I
.-X
;
,
I
t
Red Saunders
. . . By . . .
HENRY WALLACE PHILLIPS
COPYRIGHT. 1002. BY McCLUIlE. PHILLIPS ts COMPANY
CIIAITKR V.
nc.t morning
DD
UK ne.'.t morning wlicit Rod
awoke arrows of gold were
dionllng through the holes In
I In- old burn, mid outside 111'
bird life, the twittering and chirping,
the fluent whistle ami tin warble. Hit
cackle it ti 1 1 tln pompous crow, were In
full chorus.
"Where :nn I nl tlih time?" said In
ns lie took In ill it' "Oh, I re
member!" and his heart leaped. "I'm
in my own homo, by tin Lord."
Ho cut down (u the brook mid
washed, dr.ving hands mid faro on the
silk neckerchief, which Is meant for
use as well :is for "decoration.
In tin.1 meantime Miss Mnttie liad
awakened with n sense of something
delightful at hand, the meaning of
which escaped her for the time. And
then she remembered ami sprang out
of bed HUe a girl. She went to the
window, tlnew open the shutters and
let the stirring morning air How In.
Till1! had been her habit for a long
time. Th" v. lidiiw fared away from
the road, and no one could ee who
was not mi Mis .Ma tile's own prom
lies. I'ut this n.on.Ing Wed had wandered
around Stopping at the rosobu-kus,
he picked .i m-e.
"That has l lu leal ld time smell."
hi. said as he held it to lil-s nose.
'Swoetbrbv- are good, and I don't go
back on 'ein. but they ain't pot llie
fram these I'ellor- haw."
Hud hi hand, he walked beneath Miss
Mattle' s window-, and he was the
first thing her eye fell upon.
Her st.irlled exclamation made him
look up before -he had tlnio to with
draw. "Hello, there:" he called Joyfully.
"How d you open up this day? You
look pretty well!" he added, with a note
of admiration. Mls Mattle hnd the
wavy hair w hieh is never In bettor
order than wheu left to Its own de
vice, llor Idea of coiffure was not
the most betniiiln;,' that could have
been .selected, as she felt that a
"young" style of hnlrdresslng was
foolish for a single woman of her
years. Now, with the pretty soft hair
flying, her eyes still humid with sleep
and a touch of color In her face from
the surprise, relieved ugnlnst the fleecy
shawl sli had thrown about her, skoul
dors, she was Inconf est ably both a dis
creet and pretty (ijcture. V.0- ',RS
Mat tin luiihl not forget the bare feet
and nightgown, although they were
hidden from uia-cullne eyes by wood
and plaster, and she was embarrassed.
Still, with ,i.l the Mipcrsensltlve fan
cies, Miss Mattle had a strong back
bone of Ne.v Knglmiri cominon sense.
She uiH'V'fi'il thai 'he felt very well
Indeed .rail, to cocr any awkward
ness, inquired what he had In his
hand.
"(,'ood
time sin
to me -k
At the
Mattle c
old roo." replied lted. "Old
llci better 'lilted to you than
" UV
word he tossed It. and Miss
eight ii dexterously. Hod had
an exec-
Imgiy Keen eye for some.
things, ;t nl in noticed the certainty
of the action lie hated fuinblers. "A
person can do things right If they've
got mind Hi, 1 1 work," was one of his
pet sayhigx "'Taint the muscles at
all; It's i'i the head, and 1 like the kind
of head (hit's In use all the time."
Therefore I hi- small affair made an
impression on him.
"Why, you could be a ba-eball play
er," said
"I ued t play with .lor when I
was a girl," said Miss Mattle. smiling.
"I always liked boys' pla. better than
I did girls'. ,loc taught me how to
throw a hall too. He said he wouldn't
play with ino unless 1 lea rued not to
'scoop It,' girl fashion. I suppose you
will be w,iatlng breakfast."' There
was a hint of sarcasm In the doubt of
the Inquiry
"That's what I do," Mild l!ed. "You
must Just hustle down and gel things
to boiling or I'll throw brleks through
the window s. I've been up for the
last two hours."
"Why, 1 don't believe If." said Miss
Mattle.
"No mortj do I, but li seems like It," i
replied Red. -Don't joii want the tire
started? Come down and open up the
house."
