was almost impenetrable. As they plunged into it a great black bird} answered | | swept over their heads. Freckles danced wildly. “It's me | chickens! Oh. it's me chickens!” he/ shouted. “Ob, Duncan, come quick: You've found the pest of me precious chickens!” Duncan burried down to the mouth | of a monstrous log, but Freckles was before him. He crashed through pol- | son vines and underbrush regardless! of any danger and climbed on the | stump, When Duncan got there he! was shouting like a wild thing. “It's hatched!” he yelled. "Ob, me big chicken has hatched out me little chicken, and there's another egg. | can see it plain, and. oh, the funny little white baby! Duncan, can you see me little white chicken?" i Duncan could easily see it, and so! could every one else. Freckles ten-' derly carried the hissing, blinking lit- tle thing out to the light in a leaf lined bat. The men found it sufficiently wonderful to satisfy even Freckles, who had forgotten he was ever sore or stiff, and coddled over it with ev- ery blarneying term of endearment he knew. Duncan gathered up his tools. “Deal's off, boys!" he said cheerfully. “The log mauna be touched ei} Freckles’ chaukies have finished with it. We might as weel gang. Better put it back. Freckles. It's just out, and it may chill. Ye will probably | hae twa the morn.” ! Freckles deposited the baby beside | When he came back be said: the egg. | about her face | curled over her shoulders, ana I'm going to town. If 1 was seems to me I'd be mighty glad for a chance to take one like that.” “Then you be sure to tell her to The next morning Freckles hurried the east side be slipped in to see § ~~ he fe g not venture to disturb her. He made the round and reached his study early. He bad his lunch along and did not need to start on the second trip until WAS IT REAL OR WOULD IT VANISH? | the middle of the afternoon. He | would bave long hours to work on his flower bed. improve his study and learn about his chickens. The heat became more insistent. Noon came, and Freckles ate his din- ner and settled for an hour or two on 4 bench with a book. Perhaps there was a breath of sound, Freckles could never afterward remember, but for some reason he lifted his bead just as the bushes parted and rhe face of an angel look- ed through. Saints, nymphs and fair- ies had floated down his cathedral aisle for him many times, with forms and voices of exquisite beauty. Parting the wild roses by the en- trance was beauty of which Freckles bad never dreamed. Was it real or would it vanish as the other dreams had dope? He took a step nearer, gazing iotently. This was real flesh and blood. And it was in every way kin of the Limberlost, for no bird of its branches swung with easier grace than this dainty young thing rocked on the bit of morass on which she stood. A sapling beside her was not straigiiter nor rounder than ber slender form. Her soft, waving hair clung with the heat. and It was all “What a perfectly delightful little brogue you speak,” she said. “My fa- ther is Irish, and ba!f ought to be enough to entitle me to do that much. ‘Maybe—it I'd—be telling you,” she imitated. rounding and accenting each word carefully, “If you was understanding the dan- ger,” he continued desperately. “Oh, 1 don't think there is much!” She tilted on the morass. “If you killed one snake here it's probably all there is uear, and any- | way. the Bird Woman says a rartle- | snake is a gentleman and always gives warning before be strikes. | don't bear any rattling. Do you?’ “Would you be kvowing it if you did?” aszed Freckles almost impa- tiently. How the laugh of the young thing rippled! “Would 1 be knowing it?" she mock- ed. “Well, you should see the swamps of Michigan where they dump rattlers out of the marl dredges three and four at a time” Freckles stood astounded. She did know. She was not in the least afraid. She was depending on a rattlesnake to live up to his share of the contract and rattle in time for her to move. The one characteristic an Irishman ad- mires in a woman above all others is courage. Freckles worshiped anew. He changed his tactics. “I'd be pleased to be receiving you at me front door,” he said, “but as you have arrived at the back, will you come in and be seated?" He waved toward a bench. The