Bellefonte, Pa., Au;
0
FRECKLES
By
Gene Stratton
Porter
COPYRIGHT, 1904, 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.
Wessner attempts to bribe Freckles to
betray his trust, and Freckles whips him.
McLean overhears them and witnesses the
fight.
bot in there. You couldn't be
expected to bear it for hours
and not he moving. | can take you
back around the trail almost 10 where
you were. Then you cau get up iu
the carriage. aud | will go tind the
Bird Woman.”
“You'll get killed if you do! When
she stays this long. it means that she
has a focus on something. You see.
when she gets a focus. and lies in the
weeds und water for hours. and the
sun bakes ber. and things crawl over
her, and then some one comex along
and scares her bird away just ax she
has it coaxed up—why, she kills them
If I melt, you won't go after her
8he’s probably blistered and half
eaten up, but she will never quit until
she is satisfied.”
“Then it will be safer to be taking
care of you.” suggested Freckles.
“Now you're talking sense!” sald the
ange!
“May 1 try to help your arm?’ he
asked
“Have you uny iden how it hurts’
she parried
“A little,” said Freckles.
“Well, Mr. McLean said we'd prob-
ably find his son here" —
“His son!" cried Freckles.
CHAPTER VIII
THE BIRD WOMAN,
RECKLES was amazed to hear
bimself escusing. “It was so
“That's what he said. And that you |
would do anything you could for us.
and that we could trust you with our
lives. But | would have trusted yon
anyway, if t hado't konown a thing
about you. Say. vour father is ram
paging proud of you, isn’t he?"
“1 don't know,”
Freckles.
“He's so proud of you he is ali
swelled up like the toad in Aesop's fa
bles. If you have ever had an arm
hurt Illke this and ean do anvthing
why. for pity sake do it!
She turned back her sleeve, holding
out to I'reckles an arm of palest cameo
Freckles unlocked his case nnd band
‘aged the ugly. ragged wound. He
worked with trembling fingers and =n |
face tense with enrnestness
“Is it feeling any better?” he asked.
“Oh. it's well now!” cried the angel.
“It doesn't hurt at all nny wore.”
The velvety touch of her warm acm
was tingling in Freckles’ finger tips,
Dainty Juces and tine white stuffs
peeped through tier torn dress. ‘There
were beautiful rings ou her fingers.
Every article ahout ber was o* the
finest material and in excellent taste.
There was the trembling Limberlost
guard in hix coarse clothing, with his
cotton rags and bis old pail of swamp
water. [Freckles was sufficiently ac-
customed to contrasts to notice them
and sufficiently fine to be hurt by them
always.
He lifted his cyes to hers with a
shadowy pain in them and found them
of serene, unconscious purity.
“We must go and find the carriage,”
said the angel, rising.
Freckles led the way, sharply watch-
ing every step. He went as near the
log as be felt that he dared and with
a little searching found the carriage.
“This is a shame!" said Freckles.
“You'll never be coming here again.”
“Oh, yes, I shall!” said the angel.
Freckles barely escaped crying out
for joy.
“Then don’t you ever be torturing
answered the dazea |
to think about you while you are
Freckles smiled quizzically.
“Freckles?” she guessed, with a peal
of laughter. "And mine is"—
“I'm knowing yours,” {interrupted
Freckles.
“l don't believe you do. What is
it?" asked the girl.
“You won't be getting angry?
“Not until I've bad the water at
least.”
It was Freckles’ turn to laugh. He
whipped off his big, floppy straw hat,
stood uncovered before her and said
in the sweetest of all the sweet tones
of his voice, “There's nothing you
could be hut the Swamp Angel.”
The girl mughed happily.
Once out of her sight Freckles ran
every step c¢f the way to the cabin.
Mrs. Duncan gave him a small bucket
of water, cool from the well. He car
ried it in the crook of his right arm
and a basket filled with bread and
butter, cold meat, apple pie and pickles
in his left hand.
