1
1
FRECKLES
I COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PACE
& CO.
PROLOGUE.
This romance of Freckles and
the Anget of the Limberlost is
one of the most novel, entertain'
ing, 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
faards the Limberlost timber
teases 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 Mo
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 Ireland in quest of a
tost relative.
The Man of Affairs, brusque
0 manner, but big of heart.
Wessner, a timber thief who
mrants rascality made easy.
Black Jack, a villain to whom
thought of repentance Comes too
late.
CHAPTER XIII.
VBKCKLES' BTJTTEH FLIES.
TT1UT on the trail the Bird Woman
f 1 wheeled on McLean with a
III damfoundcd look.
w I "Do you thing the angel
knew she did that?' she asked softly.
"No," said McLean. "I do not. But
the poor boy knew It. Heaven help
him!"
The Bird Woman stared across the
tentlr waring swale. "I don t aee
how I am eolnsr to blamo her." she
said at last. "It's so exactly what I
would have done myself."
' "Say the rest." demanded McLean
hoarsely. "Do hlra justice."
"ne Is a born gentleman," conceded
the Bird Woman, "ne took no ad
vantage, ne never even offered to
touch her. Whatever that kiss meant
to him, he recognized It was the lov
Ing Impulse of a child under stress of
strong emotion. He was fine and man
ly as any mnn ever could have ben."
Mrlan lifted his hat. "Thank you."
he said simply and parted the bushes
for her to enter Freckles' room.
It was her first visit, and before she
left she sent for her cameras and
made studies of each side of It and of
the cathedral. She was entranced with
the delicate beauty of the place, and
her eyes kept following Freckles ns If
she could not believe that It could be
his conception and work.
That was a happy day. The Bird
Woman hud brought a lunch, and they
eprend it, with Freckles' dinner, on the
study flour and sat about, resting and
enjoying themselves. But the angel
put her banjo into Its case, silently
gathered up her music, and u one
mentioned the concert.
The Bird Woman left McLean and
the nngol to clear away the lunch and
with Freckles pxnmlred the walls of
bis room and told him nil she knew
about his slirnlts and flowers. She an
aljT.ed a ninllni'l fower awl showe.l
hini what he'luid all simmer wanted
to know why the bees hir.ed Inof
fectually about It while the luiiiiuiln;
birds found In it nu ever ready fens!
Some of his spe-lniens were so rrr
that she was unfamiliar with them
and with the flower book between
them they knelt, studying the different
varieties. She wandered the length of
the cathedral aisle with him. and It
was at her suggestion that he lighted
bis altur with a row of flaming foxfire,
As Freckles came up to the cabin
from his long day nt the swamp he
saw Mrs. Chicken sweeping away to
the south and wondered where she was
polng. ne stepped Into the bright
oor.y little kitchen, nisd as he reached
down the wash basin he asked Mr
Imncan n piestlon.
"Mother Duncan, do kisses wash
.rr?"
"Lord, nn4 Frecklesj." she cried.. "At
least the a hps ye get from people ye
love dinna. They dinna stay on the
outside. They strike in until they find
the center of your heart and make
their stopping place there, and naeth
Ing can take them from ye I doubt if
even death. No, lad, ye can bo rect
sure kisses dinna wash off."
Freckles set the basin down and mut
tered, "I needn't be afraid to be wash
ing, then, for that one struck In."
"I wish," said Freckle nt breakfast
one morning, "that I had some way to
be sending a message to the Bird Wo
man. I've something down at the
swamp that I'm believing never hap
pened before, and surely she'll be want
ing It."
"What now, Freckles?" asked Mrs.
Duncan.
