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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1912)
pTJ FRECKLES j COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PACE Lli Ti I. V'ES'V-". PROLOGUE. This romance of Freckles and the Angel of the Limberlost is one of the moat novel, entertain lng, wholesome and fascinating stories that have come from the pen of an American author in many years. The characters in this sylvan tale are-: Freckles, a plucky waif who (aards the Limberlost timber leases and dreams of angels. The Swamp Angel, in whom Freckles' sweetest . dream ma terializes. McLean, a member of a lumber company, who befriends Freckles. Mrs. Duncan, who gives moth er love and a home to Freckles. Duncan, head teamster of Mc Lean's timber gang. The Bird Woman, who is col- lecting camera studies of birds for a book. Lord and Lady O'More, who come from It eland in quest of a lost relative. The Man of Affairs, brusque of manner, but big of heart. Wessner, a timber thief who wants rascality made easy. Black Jack, a villain to whom thought of repentance comes too late. CHAPTER IV. FRECXIKS' WORLD OF PROMISE. rrriRECKLES bad walked the tlm- I It I bcr line ten months. Ills pay I I I was $30 a mouth, nud his ULJ board cost $8. Tunt left i'i a month, and the $2 was more than his clothing had cost him. At the ver.v least he bad $200 in the bank. "I'll be having a book about all the birds, trees, flowers, butterflies and TMt BUS OMNTRD OV ITO HtlAnr, ITOOKKD ItlCAK. yes. b.v gummy. I'll be having one about the fro;: if It taken every rent 1 have." lie prwnlserl liitnelf. Fret-Lien Ml Into n rapid pare, for he lind lost time tliat morning, and an he nni;i(ie:l the last curve he wan al most ruunlng. Then, wavering, flickering, darting here and there over the sweet marsh grass, came n preat black shadow, lie had seen Home owls and hawks of the swamp thai lie thought could be classed as larpe birds, but never any thing like this, for six feet It spread Its preat shining wings. Its big. strong feet could be seen drawn up among Its feathers. The sua glinted on Its shrirp. hooked benk. It lit on a low tree, and a second later Freckles saw another shadow sweep the grass. They were evidently mates, for with a queer rolling hop the Qrst comer ebivercd his bronze wings, sidled up .'jrJ to the new arrival and gave her a silly little peck on her wing. Then he co quettlshly drew oway acd ogled her. He lifted his head and waddled from her a few steps, awkwardly ambled back and gave her a nort of kiss on her beak. The lover sldcttepped a few feet lie pread his wings and slowly and softly waved them precisely, as If be were fanning his i charmer, which Indeed was the result he accomplished. Then he hobbled up to his bombardment once more. lie faced her squarely this time and turned bis head from side to side with queer little Jerks and Indiscriminate neckings at her wings and head. She yawned and shuffled away Indifferently. Freckles reached np, pulled the quill from his hat and, looking from It to the birds, nodded In settled conrletlon. With a ravishing swagger, half lift ed wings and deep, guttural hissing the lover came on again. He suddenly lift ed his body, but the othtr bird coolly rocked forward on the limb, glided gracefully beneath him and slowly sailed off Into the Limberlost. Freckles hurried down the trail, and when he neared the path to the clear ing and saw the boss sitting motion less on the mare that was the pride of his heart the boy broke Into a ruu. "Oh, Mr. McLean." he cried. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting. very long And the sun Is getting so hotl I have been so slow this morning! I could have gone faster, only there were so many things to keep me, and I didn't know you would be here. 1 11 hurry after this. I've never hud to be giving excuses before. The line wasn't down and there wasn't a sign of trouble. It was other things that were making me late." This flushed, panting, talkative' lad was not the same 'creature that had sought him In despair and bitterness With an eloquence of which ho never dreamed Freckles told his story. He talked with such enthusiasm that Me Lean never took bis eyes from his face nor shifted In the saddle until he described the strange bird lover, and then the boss suddenly bent over the pommel and laughed with bltn. "They're back there In the middle of the swamp now." said Freckles. "Do you suppose there la any chance of them staving with me chickens? If they do they'll be about the queer est I have. But I tell you. sir. I n: getting some plumb good ones. There' a new kind over at the month of rli creek that uses Its wings like fee and walks on all fours. It travels lilc a thrashing machine. There's unotli er. tall as me waist, with a bill a fo.tt long, a neck near two. not the I lib I uess of me wrist and an elegant conn He's some blue and gray, touched up with black, white and brown. Tin voice of him Is such that If he'd be go lng up and stnnding by a tree und sawing at it a few times he could be cutting it square off. I don't know but it would be n good Idea to try htm on the gang, sir." McLean laughed. "Those must be blue herons. Freckles." he said. "Ami It doesn't seem