“Picklex are kind o' cooling,” said
Mrs. Duncan.
The angel was on her knees reach-
ing for the bucket as he came up,
“Be drizking slow.” he cautioned
her.
Freckles stood blinking in the daz-
zling glory of her smile.
“Mercy!” she exclaimed. “1 think
1 had best be naming you ‘the angel'—
my guardian angel.”
*Yis,” sald Freckles. "1 look the
character every day, but today most
emphatic!”
“Angels don’t go by looks," laughed
the girl. Your father told us you had
been scrapping. But he told us why
I'd gladly wear all your cuts and
bruises if | could do anything that
would make my father look as pea-
cocky as yours did. He strutted about
proper. | never saw any one look
prouder.”
“Did he say he was proud of me"
marveled Freckles.
“He didot need to.” answered the
angel. “He was radiating pride from
| every pore’
The unzel spread the lunch on the
carriage seat. The daintiest parts sue
could select she carefully put back into
the baskei. ‘The rest she ate. As ne
watched ber with famished eyes
Freckles told ber of his birds, flowers
and books.
Suddenly the angel cried. "There
comes the Bird Woman!"
She was staggering under a load of
cameras and paraphernalia. Freckles
took all be could carry and helped her
into the carriage.
Soon they were out of the swamp.
Then he showed them how to reach
the chicken tree from the outside, in-
dicated a cooler place for the horse
and told them how the nest time they
came the angel could find bis room
while she waited.
“Were you forgetting Little Chick.
en's picture?’ Freckles asked the Rird
Woman.
“Why do you call the baby vulture
‘Little Chicken? * she asked
“Twas Duncan began it.” said
Freckles. “You see, through the fierer
cold of winter the birds of the swamp
were almost starving. It is mighty
lonely here. and they were all the com
pany | was having. [ got to carrying
seraps and grain down to them. Dun
can was that ginerons he was giving
me of his wheat and corn from his
chickens’ feed. and he ealled the hirds
me swamp chickens Then when
these big black fellows came, Mr. M-
Lean said they were our nearest kind
to some in the old world that they
called ‘Pharoah’s Chickens. and he
ralled mine ‘Freckles® Chickens.”
“Good enough!" cried the Bird Wo.
man. “Yon must shoot something for
| them occasionally, and I'll bring more
| food when I come. If yon will help
me k»sep them until 1 get my series. I'l!
give you a copy of ecacl study | make.
mounted in a book."
“I'll he doing me very hest,” prom-
ised the boy, and from the deeps he
meant it.
“1 wonder if that other egg is going
to hatch?’ mused the Bird Woman.
“l am afraid not. It should bave been
i
angel. “What's your name? |[ want
| out today. Isn't it a beauty? I never
| saw either an egg or the young before. |
They are rare this far north.” i
“So Mr. McLean said,” answered |
Freckles.
! The Bird Woman gave him her hand
. at parting, and Freckles joyfully real-
| ized that here was going to be another
- person for him to love. Freckles
| couldn't remember, after they had
| driven away, that they had even no-
_ticed his missing band, and for the
| first time in his life he had forgot-
| ten it.
| When the Bird Woman and the an- |
gel were well on the home road the:
angel told of the little corner of para- '
dise into which she had strayed and
| of her new name.
“Did you know Mr. McLean had a
son?” asked the angel. *Isn't the little
accent he has and the way he twists
a sentence too dear? And isn't it too
old fashioned and funny to hear him
call his father mister?’
“It sounds too good to be true,” said
the Bird Woman, answering the last
question first. “I am so tired with
these present day young men that
patronizingly call their fathers ‘dad,
‘governor,’ ‘old man’ and ‘old chap’
that the boy's attitude of respect and
deference struck me as being as fine
as silk. There must be something rare
about that young man.”
But she did not find it necessary to
tell the angel that for several years
she had known the man who so proud.
