TR
Bellefonte, Pa., November 15, 1912.
C—m—
FRECKLES
By
Gene Stratton-
Porter
‘COPYRIGHT, 1904, BY DOUBLEDAY, PACE
& CO.
[Concluded.]
‘I'he next morning the man of af-
fairs, with a heart tilled with misgiv-
ings. undertook the interview on
which Freckles insisted. His fears
were without cause. [reckies was
the soul of honor and simplicity.
“Have they been telling you what's
come to me?’ he asked without even
waiting for a greeting.
“Yes,” said the angel's father.
“Do you think you have the very
worst of it clear to your understand-
ing?" .
Under Freckles’ earnest eyes th
man of affairs answered soberly, “1
think T have, Mr. O'More.”
That was the first time Freckles
heard his name from the lips of an-
other man. One second he lay over
come. the next great tears filled his
eyes, ant he reached out his hand
Then gp angel's father understood.
and he clasped that hand and held it
in a strong. "nrm grasp.
“Terence, my boy.” he said, “let me
do the talking. | came in here with
the understanding that you wanted to
ask me for my omy child. 1 should
ike, at the proper time, to regard her
marriage, if she has found the man
whe desires to marry, not as losing all
1 have, but as gaining a man | can
delight that he was unspotted by his | you for a year or two. until you were |
early surroundings and his desire to | fit to enter Ann Arhor or the Chicago |
visit the Limberiost with Freckles be- | university in good shape. Then |
fore they sailed. He said they were | thought we'd finish in this country at
anxious to do all they could to heip | Yale or Harvard, and end with @xford,
A ———————————————————————————————————
| ted of Freckles’ rapid recovery, of his | best to met a private tutor to eeach
Pealowls” Winter Roost.
Tha hereditary habit of the peacocks
| of roosting for the night in trees some-
times forces upom them considerable
discomfort. After selecting a roosting
place the birds return to it each
bind Freckles’ arrangements with the to get a good all round flavor.”
angel, as both he and Lady O'More |
regarded her as the most promising |
girl they knew and one that could be |
fully fitted to fill the high position in |
which Freckles would place her. |
Every word he uttered was pungent |
with bitterness to McLean. The |
swamp had lost its flavor without
Freckles, and yet as Lord O'More
talked McLean fervently wished that |
he was in the heart of it.
All the tan and sunburn had been
washed from Freckles’ face in sweats
of agony. It was a smooth, even |
white, its brown rift showing but |
faintly. What the nurses and Lady
O'More had done to Freckles’ hair
McLean could not guess, but it was
the most beautiful that he had ever
seen. Fine as floss, bright in color,
waving and crisp, it fell about the
white face.
They had got his arms into and
his chest covered with a finely em-
broidered pale blue silk shirt, with
soft white tie ar the threat. Among
the many changes that had taken place
during his absence, the fact that Frec-
kles was most attractive and barely
escaped being handsome remained al-
most unnoticed by the boss, so great
was his astonishment at seeing both |
cuffs turned back and the right arm
in view. Freckles was using the!
maimed arm that heretofore he had al-
ways hidden.
“Oh, Lord, sir. but I'm glad to see
you!” burst out Freckles, almost rolling
from the bed as he reached for him.
“I'm picking the angel's ring stone
that me Aunt Alice ordered. It's an
emerald—just me color. Lord O'More
says. Every color of the old swamp |
is In it. 1 asked angel to have a little |
shamrock leaf eut on it, so every time |
1 saw it I'd be thinking of the love. |
truth, and valor of that song she was |
teaching me. Ain't that a beantiful |
song?’
{ if you really were endowed for =u
H night; apparently the same ones with-
Is that all?” asked Freckles. out ever deserting the site. Usually
“No: that's leaving the music out. I|iyo tn the samse tree. Once during a
intended to have your voiee tested. and | haavy snowstorm Dr. Blair di
rected my attemtion to two male pes-
fowl that had selected a big oak tree
place. The smow had fallen during
feathers and formed a tiny coronet of
Ice on their heads. As we watched
them they stood erect as if to lean:
{just what the prospect of moaning
might be. The effort probably cen
vinced them that an attempted flight
to the ground meant a tumble and not
a fly, for they promptly settled down
again far another nap—Dumh Ani
mals.
Women and Economy.