possible, but your story of the big black birds sounds like gen uine black vultures. They are com mon enough in the south. I've seen them thick about the lumber camps of Georgia, but I never heard of any this far north before. They must be strays. You have perfectly described our nearest equivalent to a branch of these birds called In Europe I'haruoh's chickens" "He was loving cer so," said Frec kles in a hushed voice. Freckles lift ed his brave, steady eyes to the boss. "If anybody loved me like that. Mr. McLean. I wouldn't be spending any time curing how they looked or moved. All I'd be thinking or was how they felt toward me. If they will stay I'll be caring as much for them as any ( hli kens I have." The face of McLean was a study. "And now. Freckles, what has been the trouble all sprlug? You have done your work as faithfully as any one could ask. but I au't help seeing thai there is something wrong. Are you tired of your Job':" "1 love It." answered Freckles. "Il will almost brer. I: me heart when the sang begins tearing up the swamp .Hid scaring away ine chickens." "Then what Is the matter':" Insisted McLean. i think, f ir. it's been bonks. Being among these bountiful things every day. 1 got so nnxloiis like to be know ing and naming them that It pot to eating Into me und weut and made nie near sick when 1 was well as I corld be. Of rouie I learned to rend, write and figure some at school, but there was nothing there nor In any of the city that I ever got to see that would make a fellow even be dreaming of siv-h Interesting things ns there are here. .I've seen the parks, but they ain't even beginning to be In It with Limberlost. It's all new ard strange to me. I don't know a thing almut nnv of It. The bullfrog told me to 'find out.' plain ns day. and books are the onlX-TV"! nln't. IherT" "Of course." said McLean, astonished nt himself for his heartfelt relief. He had not guessed until that minute what it would have meant to him to have Freckles give np. "You know enough to study out what you want yourself If you have the books, dou'I you?" I nm pretty sure I do." said Frec kles. "I learned all l a the chance at In the home, and me schooling was good as far as It went. Wouldn't let you go past fourteen, you know. I always did me sums perfect, and I loved me history books. 1 never could get me grammar to suit them. They said it was Just born In me to go wrong talking, but 1 could knock them all out singing. I was always leader In the home, and once one of the su perintendents gave me cor fare nnd let me go Into the city und sing in a boys' choir. The master said I'd the swatest voice of them all until It got rough like, and then he made me quit for awhile, but he said It would be coming back by now. and I'm rallly thinking It Is. sir. for I've tried about the line a bit of late. That and me chickens has been all the company I've been having, and It will be all I'll want If I can bavo books and learn the real names -of things', where they come from and why they do such Interesting things. Its been fretting mo to be shut op here among all these wonders and not knowing a thing. I wanted to ask you what some books would cost me and If you'd le having the goodness to get me the right ones. I think I have enough money." Freckles handed up his account book. and the boss studied It gravely. "You needu t touch your bank ac count. Freckles." he said. "Ten dol !ars from this month's pay will get you everything you need to start on "ron krcdn't Torrn Youn COCHT." I will write a friend In Grand Rapids today to select you the very best und send them at once." Freckles' eyes were shining. "Never owned a book in my life!" be snld. "Even me schoolbooks were never mine. Lord, bow I used to wish I could have Just one of them for me very own! Won't it be fun to see me sawuira nna me nine yenow fellow looking at me from the pages of a book and their, real nnmes and nil about them printed alongside'" "I'll have Duncan get you a ten bushel store box the next time he goes to town." said McLean. "You can put In your spare time filling it with the specimens yon pick up until the books come, nnd then you can study out what you have. I suspect you could find u lot of stuff that I could sell for you. I'll order you n butterfly net and box and show you how sci entists pin specimens. But I don't want to hear of your killing any birds. They are protected b.v heavy tines. McLean rode away and left Freckles staring nghast Then he saw the point and grinned sheepishly. Stnnding on the trail, he twirled the feather and thought the morning over. "Well. If life ain't getting to be worth living!" he snld wonderlngly "Biggest streak of luck I ever had 'Bout time something was coming my way. but I wouldn't ever thought any body could strike such prospects through Just a falling feather." On Duncan's return from his next trip to town there was a store box loaded on the back of bis wagon. He drove to tho west entrance of the swamp, set the box on a stump that Freckles had selected In a beautiful and sheltered place and mnde It secure on Its foundation with a tree nt Its back. "It seems moHt u pity to nail Into that tree." said Duncan. "I badna the time to examine Into the grain of It. but It looks