Iy proclaimed himself Freckles’ father
to be a bachelor and a Scotchman.
his angel, and he was dreaming of
naught but blind, silent worship. He
finished the happiest day of his life,
and that night he went back to the
swamp as if drawn by a magnet. That
Wessner would try for his revenge he
knew. That he would be abetted by
Black Jack was almost certain, but
fear had fled the happy heart of Freck-
les. He bad kept his trust. He had
won the respect of the boss. Nobody
could ever wipe from his heart the
flood of holy adoration that had welied
up with the coming of his angel.
At the edge of the clearing he came
out into the bright moonlight, and
there sat McLean on his mare. Freck-
les hurried up to him.
“Is there trouble?” he asked anxious-
“That's what 1 wanted to ask you,”
said the boss. *I stopped at the cabin
to see you a minute before I turned in
and they said you had come down
here. You must not do it. Freckles.”
Freckles stood combing his fingers
through Nellie's mane, and the dainty
creature was twisting her head around
to his caresses. He pushed back his
bat and looked up into McLean's face
“It's come to the ‘sleep with one eye
open. sir. I'm not looking for any-
thing to be happening for a week or
two, but it's bound to come. and soon
If I'm to keep me trust as I've prom
ised you and meself. I've to live here
mostly until the gang comes. You
must be knowing that. sir.” i
“I'm afraid it's true, Freckles.” said
McLean. “And I've decided to double
the guard until we get here. It will
only be a few weeks now, and I'm so
anxious for you that you must not be
left alone further. If anything should
happen to you. Freckles, it would spoi:
one of the very dearest plans of my
life.”
Freckles heard with dismay
proposition to place a second guard
“Oh! no, no, Mr. McLean.” he cried
“Not for the world! | wouldn't be hnv-
ing a stranger around. scaring me
birds and tramping up me study and
disturbing all me ways for any money’
I am all the guard you need: 1 will he
faithful! 1 will turn over the lenxe
with no tree missing—on me life, |
will! Oh, don’t be sending another
man to set them =aying | turned cow
ard and asked for belp. It will just
kill the honor of me heart if you de
it. The oniy thing I want is another
gun.”
McLean handed a shining big revo!
ver down to Freckles. who slipped it
beside the one already in his belt.
“Freckles.” he said at last, “we never
know the timber of a man's soul until
something cuts into him deeply and
brings the grain out strong. You've
the making of a mighty fine piece of
furniture, my boy. and you shall have
your own way these few weeks vet.
Then if you will zo | am going to take
you to the city and educate you, and
you are to he my son, my Iad-my own
son!"
Freckles twisted his fingers in Not
lie’s mane to steady himself »
“But why should you he doing that
clr? he faltered.
MeLean slid hix arm down about the
boy's shoulders nnd gathered him close
to him :
“Because | love vou, Freckles" ne
said simply.
McLean tightened his clasp a second
longer. then he rode away down the
trail.
Freckles lifted his hat and faced 1h
sky. The harvest moon looked down
sheeting the swamp in silver glory.
The Limberlost sang her night song
The swale softly rustled in the wind
Winged things of night brushed his
face, and still Freckles gazed upward
trying 10 fathom these things which
had come to him. To oue above the
sky he must make acknowledgment
for these miracles. His lips moved
and he begun softly:
“Thank you for each separate good
thing that hus come to me,” he said.
“and. above all, for the falling of the
feather, for If it didn't really fall from
an angel its falling brought an angel,
and if it's in the great heart of you to
exercise yourself any further about
me, oh, do please to be.taking gooll
care of her!”
[Continued next week.)
ne Strangest of Birds.
The German emperor was lately the
recipient of a pair of very curious
birds from the East Indies. The spe-
cies is nearly extinct, and it is said
that an effort will be made to prevent
their becoming entirely so by enfore-
ing the laws against hunting them.