When Miss Mattle appeared at the
door In he strode with an armful of
wood, dropping it, man fashion, crash,
on the floor
"Skip out of I ho way.v Mild he. "I'll
show you how to build a tire."
The early morning had been the most
desolate time to Miss Mattle. As the
day wanned up the feeling of loneli
ness vuntshed, perhaps to return nt
evening, but not then ivlth the sumo
absoluteness an when she walked
about the kitchen to the echo of her
owt) footsteps in the morning.
.. Hi Irtc . .,'I'!!'h; ntirl t lie Iijiiikiha;
wiiicii accompanied Ked's energct If ac
tions rang In her ears most cheerily.
She even found a relish In the smoth
ered oath that heralded the thrust of a
splinter in his linger. It was very
wicked, but It was also wry much
alhe.
lted arose and dusted off his knees.
"Now we're off!" he said as the lire
began to roar. "What's ucMV"
"If you'd grind the coiTce, Will 7" she
suggested.
"Sure! Where's the hand organ':"
He put ihe mill between his knees
ami convert. 'd 'he beans to powder to J
tne tune or "i Md I og Tray through
his uo-e, which Miss Mattle found
very amusing.
She measured out the coffee, one
spoonful for each cup and one for the
pot. lted watched her patiently, and
when she had llnl-hed he threw In
the ro-t of the onteiits of the mill
drawer. "I like It fairly strong," snld
he !u explanation.
"Now. Will:" pro o -ted Miss Mattle.
"Look at joii! That will be :i bitter
as bone-.','."
"Thin her up with milk and she'll be
all right," replied lted.
"Well, '.itch wa-lefi'l wax-1 I never
did 're Nohod.v'd thl"k ,1 on ere a
day over llfleen."
Tim not." snld I'd sto'Mly. "and."
cat -hing her hi.i in his hand and turn
ing her fan' up toward him. "nobody'd
put your score urn h higher than that
neither If I hey trusted to their eyes
this morning."
The compliment hit so lender a place
that Mls Maitle lacked the resolution
to tear It out; be-itles. It was so lion
eM that it sounded much less like a
compliment than a plain statement of
fact. She bent hastily over the tire.
"I'm glad 1 look young, Will," she said
softly.
"So'in 11" he assented heartily.
"What's the scupo In being old. nny
how? I'm as limber and good for
niyolf as ever I was In splto of my
forty years."
"You're not forty years old!" ex
claimed Miss Mattle. "You're Joking."
"Nary Joke forty round trips from
flying snow to roses since I hit land,
Mattle why. you were only a little
girl when I left here don't you re
member? You and your folks came to
see us the week before I left. I got n
thrashing for., taking you and Joe to
the nilllpond and' helping you to got
good and we., The thrashing was one
of the things that gave 1110 a hanker
ing for the west. Very liberal man
with the hickory, father. Spare the
clothe- and spoil the skin was his
motto. He used to make me strip to
the waist- phee-how! I'.wn a light
breeze rested heavy 011 my back when
dad got through with me. Say. Mattle.
perhaps I mightn't to say so. now that
lie's gone, but I don't think that's the
proper way to use a boy. do you?"
"No. I don't." said Miss Mattle.
"Your father meant well, but his way
was UM'less and cruel."
"I've forgiven hint the whole
sweep," said lted. "Hut, d 11 me.
If I hid a boy I wouldn't club the life
out of him; I'd try to reason with lilm
llrst, anyhow. Makes a boy as ugly
as anybody else to get the hide whaled
ofT his b.nk for nothing- once In
awhile he needs It. Hoy that's got any
life In him gets to be too much oc
casionally, ami then a warming Is
healthful and uoiirl-hlng. Lord, you'd
think I was the father of my country
to hear me talk, wouldn't you? If
sontebody'd write a book, 'What lted
Saunders Don't Know About Raising
Children' It would be full of valuable
information. How's that breakfast
coming on?"
"All ready-sit right down. Will."
"fio you!" cried lted, and Incautious
ly flung himself upon ono of the kitch
en chairs, which collapsed Instantly
and dropped him to the floor.
"Mercy on us! Are you hurt?" cried
Miss Mattle, rushing forward.