ungel came instantly. “Oh, how lovely and cool!” she cried As she moved across his room Free. kles had hard work to keep from falling on his knees, for they were very weak. and he was hard driven by an impulse to worship. “Did you arrange this?" she asked. “Yis."” said Freckles simply. “Soe one must come with a big canvas and copy each side of it,” she sald. “I never saw anything sc beau- tiful. with you! I will, some day, if you will let me: but now, if you can spare the time, will you help me look for the carriage? If the Bird Woman comes back and finds me gone she will be almost distracted.” “Did you come in on the west road?" asked Ireckles. “l think so.” she said. “The man who told the Bird Woman said that | was the only place where the wires were down. We drove away in. and it was dreadful—over stumps and logs, and in to the hubs. 1 suppose you know, though. I should have stayed in the carriage, but 1 was so tired. | never dreamed of getting lost. ! sus- pect I will get scolded finely. with the Bird Woman half the time} 57-25-3m. How 1 wish | might stay here . Susie the summer vacations. my father says [| learn a lot more than [ do at school, and get it straight I never came within a smell of getting lost before. 1 thought. at first, it waa going to be horrid, but since I've found Jou: maybe it will be good fun after [Continued next week. ] When the Clock Stops. When the clock has stopped you may have seen the wife or husband take it up and shake it to start it again. Sometimes succeed. Some little clogging par- | ticle is removed by the shock and the | clock starts again. But it does not go | very long before it runs down. Another ! shock perhaps starts it, but the clock | soon stops n, aad presently has to be ' overhauled the clock doctor. It's something the same way with the liver. It stops its useful and necessary offices, sometimes, and the man or woman affect- ed tries to jar it into starting, with some powerful pill or potion. Perhaps they suc- ceed. But the success does not last. The liver soon stops again, and finally they have to go to a doctor. The value of Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Discovery in such cases, is that it carries off the clogging particles which interfere with te health of the body. It strengthens the liver, purifies the blood, and heals diseases of the stomach and organs of digestion and nutrition. There can be no substitute for “Golden Medical Discovery.” Hood's Sarseparilla. : “Terrible Suffering ECZEMA ALL OVER O OUR BABY'S BODY. “When my baby was four months old his face broke out with eczema, and at sixteen months of age, his face, hands and arms were in a dreadful state. The ecze- ma spread all over his body. We had to put a mask or cloth over his face and tie up his hands. Finally we gave him Hood's parilla and in months he Sarsa cured | Mrs. Inez 2%, Baring, Me. ood's Sarsaparilla effect: _ of cures where a blood: purifying medicine was There is no real substiute forit, If urg- o to buy any preparation said to be “just ' you may be sure it is inferior, ah less to make, and yields the dealer a larger p Tet it it today in usual liquid form or chocolated tablets called Sarsatabs, 29-tf Medical. Ws A Lure ties ve. i - -LOR- e. RHEUMATISM. GOUT, SCIATICA. AND LUMBAGO We have cured Thousoeis with JONES BREAK.UP ‘AND IT WILL CURE YOU Always mn stock at 1 go | For sale by Sidney Krumrine, Druggist, Bellefonte, Pa. Hood’ AN Sarsaparilla. 'of one piece with the gold of the sun | which tiltered through the branches | Her eyes were just the deepest blue of the iris, her lips the reddest of the foxtire, and her cheeks exactly of the | same satin as the wild rose petals ca- | ressing them. She was smiling on | Freckles in perfect confidence, and she cried, "Oh, I'm so delighted that I've found you!" “Ap'—an’ was you looking for me?" | quavered the boy, incredulous. “1 hoped | might find you,” said the angel. “You see, | didn't do as [ was told. and I'm lost. The Bird Woman | said I should stay in the carriage until | she came back. She's been gone hours. It's a perfect Turkish bath in there, ‘and I'm all lumpy with mosquito bites. Just when | thought that 1 couldn't bear it another minute. along comes | the biggest Papilio Ajax you ever saw.’ | I knew how pleased she'd be, so 1 ran iafter it. It flew so slow and so low | that I thought a dozen times I bad it. | Then all at once it went out of sight | over the trees, und 1 couldn't find my way back to save me. [| think I've walked over un hour. 1 have been | mired to my knees. A thorn raked my (arm until it is bleeding, vod I'm so tired and warm.” “DEAL'S OFF, BOYS!" HE SAID CHEER. : FULLY. She parted the bushes still further. “I made a big mistake not to be bricg- | Freckles saw that her little blue cot- ing the egg out with the baby, but 1 | ton frock clung to her, limp with per- was fearing to touch it. It's shaped | spiration. It was torn across the like a ben's egg, and it's big as a tur- | breast. One sleeve hung open from key’s, and the beautifulest blue—just | Shoulder to elbow. A thorn bad raked splattered with big brown splotches, | her arm until it was covered with like me book said. precise. But yon | blood. and the gnats and mosquitoes never saw such a sight as it made on were clustering about it. Her feet the yellow of the rotten wood beside | were in lace hose and low shoes. that funny leathery faced little white Freckles gasped. In the Limberlost baby.” iin low shoes! He caught an armful “Tell you what, Freckles.” sald one | of moss from his carpet and buried it |. of the teamsters. "Have you ever in the ooze in front of her for a foot- heard of this bird woman that goes ail | Ing. over the country with a camera and! “Get out here where 1 can see where makes pictures? She made some on You are stepping. Quick, for the life my brother Jim's place last summer, Of you!" he ordered. and Jim's so wild about them he quits She smiled on him indulgently. plowing and goes after her about ev- | ery nest he finds. He helps her all he can to get them, and then she gives him a picture. Jim's so proud of what he has he keeps them in the Bible. He shows them to everybody that comes and brags about how he help- ed to take them. If you're smart you'll send for her and she'll come and make a picture just like life. If you help her she will give you one. It would . be uncommon pretty to keep after your birds are gone. I dunno what are, I never see their like Hi They must be something rare. Any you fellows ever see a bird like that hereabouts?’ Jo 98e ever hod. ” said the tea teamster, “failing to get this log lets me off till noon, “Why?” she inquired. “Did anybody let you come here and not be telling you of the snakes?’ urged Freckles. “We met Mr. McLean on the cordu: roy, and he did say something about snakes, I believe. The Bird Woman Ala Ak Of Wave Spvelal Auto Oil and Waverly Gasolines L d St, Waryn Beer. “The sunshine of lager beer satisfaction vadi- ates from every bottle of ELK COUNTY BREWING COMPANY'S EXPORT. Every glass is a sparkl- ing draught of exquisite taste and is as pure as any brewer’s skill can pos- sibly create. Our entire establish- ment is equipped with the very latest mechani- cal inventions and sanitary de- vices known to the art of brew- ing, having re- cently installed a bottling equip- ment ranking second to none. Qur sanitary methods of ster- ilizing the bottles before they are filled, and the scientific process of pasteurizing the beer after it has been auto- matically bottled guarantees the lasting purity of our product. We bottle our beer at the brewery in AMBRE bot- tles, as exposure to light injures flavor. ElK County Brewing Company ST. MARYS, PENNSYLVANIA 57-27-14t ‘The Pennsylvania State College. The : Pennsylvania : State : ee] EDWIN ERLE SPARKS, Ph.D., L.L. D., PRESIDENT. Established and maintained by the joint action of the United States by joint_action of nite Government and the FIVE GREAT SCHOOLS—Agriculture, Engineeri Liberal Arts, Mining, and Natural Science, fering thirty ou corsang of rit years each—Also courses in Home Economics, Industrial Art and Physical Education--TUTTION FREE to both sexes; incidental charges mod- erate. First semester begins middie of September; second semester the first of February; Summer Session for Teachers about the third Monday of June | of each year. For catalogue, bulletins, announcements, etc., address 57-26 THE REGISTRAR, State College, Pennsylvania. b PPP TTY TTY YT YY YT YT YT TY
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