These birds always travel in pairs
and are hardly ever separated. The
beak of the male is short and strong,
while that of the female is fine, long
and curved. The male's work is to
break with his strong bill the tough
bark of trees in order that his mate
may introduce her pointed beak into
the holes dug into the trunk by in-
sects and so extract food. When the
male detects an “Insect haunt” he lays
it bare and the female pulls forth the
prey with her beak, divides it in two,
gives the male his portion and eats
the other, continuing the process un-
til both have had enough. Consequent-
ly the death of one or the other means
starvation to the survivor, the female
being unable to break the bark of
'rees and the male to take out the
prey when its presence is exposed.—
Harper's Weekly. |
He Got It.
“My nephew,” says the bespectacled |
pan, “entertained me most generously
while I was in New York. He took
ne almost every evening to one res-
Aaurant or another and I heard several
nost lively songs.”
“What were they?” asks the other. |
“I do not remember them definitely |
mt one of them had a refrain which |
egan by stating ‘Everybody is En.
aged in a Similar Occupation at the
|
|
!
ALAS } Ys
TST
NE of the most valuanie |
ae \/ - 0 ¢.
Nl BALI LEP
BRC i
EB qualities of the housekeeper |
is an accurate sense of the proper |
amount of material to order or to pre- |
pare for a given meal. This sense of |
quantity is the basis of successful cater- |
ing, professional or domestic.
~Janet M. Hil, |
A FEW USES FOR LEFTOVER
FRUIT.
Ripe fruit is so perishable that a!
large supply should never be bought.
An orange that shows signs of soften-
ing is not fit for food. It should never |
be canned or preserved. Perfectly
fresh fruit is the only safe kind to can. '
If there is a small dish of canned |
fruit with juice, rub the fruit through |
a gleve, thicken with cornstarch and |
sweeten If necessary, and use as a |
sauce for puddings. |
Bits of fruit, either fresh or canned, |
if put through a sieve may be added |
to ice cream when partly frozen, or |
poured over It as a sauce when It is |
served.
A small amount of fruit may be
stirred into muffins or small cakes be-
fore baking. Often fresh fruit, if a
small quantity, is allowed to spoil be-
cause there is not enough to go |
around. Two or more kinds may be |
mixed together very acceptably as a |
salad or fruit to serve as a dessert:
with cake. i
Fruit Whip.—Put a little crushed
sweetened fruit in lemonade glasses, |
fill up with sweetened whipped cream
and serve as an evening dessert with
light cakes. |
Emergency Salad.—Cut a few bits |
of cheese into neat cubes; chop six or
eight olives. Break a few English |
walnut meats in pleces, a few grapes,
seeds and skins remoyed: a banana
and orange, a sour pickle cut in thin |
slices. Mix all together and fill apple |
cups. Cut the stem end off carefully, |
scoop out the pulp and fill with the |
salad after mixing with mayonnaise |
dressing. Put on the lid and serve !
on a paper doiley covered plate. |
Lemon Cups for Dressings or Cock- |
tails.—When making lemonade save |
the best halves by putting them into |
cold water. In this way they will
keep for several days, and are nice !
to use for hard sauce receptacles or
cocktails or fish sauces; any number
of ways may be thought of to use
them.
Lemons may be prepared into lemon
sirup and kept indefinitely and are al-
ways ready for a quick, cold drink.
To a cup of water add a half cup of |
sugar and a cup of lemon juice; boll |
for ten minutes and bottle for use. |
Keep in a cool place.
ett hupurcte..
'
HEN
ABINET
wer -
YF +t
N ORDER to live efficiently,
we must keep ourselves physi-
cally freshened and mentally poised. The
struggle for mere possession of objects
should not master completely our time
and strength. The daily routine of work
may be our immediate interest, but it
Is not the goal, for all work, play, rest
and hospitality should combine to make
of the home a suitable fortress of
strength to the community, standing for
wholesome living, clean ideals and un-
selfish public service.”