"Why, the oddest thing you ever
heard of." said Freckles. "The whole
Insect tribe gone on a spree. I'm sup
posing it's my fault, but It all hap
pened by accldent-llke. Tou see, on
the swale side of the line, right
against me troll, there's one of these
scrub wild crab trees. Where the
grass grows thick about It Is the
finest place you ever conceived of for
snakes. Having women about has set
me trying to clean out those fellows a
bit, and yesterday I noticed that tree
In passing. It struck me that it
would be a good Idea to be taking it
out. First I thouirht Id take me
hatchet and cut it down, for it ain't
thicker than me upper arm. Then I
remembered how it was blooming in
the spring and tilling all the air with
sweetness. The coloring of the bios
soms is beautiful, and I hated to be
killing It. I Just cut the grass short
all about it. Then I started at the
ground, trimmed up the trunk near
the height of mo shoulder and left
the top spreading.. That made It look
so truly ornamental that, Idle like, l
chips off the rough places neat, and
this morning, on me soul, It's a sight.
You see, cutting off the limbs and
trimming up the trunks sets the sap
running. In this hot sun It ferments
to a few hours. There isnt much
room for more things to crowa on
that tree than there are, and to get
drunker Isn't noways possible."
"Weel, I be drawed on!" exclaimed
Mrs. Duncan. "What kind of things
do ye mean, Freckles?"
"Why, Just an army of black ants.
Some of them are sucking away like
old topers. Some of them are ettln'
up on their tails and hind legs, fid
dling nway with their fore feet ami
wiping their eyes. Some are rolling
around on the ground, contented.
There are quantities of big bluebottle
files over the bark and hanging on the
grasses about, too drunk to steer a
course flying, so they Just buz, nway
like flying and nil the time sitting
still. The snake feeders are too full to
feed anything, even more sap to them
selves. There's a lot of hard backed
bugs beetles, I guess colored like the
brown, blue and black of a peacock's
tall. They hang on until the legs of
them are so wake they can't sth k a
minute longer, and then they break
sway and fall to the ground. They Just
lay there on their backs, fably claw
ing air. When it wears off a bit, up
he with the spirit of the pi see that h
knew.
ne was most sure about the case.
Nothing was disturbed, yet it seemed
to Freckle. thnt he could see where
prying fingers had tried the lock. He
stepped back of the case, carefully
examining the ground all about lt..and
close bv the tree to which it was nailed
he found a deep, fresh footprint In the
spongy soil a lon'j. narrow print, that
was never iiade by the foot of Wess
ner. The feeling rose that he was
being watched.
Growing restive nt last under the
strain, be ldunired boldly Into the
swamp and searched minutely nu
about bis room, but he could not d's
cover the least thing to give him fur
ther cause for alarm. F.very rod lie
traveled he used the eautlcn that
..
sprang from knowledge or danger anu
the direction from which It wonld
probably come. Several times he
thought of sending for Melxnui, but for
his life he could not make up his mind
to do it with nothing more tangible
than one footprint to justify him.
ne waited until he was sure Duncan
would be at home, if he were coming
for the night, before he went up to
-SI
felt
5
fete- ?;Pps
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Silver
Shirts
they get and go crawling buck for
more, and they so full they bump luto
each other and roll over. . Sometimes
they can't climb tho tree until they
wait to sober up a little. There's a lot
of big black and gold bumblebees, done
for entire, stumbling over the bark
and rolling on the ground. They just
lay there on their backs, rocking from
side to aide, singing to themselves like
fat, happy babies. The wild bees keep
up a steady buzzing with the beating
of their wings.
"The butterflies are the worst old
topers of them all. They're Just a clr
cus! You never saw the beat of the
beauties! They come every color you
could be namlug and every shape you
could be thinking up. They drink and
drink until if I'm driving them away
they stagger ns they fly nnd turn som
ersaults In tho air. If I lave them
alone they cling to the grnsses, shiver
ing happy-like, and I'm blest, Mother
Duncnu, If the best of them could be
unlocking, the front door with a lend
pencil, even."
"I never heard of anything sne sur
prising," said Mrs. Duncan.
"It's a rare sight to watch them,
nnd no one ever mnde a picture of a
thing like that before, I'm for think
ing," snld Freckles earnestly.