"Hurt?" said lted. "Try It! .lust
Jump up In the air and sit on the floor
where you are now, and see If you get
hurt! Oh, no! I'm not hurt, but I'm
astonished beyond measure, like the
man that tickled the mule. I'll take
my breakfast right here- shouldn't
wonder a bit If the floor went back
on me and lauded me In the cellar. No,
sir! I won't gel up! Hand me the
supplies. I know when I'm well off.
If you want to eat breakfast with me,
come sit on the floor. I'm not going to
have my spine pushed through the top
of my head twice in the sanio day."
"Will, you are the most ridiculous
person I ever did see!" said Miss Mat
tie, and alio laughed till she cried In
sheer lightheadedness. "Hut there's a
chulr you can trust. Come on now." '
"Well, if you'll take your solemn
oath that this one has no mustache to
deceive me," said Red doubtfully. "It
x r.z. r...r.u.- ?:-". "ocr.iv
Site didn't give an Inch! Tlih kind or
reminds me of the time .liiumy Hen
drlcks came back from town and
walked off the edge of the bluff In the
dark. It Just happened that old Scot
ty 1'eiguson's cabin was underneath
him. .H111 took most of the roof off
with him as he went In. He sat!
awhile to flgurc out what was trumps.
Inning come 150 feet too fast to do
Hindi thinking. Then, 'Hello'.' ho yells.
(Md Scotty was a sleeper from way I
bac'i. but this woke him up. 1
"Hello!' says he. 'Wus'or matter?'
Mini saw he wasn't more than half
awake yet. so he sa.s. 'Why, I was
up on the bluff there, Scotty, and, see
lug it was such a short distance, I '
thought I'd drop In!' '
"'Aw 1 IV grunted Scotty. 'Make
'M'lf V home,' and with that he rolls 1
owr. j
".I ini couldn't wait for morning, and, I
though his leg was pretty badly
sprained, lie made the trip all the way
round the trail and woke us up to tell
us how he'd gone through Ferguson's
roof and the old man asked him to
uiiil.c himself nt home. Net morning
there was Scotty out in front of his
cabin, his thumbs In his vest holes,
looking up.
'What's- the matter, Scotty?' says I.
"Well, I wlsht you'd tell me what ,
In the name of (bid went through that j
roof'.' says he. 1
"I sw tillered a laugh crossways and I
put on a terloiis face. 'Must have been '
a lock,' says 1. j
"Hock notliln':' rays he. 'If it had
been a rock 'twould haw sta.wd In the
cabin, wouldn't it? Well, there ain't
the llrst bla-tcd thing of any shape nor ,
de-erlpli hi in there but the hole. You
can go in and look for yoiir-elf.'
,-it cost Scotty one ca-'e of rye to
make us forgot those circumstances," (
'I should lave thorght the man
would be 1 illcd. striking on lite roof
that way." raid Mi's Mattle. ,
"oh, no! Koof was 111 ule of quaking
a-p -apling-. Just about strung enough
to break his fall. Scotty was the
-lupei. though! It wn--ii't hardly nat- '
ura I the way that man could pound his
ear through thick and tiii.i. He had 1
tul(e a surprising time of it once. He'd '
been prospecting round the Kuby re
t'rai tory ore district and lie came out 1
at Hank Cutter's sawmill Just at sun
down. Hunk's place was full of gold
rushers, so Old Scotty thought he'd
sleep outdoors in peace and quiet. He
discowred some big boes that Hank
was making for ore bins for the new
mill, and as the ground was kind of
damp from a thunder shower they had
that day he spreads his blanket inside
the box and goes to sleep. Ore bins
haw to be smooth and dust tight, so
II wasn't a bad shanty.
"Well, there came a Jar and waked
him up. The box was rolling a little
and going along, going nloug forty
mile nu hour. Scotty lit a match and
found he was in a kind of big tunnel,
bt.t the wall was flying by so fast ho
couldn't make out Just what kind of
a tunnel It was. Now, he'd gone to
sleep In peace and quiet on a sltle hill,
in nl to wake up and Iinil himself boat
riding in a tunnel was enough to sur
prise nii.thi'ily. First he pinched him
self to see if It was Hank's pie or a
Kilo fact; found it was a fact; then be
lit : (.oilier mati h and leaned over and
Sooled at the black water underneath,
bet this made the box tip so It scart
lilm. i.nd be settied down in tile bot
tom again. He didn't try to think.