LEFT.-OVER FISH.
Cold cooked fish may be served in
as acceptable a dish as it was In the
fresh state. Any bits of fish In too
small quantities to use alone are an
addition to a salad of potato or other
vegetable salads.
Mock Lobster~—Melt a tablespoonful
of butter in a saucepan or chafing
dish, add a cup of stewed tomatoes,
one and a half cups of fish shredded,
two tablespoonfuls of crumbs, a table-
spoonful of butter, salt, paprika and
a little Worcestershire sauce.
Baked Fish in Pepper Cages.—Care-
fully remove the skin and bones from
any baked fish and season with salt,
pepper and onion juice. Mix
with an equal quantity of left.
over stuffing, or coarse crumbs,
moistened with butter. The mix-
ture should be quite moist, if not,
add a little milk. Cut lengthwise as
many sweet green peppers as needed,
remove the seeds, parboil five minutes i
and fill with the fish. Put into a ba-
king pan, surround with hot water or
fish stock and cook until the cases are
soft but not broken. .
Fish Loaf.—Flake the remnants of
any baked fish. To two cups of fish
add one cup of the stuffing, or one cup
of bread crumbs moistened with melt-
ed butter and one beaten egg. Sea-
son with salt, pepper and parsley or
minced pickle. Turn into a buttered:
mold, place in hot water and cook in.
a moderate oven for half an hour. Un-
mold on a hot platter and serve wit
a white sauce, adding a few cooked’
peas or two hard-cooked eggs chopped.
Fish and mushrooms is a combina-
tion liked by many.
Fish hash and fish balls are other
dishes which may easily be prepared
from cold fish.
At the Bird Store Window.
The bird store window is an unfail-
ing attraction to many people. Per-
haps it attracts men more than wom-
en, but it is a magnet that draws all |
children.
Let small boys or girls discover a
bird store and they halt and linger |
long, wondering over or admiring the
strange or beautiful feathered crea-
| tures within, and children walking !
with their mother if they should spy |
this window are sure to tug her to- |
ward it to give them a chance to look
in. The bird store window interests
! all children, as it appears to interest |
also many grown men who may be
| drawn to it by a natural fondness for
birds and animals, or be attracted by
| the novel or striking character of the
exhibit on view.
Here, for instance, in this window
is a white peacock, a remarkable bird
seen with its plumage in whatever
form. As with characteristic delibera-
tion it walks about with its long tail
feathers folded and trailing people
stop to look at it, and then let it raise
and spread its great white fan ana
many more halt and gather in a crowd
around the window.—New York Sun.
Hurt in the Sequel.
Graham Ferguson has just returned
after an absence of six months on “the
other side.” Fergie did not spend all
his time abroad at the home of his
Ayrshire ancestors; he visited Swit.
zerland and Italy and did not neglect
Paris. It was in this famous city that
he witnessed a famous sight.
“When 1 was in France,” he told a
newspaper friend Sunday, “I saw a
duel.”
“Oh! One of those French duels.
eh? Nobody was hurt, I presume?”
“You are wrong there. One of the
contestants was seriously injured.”
“One of the contestants? Surely
you mean, a bystander or a second or
a surgeon?”
“No, sir: one of the duellsts.
had a rib broken.”
“You astound me! One of those
toy rapiers could not smash a rib,
surely?”
“Rapier, nothing! The brave man's
rib was broken in the embrace with
his opponent, after the duel was over.” |
—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
He
i
1
. Thick. i
“How far is it to the next town?" |
inquired the traveler in the mud be-
spattered buggy.
“'Bout ten mile, mister,” said the
farmer by the roadside.
“Long miles, 400, [ suppose.”
“No, sir, they're not so very long,
but vou'll find them pretty blamed
"hi oe
tank-wagon
WAVERLY OIL
i 57-25-3m.