Mrs. Pearl White of Michigam, writ-
ing to Farm and Home, has this to
say on the subject of womem praec-
ticing false econcmy: “Many a wom-
an will walk half a mile or more to
borrow a pattern that is not even the
right size, tru:ting to her ingenuity
and good sense to make it 8t, but the
chances are that the time alone which
she could save wonld more than equal
the 10-cent expenditure for a new pat-
tern, besides securing a better fit and
style, and considerable saving of
nerves.”
“DEAR ROSS, DEAR FATHRR, DON'T BE DO
ING THAT™
career as a great musician, and had
inclinations that way. I wished to have
you drop some of the college work
and make music your chief study.
Finally. 1 wanted us to take a trip
over Europe and clear around the
circle together.”
“And then what?” queried Freckles
breathlessly.
“Why, then,”
Oh, Learned Judge.
A California judge decided that
there is no judicial authority to keep
a man from maxing love to his wife,
although it could stop his beating her.
The remarkable cause of this remark-
able decision was that a woman in
said McLean, Los Angeles had applied for an injunc.
“you
near his office window as a perching. |
the night to a depth of about 10!
inches, forming a wall on each side of |
the sleeping Wirds, which completely |
! arched over their backs As the heat '
jo their bodies melted the snow the |
water gradually saturated their lighter |
Freckles tilted about a tray of unset | know that my heart is hopelessly in
stones that would have ransomed sev- | the woods. I will never quit the tim-
eral valuable kings. | ber business while there is timber to
depend on to love as a son and to take
“1 tell you I'm glad to see you, sir,” handle and breath in my body. 1
he sald. “I tried to tell me uncle what
charge of my affairs for her when I |
retire from business. Bend all of your I
energies toward rapid recovery, and
from this hour understand that my
daughter and my home are yours.” i
“You're not forgetting this?” |
Freckles lifted his right arm. :
“Terence, I'm sorvier than I have
words to express about that,” said the
man of affairs. “But {if it's up to me
to choose whether 1 give all 1 have
left in this world to a man with a
band off his body or to one of these
gambling, tippling, immoral spend-
thrifts of today. with both hands and
feet off their souls and a rotten spot
In the core, I choose you, and it seems
that my daughter does the same. Put
what is left you of that right arm to
the best uses you can in this world.
and never again mention or feel that
it Is defective as long as you live.
Good day, sir!"
“One minute more,” said Freckles.
“Yesterday the angel was telling me
that there was money coming to me
from two sources. She said that me
grandmother had left me father all of
her fortune and her house because she
knew that his father would be cutting
him off, and that me uncle had also
set aside for me what would be me
father's interest in his father's estate.
“Whatever the sum is that me
grandmother left me father, because
she loved him and wanted him to be
having it. that I'll be taking. 'T'was
hers from her father. and she had the
right to be giving it as she chose. Any-
thing from the man that knowingly
left me father and me mother to go
cold and hungry and into the fire in
misery when just a little would have
made life so beautiful to them and
saved me this crippled body—money
that he willed from me when he knew
I was living. of his blood and on char-
ity among strangers, 1 don't touch, not
if 1 freeze, starve and burn too! If
there ain't enough besides that and !
can't be earning enough to fix things
for the angel" — Phd
“We are not discussing money!”
burst in the man of affairs, “We don’t
want any blood money! We have all
we need without it. If you don't feel
right and easy over it, don’t you touch
a cent of any of it."
“It's right 1 should have what me
grandmother intinded for me father,
and | want it,” said Freckles, “but
Pd die before I'd touch a cent of me
grandfather's money!”
“Now,” said the angel, “we are all
going home. We have done all we can
for FFreckies. His people are here. He '
needs to know them. They are very
anxious to get acquainted with him.
We'll! turn him over to them and go '
home. When be is well, why, then he
will be perfectly free to go to Ireland
or come to the Limberlost, just as he
chooses. We will go right away.”
McLean bore it for a week, and then
he could stand it no longer. Commun-
ing with himself in the long, soundful
nights of the swamp, he had learned
to his astonishment that for the last i
year his heart had been circling the
Limberlost with Freckles.