"Nn," said Mrs. Duncan. "Ye chu
be pretty sure there dldna. The Bird
Womnn must have word In some way
If ye wnlk the line and I walk to
town nnd tell her."
Freckles took his lunch nnd went
down to the swamp. lie could find
no trace of anything, yet he felt a
tense nervousness, ns If trouble might
bo brooding. He came around to his
room and cnutlonsly scanned the en
trance before be stepied In. Then he
pushed the bushes npnrt with his right
nrtn and entered, his left hand on the
butt of his favorite revolver. Instantly
he knew that some one hnd been there,
ne could find no trace of a clew to
Confltm Wj beljef, jftjo Intimate wns
Bl FOUND A DEEP, FBEHH F00TPHINT.
supper. The first thing he saw as he
crossed the swale was the big bays In
the yard.
There hud been no one passing that
day, nnd Duncan readily agreed to
watch until Freckles rode to town.
He told Duncan of the footprint and
urged blm to watch closely. Duncan
said he might rest easy and, filling his
pipe and tnking a good revolver, went
down to the Limlerlst.
Freckles made himself .clean and
neat and raced for town, but it was
night nnd the stars were shining be
fore he reached the home of the Bird
Woman. As he neared the steps be
saw thnt the place was swarming with
young pAiple. nnd the angel, with an
excuse to a group that surrounded
her. came scurrying up to him.
"Oh. Freckles!" she cried. "So you
could get off? We. were so afraid you
could not. I'm ns glad ns I can be."
"I don't understand." said Freckles.
"Were you expecting me?"
"Why. of course," exclaimed the
angel. "Haven't you come to my
pnrty? Didn't you get my Invitation?
I sent you oue."
"By mall?" asked Freckles.
"Yen," said the nngel. "I had to
help with the preparations, nnd I
couldn't find time to drive out. But I
wrote you a letter and told you that
the Bird Woman wns giving a party
for me .nd we wanted you to come
aure. I old them nt the office to put
It with Ir. Duncan's mall.'
"Then that's likely where It is at
present," said Freckles. "Duncan
only comes to town once a week and
at times not thut.' He's home tonight
for the first in a week. He's watch
lug an hour for me until 1 wns com
ing to the Bird Woman with a bit of
work I thought she'd be caring to
hear about. Is she wbero I can Bee
her?"
The angel's face clouded.
"What a disappointment!" Bhe cried.
"I did so want all my friends to know
you. Can't you stay anyway?"
Freckles glanced from his wading
boots to the patent leathers of some
of the angel's friends near by and
bid Med whimsically, but there wns no
danger of his ever misjudging her
again.
"You know I cannot, angel," be said.
"I am nfrnld I do," Bhe Bald ruefully.
"It's too bad. But there Is a thing I
want for you more thau to come to my
party, and that is to bang on nnd win
with your work. I think of you ev
ery day, and I Just pray that those
thieves are not getting abend of you.
Oh. Freckles, do watch closely!"
She was so lovely a picture as she
stood before him, ardent in his cause,
that Freckles could not take bis eyes
from her to notice what her friends
were thinking. If she did not mind,
why should he? Anyway, if they real
ly were the nngel's friends probably
they were better accustomed to her
ways' than he.
"Must I go for the Bird Woman?"
she pleaded.
"Indade, you must " answered Frec
kles firmly.
The angel returned to say that the
Bird Woman was telling a story to
those Inside and she could not come
for a short time.
- "You won't come In?" she pleaded.
"I must not," said Freckles. "I am
not dressed to Ik among your friends."
Then," said the angel, "we mustn't
go through the house, because It would
disturb the story, but I waut you to
come around the outside way to the
conservatory and have some of my
birthday lunch and get some cake to
take to Mrs. Duncan nnd the babies."
The night wns warm and the nngel
most beautiful nnd kind. A sort of
triple delirium of spirit, mind nnd body
seized upon Freckles nnd developed a
boldness ull uunatural. Ho slightly
parted the heavy curtains that separat
ed the conservatory from the company
and looked In. He almost stopped
breathing. He had read of things like
that, but be had never seen them.