Casters Need Oil.
Oll your casters once in a while and
sea how much more easily large pieces
of furniture may be moved. Do this
at airy rate at housecleaning time, and
take care to wipe off any superfluous
oil, not only because it would collect
dirt if allowed to remain, but also be
cause it might drip a little and stain
the carpets or rugs.
Delicious Dish.
Serve pumpkin pie with whipped
cream and pecan nuts over the top
for a change.
To Mothers.
Most women suffer both ‘in mind and
body during the periods of gestation and
confinement. Such suffering can almost
invariably be avoided by the use of Dr.
Pierce's Favorite Prescription. [It makes
Weak women strong and sick women
well.
“I will take the opportunity,” writes
Mrs. Sarah Keefer, of Johnstown, Som-
erset county, Pa., to write to you of the
benefit | derived from your good medi-
cines. [ took two bottles ot Dr. Pierce's
Favorite Prescription, and [I am well
again. | took some medicine of our
home doctor, but it did not help me.
When [ was confined I was not sick in
any way: I did not suffer any pain.”
Hood's Sarsaparilia.
Loss of Appetite
Is loss of vitality, vigor or tone. and is
often a forerunner of prostrating disease.
It is serious and especially so to .
that must keep up and doing or get
hindhand
The best medicine to take for it is the
great constitutional remedy, Hood's Sar-
saparilla, which purifies and enriches the
blood and builds up the whole system.
“Since I began taking Hood's Sarsa-
rilla my aj ite has greatly increased.
Po Denes A I recommend this
medicine to all who are suffering from in
Sifestion. nervousness or impure blood."
m Bell. Jr., 623 Lafayette Av.. Brook
vn, N. Y.
There is no real substitute for
HOOD'S SARSAPARILLA
Get it to-day in usual liquid form or
chocolated tablets called Sarsatabs. —30.tf
Medical.
It's A Cure That's Sure
FOR-
RHEUMATISM, GOUT.
SCIATICA. AND
LUMBAGO
Wi have cured Thousands with
JONES BREAK-UP
AND IT WILL CURE YOU
Always mn stock at
SioNEY KRUMRINE, Druggist.
Bellefonte, Pa.
Wo S—
NN
oils.
WORKS CoO.
independent Refiners, PITTSBURG, PA.
Also makers of Waverly Special
Auto 0il and Waverly Gasolines
St. Mary's Beer.
The sunshine of lager
beer satisfaction radi-
ates from every bottle of ELK COUNTY
BREWING COMPANY'S EXPORT.
glass is a sparkl-
exquisite taste
any brewer’s
sibly create. Our
ment is equipped
latest mechani-
and sanitary de-
the art of brew-
cently installed a
ment ranking
Our sanitary
ilizing the bottles
filled, and the
of pasteurizing
has been auto-
guarantees the
our product. We
at the brewery
tles, as exposure to light
Every
ing draught of
and is as pure as
skill can pos-
entire establish-
with the very
cal inventions
vices known to
ing, having re-
bottling equip-
second to none.
methods of ster-
before they are
scientific process
the beer after it
matically bottled
lasting purity of
bottle our beer
in AMBRE bot-
injures flavor.
ElK County Brewing Company
ST. MARYS, PENNSYLVANIA
57-27-14t
The Pennsylvania State College.
erate.
middle of
The : Pennsylvania : State : College
EDWIN ERLE SPARKS, Ph.D, LL. D., PRESIDENT.
Established and maintained by the action of the United States Government and t
joint on he
FIVE GREAT SCHOOLS—Agriculture, Engineering, Liberal Arts,
Mining, and Natural Science, offering thirty-six courses of four years
each—Also courses in Home Economics, Industrial Art and
Education—TUITION FREE to both sexes; incidental charges mod-
for Teachers about the third Monday
of
catalogue, bulletins, announcements, etc., address Ime
eve
; second semester the first
ag
is
CL