as If It might be a rare line. Anyhow, the nnilln wlnna hurt it deep, and bavin' the case by It will make It safer If It Is a guld ane. "Isn't it an ouk?" asked Freckles. "Aye." said Duncan. "It looks like It might be une of time (Ine grained golden nnes that mak' such grand fur nlture." When the body of the case was se cure Duncan made a door out of the lid and fastened It on with binges. Ho drove a staple, screwed on a latch and gave Freckles a smnll padlock, so that he might safely fasten In bis treasures Ho made a shelf in the top for the hooks and last of all covered the case with oilcloth. It was the fjrst.tlme In. Freckles' Ufp BANK AO- that any one had ever done that much for his pleasure, and St warmed his heart with pure Joy. "Mr. Duncan." he said. "I don't know why you are being so mighty good to me. but if you have any Jobs up nt the cabin that I could do for you or Mrs. Duncnn hours off the line It would make me mighty happy." "Freckles." said Duncan as be began gathering up his tools. "I canna see that it will hurt ye to he told that ye are dln" every day a thing that pleases the boss ns much as anything ye could u. Ye re lelu uncommon faithful, lad, nnd honest as old Father Time. McLean Is trustln' ye as he would his own flesh nnd blood." "Oh. Duncan!" cried the boy. "Are you sure?" "Why. I know." answered Duncnn. "I wndna venture to say else. In those first days he cautioned me na to tell ye that, but now be wadna care. D ye ken, Freckles, teat soma of the single trees ye are gnardln' are worth a thousand dollars?" Freckles looked limp, and his eyes popped. "Ye see." said Duncan, "that's why they maun be watched so closely. The other night down at camp some son ot Baalam was suggestin' that ye might be sellla' the boss out, to Jack and let tin' him tak the trees secretly and no body wad ever ken till the gang gets here." A wave of scarlet flooded Freckles' face, and he blazed hotly at the Insult "And the boss," continued Dancan, Ignoring Freckles' anger, "he lays back Just as cool as cowcumbers and says, T'll give a thousand dollars to any man that will show me a fresh stump when we reach the Limberlost,' says he. Some of the men Just snapped him up that they'd find some. So you see how the boss Is trustln' ye, lad." "I am gladder than I can ever ex press," said Freckles. "And now will I be walking double time to keep some of them from cutting a tree to get all that money." "Mither o' Moses!" howled Duncan. "Ye can trust the Scotch to bungle things a'tbeglther. McLean was only meanln' to show ye all confidence and honor. He's gone and set a high pdee for some dirty whelp to ruin ye. I was Just tryln' to show ye how he felt toward ye, and I've gone and give ye that worry to bear." "I am mighty proud of what you have been telling me, Duncan," said Freckles. "1 need the warning sure, for with the books coming I might be tlmpted to neglect me work when dou ble watching Is needed." Freckles picked up his club and start ed down the Hue. whistling cheerily Duncan went straight to the lower camp and, calling McLean aside,, re peated the conversation verbatim "And. nae matter what happens now or ever, dlnna ye dare let anything make ye believe that Freckles hasoa guarded faithful as nny man could." "1 don't think anything could shake my faith In the lad." snld McLean. Freckles kept one eye religiously on the Hue. The other he divided be tween the path, his friends of the wire and a search of the sky for bis lateut arrivals. Every day since their coming he had seen them, either hang lng like small black clouds above the swamp or bobbing over logs and trees with their queer tilting walk. When ever he could spare time he entered the swamp and tried to make friends with them, and they were the tamest of all his unnumbered subjects. They ducked, rii dged nud ambled about bim, over logs nnd bushes, and not even n near appronch would drive them to flight. For two weeks he bad found them circling over the Limberlost regularly, but one morning the female was miss ing, nnd only the big black chicken bung sentinel above the swamp. Ills mate did not reappear In the following days, and Freckles grew very unxlous. He spoke of It to Mrs. Duncan, and she quieted his fears by raising a de lightful hope In their stead. "Why. Freckles. If It's the hen bird ye are missing Its ten to ane shes safe." she said. "She's laid and Is setting, ye silly. Watch him and mark whuur he llehrs. Then follow and find the nest. Some Sabbath we'll oil gang see It." Accepting this theory, Freckles be gan searching for the nest, but ns he had no Idea where to look and Duncnu could offer no helpful suggestion the nest wns no nearer being found. (To Be Continued.) Arrested Two Suspects. From Saturday's Dally. Joe Zimmerer of Avoca arrest ed two suspects this morning who walked into Avoca yesterday afternoon. One of the men was short and answered (be deserip I ion of Convict Taylor or "Shorty" Gray, and the other was tall, somewhat resembling Doud. Zim merer 'phoned to Sheriff Quinton nnd got instructions nnd authority to make the arrest. He procured nn assistant, and with shotguns leveled at the strangers made them hold up their hands until searched for weapons. The men were locked up and their records looked up. It was found that they had stopped in Berlin Thursday night .having arrived in that vil lage loo early to have been at Lincoln w hen I ho convicts escaped. William Schneider of Cedar Creek came down on No. 4 this morning and visited relatives be tween trains, and looked after some matters of business in the county seat. Curtain Scrims and Ms!