"Do you suppose heavi n la any finer
than that?" asked Freckles.
The angel burst Into a laugh.
"Do you want to be laughing harder
thau that?" queried Freckles.
"A laugh Is always good," snid the
angel. "A little more avoirdupois
won't hurt me. fio abend."
"Well, then." said Freckles, "It's only
that 1 feel all over as If I belonged In
there. I could wear fine clothes and
move over those floors and hold me
own against the best of them."
"But where does my laugh come In?"
demanded the nngel ns If she had been
defrauded.
"And you nsk me where the laugh
comes in, looking mo in the face after
that." marveled Freckles.
"I wouldn't be so foolish as to laush
at such n manifest truth as that," said
the nngel. "Any one that knows you
even half as well as I do knows thaj
you are never guilty of a discourtesy
nnd you move with twice the grace of
any man here. Why shouldn't you feel
as If you belonged where people are
graceful nnd courteous?"
"On me soul." said Freckles, "you
are kind to be thinking It. You are
doubly kind to be saying It."
The curtains parted, and a woman
came toward them. Her silks nnd
lofes irnUed iilong the polished .floors.
The lights gleamed on her neck and
arms and flashed from rare jewels.
She wns smiling brightly and until
she spoke Freckles had not fully re
alized that It was his loved Bird Wom
an. Noticing his bewilderment, she cried,
"Why, Freckles, don't you know me
In my war clothes?"
"I do in the uniform in which you
fight the Limberlost," snld Freckles.
The Bird Woman broke luto a laugh.
Then be told her why be had come.
(To Be Continued.)
Returns From Hospital.
From Saturday's Dally.
Miss Emilia Albert, who has
been at Immanuel hospital in
Omaha since Inst November, re
turned home today. She was ac
companied by her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. John Albert, who went to
Omaha this morning to bring
their daughter home.
H-H-H -I-H-H- -H-H-fr -H-
NEW BARBER SHOP
IN CEDAR CREEK.
I wish to announce that I
have just opened a new
barber shop in Cedar Creek,
and hereby solicit the trade
of the rominunity in that
line. Also notary public,
work done. 8. J. Reames.
T..T..t..Tt,lb JUJLJlmJtmJL .T..t-T..t..t. ----
i n it n i rr i J i w ttt
Seed Potatoes.
One car of our pure lied River
Karly Ohio seed potatoes is now
due. They are smooth, selected,
genuine seed, free from frost.
Price $2.00 per bushel, sacked,
and will be higher, so order now.
We pay the freight. Alfalfa seed,
purity 99 per cent; growth
nearly 100 per cent, $10.45 per
bushel. Ask for samples.
Johnson Hros.,
Nebraska City, Neb.
4-U-ltwkly.
Mr. and Mrs. J.. II. Hecker, Miss
Carrie Hecker and Oeorgo Hecker,
who have been spending the past
two or three months in California,
will arrive home tomorrow.
Auto fop Sale.
Regal 30 h. p., four-passenger
car, like new. Prestolite tank,
wind shield, clock,' spcedmometer,
tire chains and extra inner tube.
Original cost $1,450.00. Price,
$900.00. I have taken the agency
for the Berg "6," and have no
use for this one and wish to dis
pose of it at, once.
J. V. Holmes, Murray.
Finds Books In Good Shape.
from Friday's Dally.
K. K. Finlayson and H. Chest
nut, expert accountants of Oma
ha, who have, been checking Miss
Teresa Ilempel's hooks, finished
their work today. They spoke of
the work of Miss Henipel in very
complimentary terms. They were
a week checking the offlce.
Will Rummel, the IMatlsmouth
precinct assessor, was in the city
yesterday. Ho has been over the
precinct considerable and has
seen many fields of wheal which
are not in good condition, there
being portion where the wheat is
dead.
i
I
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h I 1 Agents Eastern Cass County, Union, Nebraska i