He started for Chicago, loaded with
a big box of goldenrod, asters, fringed
gentians and crimson leaves that the
angel had carefully gathered for
Freckles’ room, and a little, long
slender package. He would not ad-
mit it even to himself, but be was un-
able to remain longer away from
Freckles and leave him to the care
of Lord O'More. i 4 1
In a few minutes’ talk, while Mec-
Lean waited admission to Freckles’
feom, his lordship had geniatly chat | uy mother. I had an idea it would be
oS
I wanted, but this ain't for him to be
mixed up in, anyway, and I don’t think
I made it clear to him. I can be telling
you, sir. I told him that I would pay
only $300 for the angel's stone. I'm
thinking that with what he has laid
up for me, and the bigness of things
that the angel did for me, that seems
like a stingy little sum to him, I know
- he thinks I ought to be giving a lot
more, but I feel as if 1 just had to be
buying that stone with money I earned
meself, and that is all I have saved of
me wages. 1 don't mind paying for
the muff, or the dressing table, or Mrs,
Duncan's things, from this other mon-
ey, and later the angel can have every
last cent of me grandmother's, if she'll
take it, but just now—obh, sir, can’t you
see that I have to be buying this stone
with what I have in the bank?”
“In other words, Freckles,” said the
boss, “you don’t want to buy the an-
gel's ring with money. You want to
give for it your first awful fear of
the swamp, You want to pay for it
with the loneliness and heart hunger
you have suffered there, with last
winter's freezing on the line and this
summer's burning in the sun. You
want the price of that stone to be
the fears that have chilled your heart
—the sweat and blood of your body.” |
Freckies' face quivered with feeling.
“Dear Mr. McLean,” he said, reach-
ing up with a caress over the boss’
black hair ‘and along his cheek. “Dear
boss, that's why I've wanted you so.
1 knew you would know. Now you
will be looking at these? 1 don’t want |
emeralds, because that's what she gave
me."
Freckles heaped the pearls with the
emeralds. He studied the diamonds
a long time. The diamonds joined the
emeralds and pearls. There was left
a little red heap, and Freckles’ fingers
touched it svith na new tenderness.
“I'm thinking here's me angel's
stone.” he exuited. “The Limberiost, '
and me with it, grew in mine, but '
it's going to bloom, and her with it, |
in this! There's the red of the wild
poppies, the cardinal flowers and the
little bunch of crushed foxfire that we
found where she put it to save me.
There's the light of the camp fire
and the sun setting over Sleepy
Snake creek. There's the red of the |
blood we were willing to give for
! and the swamp so confused In me mind
| eyes, gold hair, and red lips, and, it's
thought if yon didn't make a profes. |
sion of music, and had any inclination |
my way, we would stretch the partner-
ship one more and take you into the |
firm, placing your work with me.” !
Freckles lifted anxious and eager |
eyes to McLean. i
“You told me once on the trail, and |
again when we thought I was dying. |
that you loved me. Do these things
that have come to me make any dif- |
ference in any way with your feeling
toward me?" |
“None.” said McLean. “Nothing |
could make me love you more, and you |
will never do anything that will make
me love you less.” |
“Glory be to God!" burst out |
Freckles. “When I'm educated enough, |
we'll all—the angel and her father, |
the Bird Woman. you, and me—will |
go together and see me house and me |
relations and be taking that (rip. !
When we get back, we'll add O'More
to the lumber company, and golly, sir,
but we'll make things hum! Good
land, sir! Don't do that! Why, Mr.
McLean, dear boss, dear father, don't |
be doing that! What is it?" '
“Nothing. nothing!” boomed Mec- |
Lean's deep bass: “nothing at all!” |
He abruptly turned away and hur-
ried to the window.
“This is a mighty fine view,” he
said. . i
“I'll be glad to see Ireland,” said
Freckles, “but 1 ain't ever staying
long. All me heart is the angel's, and
the Limberlost is calling every minute.
“Me heart's all me Swamp Angel's,
and me love is all hers, and I have her
I never can be separating them. When
1 look at her, I see blue sky, the sun
rifting through the leaves and pink and
red flowers, and when 1 look at the
Limberlost 1 see a pink face with blue
the truth, sir, they're mixed till they're
one to me!
“I'm afraid it will be burting some,
but I have the feeling that 1 cam be
making my dear people understand,
80 that they will be willing to let me
come back home. Send Lady O'More
to put these flowers God made in the
place of these glasshouse ilegancies,
and please be cutting the string of this
little package the angel's sent me.”