- We are showing a complete line of Scrims and Netts, Lace Curtains and Draperies. PRICES FROM 15 to 50c PER YARD! See the Display in Our Window! ZUCKWEILER&LUTZ LOCAL NEWS From Wednesday s Dally. Jacob Meisinger was a pas senger to Cedar Creek on No. 29 this morning, where he visited the home far mfor the day. J. B. FornofT was a Platts- mouth visitor today, having come in to vtoit his friends and look after the week-end trading. Mrs. Frank Wheeler and grand sons or Louisville came down on No. 4 this morning to visit with Plattsmouth relatives for a time. fl. P. 'Meisingor and wife and son, lven, or cedar t-reoK visitea Plattsmouth friends for the day, returning this afternoon on No. 33. Adam Kaffenberger, one of tho prominent farmers of Eight Mile Grove precinct and his little daughter, Mabel, visited tho countey seat today to look after the week-end shopping. Mr. and Mrs. Andy Campbell and son, Oscar, of Kenosha, were visitors in the city today, and while here Mrs. Campbell called at this oflice and ordered the Journal sent to their address. fl. V. Goodman went to Lin coln on the morning train today to see his wife, who has been sick nt the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey for the past three weeks. From Thurnday's Pally. James Holmes and family re turned to their home at Murray this morning, afler visiting Mr. Holmes' sister, Mrs. C. A. Rawls and family, for a short lime. John Ossonkop of Louisville came down this morning to at tend the funeral of August Leh nofi", which occurred at 1 o'clock this afternoon. Interment was made in Oak Hill cemetery. August Obenalte and wife and sons, Theodore and George, who have been visiting relatives and friends in I he vicinity of NchaWka for six weeks, were over night guests of William Hunter and family, departing for Omaha on No. 15 this morning, from whence they will leave for their home at Tamarac, Wisconsin. Mrs. Hunt er and her sister, Mrs. George Hansen, of Nehawka, accompanied them to Omaha. From Friday's Dally. William Dull, who lias been ill for some time, is about the same, although he does not gain strength as his friends would like to see him do. Fred Lutz and William Puis, sr., of Mt. Pleasant precinct fa Spring Shirts Men who are gathering their Spring supplies of Shirts had better plan seeing our displays they'll find ex actly the neat patterns they admire. Especially exclusive lines of negligee shirts with starched cuffs $1.25. Manhattan Shirts, greater variety than we've ever shown; large showing at S1.50, others from $2 to $3.50. See our east window. Lightweight Flannel Shirts with attached collars and the detachable collars to match $2.00 and $2.50. Manhattan Shirts came in from their homes in time to catch the first train to Omaha this morning. L. G. Todd and A. L. Sweeton of Union were in tho city today and boarded tho fast mail for the me tropolis, where they looked after business matters. Hans Goos of Plainview, who has been visiting relatives for a few days here this week and looking after his property in terests, left for Omaha this morn ing and later for his home. M. L. Friedrich is slowly yield ing to tho pressure of his many friends, and in all probability his "hat will be in the ring" for the nomination for county commis sioner to succeed himself. Mr. Friedrich has said ho would not be a candidate, but since tho an nouncement of T. R., Mr. Fried rich might consent to save his country once more. From Saturday's Dally. Mrs. John Hendricks, from south of Plattsmouth, was in the city today. Mrs. Georgia Creamer, from south of the city, was hero today doing some trading. John Meisinger, jr., came in on No. this morning and visited his parents for a short time. fl. P. Meisinger of Cedar Creek was a Plattsmouth visitor today, having come down on No. 4 for the day. fleorge Born of Cedar Creek was among the Plattsmouth visit ors today, where ho spent tho day with friends. Martin Sleppat returned to Blair this morning, after looking1 after business matters in this cily for a short time. Mrs. V. E. Perry, who has been visiting friends at Elmwood and Murdock for ten days returned home today. Mr. Perry met his wife at the Burlington station. Will Hummel and John Wehr hein, from west of the city, were here yesterday looking nfler some business mailers, and in Iheir rounds paid the Journal office a brief call. Mr. Wehrbein en rolled his name for the Daily for one year, while Mr. Rummel ro newed for the coming year. I. A. Meisinger, W. fl. Meising er, Henry Meisinger and Otto Pet. Irit, all from near Cedar Creek, were in the cily today, driving in through, over and under (ho snow banks. They brought scoops with them, and they came in pretty good play several Jimes when they became stalled in the drifls. L. A. called nt this office, to renew the subscription for fleorge Hild at Bloomfleld, Neb. Stetson flats