As Freckles held up the package, the
each other. It's like her lips and like lights of the Limberiost flashed in the
the drops that dried on her beanti-' emerald on his finger. On the cover
ful arm that first day, and I'm think- | was printed: “To the Limberlost
fog it must be like the brave, tender, : Guard!” Under it was a big, crisp,
clean, red heurt of her.” ! iridescent black feather.
Freckles lifted the ruby to his lips
and handed it to McLean.
“Freckles, may | ask you some-
thing?" he said.
“Why, sure,” said Freckles.
“There's nothing you would be asking
that it wouidn't be giving me joy to
be telling you.”
McLean's eyes traveled to Freckles’
right arm, with which be was pushing
the jewsls about.
“Oh, that!" cried Freckles with a
merry laugh, You're wanting to
know where all the bitterness is gone?
Well, sir, ‘twas carried from me soul,
heart and body on the lips of an an-
gel. Seems that hurt was necessary
in the beginning to make today come
true. ‘The wound had always been
raw. but the angel was healing it. If
she doesn't care, 1 don't. May 1 be
asking you a question? Well, then, if
this accident and all that’s come to me
since had never happened, what was
it yon meant to do with me?”
“Why, Freckles,” answered McLean,
“lI figured on taking you to Grand
Rapids and putting you in the care of
| of the degree to which the rivers were
The Fleod Loss.
‘The present year has been an un-
usual one for floods. In the early
spring the whole of the Mississippi
valley suffered most severely because
swollen. Now the reports from Ohio,
West Virginia and Pennsylvania tell
of a large loss of life and of great
financial losses because of midsum-
mer floods in those states. This is
unusual, at this time of year, but
scarcely a spring passes without re-
ports of damage in these three states
nd West Virginia would face the
nen of ort |
wad this cause. If Ohio, Pennsylvania
b!
build a system of storage reservoirs,
as a provision against such disaster,
the initial expense would be very
large, but it would not need to be re-
peated. The loss of life would be.
eliminated and so would the loss of |
property. There is little for
\ states not taking Some tion
will make such floods impos
le.~Boston Advertiser.
tion to restrain her husband from in-
sisting on being attentive to her. This
jndge was not a Solomon, but he real-
ized that only a Solomon could be
trusted to rule upon the whims and
Inconsistencies of womankind.
Unnecessary.
Gruff Customer (looking up from
the menu card)—Have you brains?
Timid Waitress (confused)—No, gir,
That's the reason I'm working hero.~-
Judge
Medical.
Back-ache is a
Warning
BELLEFONTE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT
NEGLECT THEIR KIDNEYS.
signal of sick or weakened kidneys. To
cure the pains and aches, to remove the
lameness must reach the cause—the
and pains
meh WR
or sale by all dealers. Price 50
I Ruy Sat
Hardware.
..JDOCKASH....
- |
Counts.
Dockash Stoves always please. You re-
duce your coal bills one-third with a
Dockash. -
OLEWINE'S
ardware Store,
Quality
H
S28. BELLEFONTE, PA
ws
GRRERIG
LYON & COMPANY.
| This Store
Has Made Women’s Apparel
a Study.
These woeds are digected to the Woman or Miss who antici-
pates the purchase of a Coat, Suit or Fur.
We are not buying newspaper space just because we don’t know
how else to spend our money. but to let every woman in Belle-
fonte and swrrounding country know the most extensive assort-
ment, the cleverest styles and the best values are to be found at
LYON & COMPANY'S
Coat and Suit Department
Americanized French Ideas are the Keynote of LaVogue Styles
and we take it that nearly every woman craves exclusivemess.
The fit at the shoulders, collar and hips is also an essential fea-
ture. On these assumptions our widely diversified collection of
LA VOGUE
Coats and Suits
have been chosen.
FURS. FURS.
We are showing latest and newest styles in smart and fashionable
Fur Sets. Among them are the Isabella Fox, White Fox, Black
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sets embody the new effects in collarettes, animal shape and also
the medium and smaller sizes for the conservative woman. To
go with these Pillow Muffs and half-barrel shapes to match.
Our lowness of price and the qualities we are showing can not
but please the most economical buyer.
Lyon & Co. .... Bellefonte
Yeager’s Shoe Store
Fitzezy
The
Ladies’ Shoe
that
Cures Corns
Sold only at
ER !
Yeager’s Shoe Store,
Bush Arcade Building, BELLEFONTE, PA.