What was the ''i No man living
fotild have figured things out with the
few ti.cts Scotty had before him. All
of a sudden the box made a rush and
Hioi out Into the clr, and Scotty felt
tb" were falling. '(Sod sakes!' he
s;. . to hluiM'lf. 'What's next, I won
del ?' Vhe. they hit the water below
wiili i' kerflap that nearly telescoped
Scotty and sent the spray flying. Aft
er that they went along smooth again.
'Weil,' sayH Scotty, I don't know
where I am, nor who I am. nor what's
happened, nor who's It, nor nothing
about this game. So far I ain't been
hint, though, and 1 might Just as well
lie down and get a little more rest.'
"It was broad daylight when he
woke up again, and n man was look
ing into the bfix. 'Hello, pardner!' he
Mi.is. 'I hope jou've had a pleasant
Journey. Do you always travel this
w ii ':'
"Scotty raised up and found his
eiaft was aground, high and dry-no
wnier within a hundred feet of It.
On one side was quite a little town.
"'Say,' snys he, 'could I trouble you
to fell me where I mn, friend?'
" 'You're at Phicervllle,' answers the
other.
''I'lacervlllc!' yells Scotty. 'And I
wcut to sleep at Cutter's mill, sixty
live miles from here! What are you
ghlug us, man?'
" Tin putting It to you straight,' says
the stranger. 'Take n look around
joii.'
"Scotty looked, and there was all
kinds of wreckage, from a dead beef
crltfer to a wheelbarrow.
'"What In nation's all this?' says he.
" Washout,' says the man. 'Cloud
btust up on the divide worst we've
over had your box Is about high
water mm k you see there was water
enough for awhile I reckon you're
about the only thing that cume through
alive.'
'"Well, wouldn't thut knock you?'
mi.vh Scotty.
."While the rest of the folk at the
mill was taking to the high ground 1 1
their lives, with the water roaring and
tearing through the gulch, Scotty had
"What In nation's all thM" Mtys he,
peacefully gone off In his little boat '
down the creek and. Instead of going
over the rapids, where he'd have been j
done, for all his luck, the box ambles
through the flume they was building'
for the new mill. Of course there was 1
the Jounce over the tall race, but that
hadn't hurt him much, and after he;
rocked In the cradle of the deep until 1
he got beai'hed at lMacervllle. ,
"'Come along, I'i lend,' mi.s Scotty
to the fell-r. 'You ami me are going j
to have a little drink on this, if it is
the la-1 int.' And I reckon probably,
they made it two, for when Scotty got
ba k again lie was in a condition that 1
made cvir.vhody believe that he'd only 1
guessed at the story he told. I'.ul they !
found out afterward II was a solemn 1
fact. Mat th;, give us some more cof
fee." Thus abruptly recalled to Fairfield,
Miss Mattle started up.
"Well, Will, It does seem as If that
was a dangerous country to live In,"
said she.
"Oh, not so awful," said lted. ".hurt
as many people die hero as they do
there. This world's n dangerous place
to live In wherever you strike It, Mat
tle." "That's so," said she thoughtfully.
"And now," said Red, pushing back
his chair, "it's, time 1 got to work and
left you to do the housework undis
turbed." "What are you going to do, Will?"
"First place, there's fences nnd
things to be tinkered up, I see. I
suppose 11 millionaire like me ought to
hire those things done, but I'd have
measles of the mind If I sat around
doing nothing."
"I have been wanting to get the
place in good order for some time,"
said Miss Mattle, "but what with the
money I had to spend for this ami
that, ami not being able to get Mr.
.lo.vce to come in for a day's work
when 1 wanted him. it's gone on until
there is a good deal of wrack to II."
"We'll wrack It t'other way round hi
no tl'iie. (Jot any tools here?"
"Out in the barn Is what's left of
lather's tools, l'eopie have borrowed
'em and forgot to return 'em, and
they've ru-tcd or been lost until I'm
afraid there ain't many of 'em left."
"Well, I'M get along today somehow,
and later on we'll stock up. Want any
help around the house?"
"Thank you, no, Will."
"Then I'm oil''
It was almost with a feeling of ter
tor that Miss Mattle beheld lilm root
up the leiice. Her Idea of repairing
was to put In a picket here and there
where It was most needed. Ited's was
to knock It all lint first and set It up
In Al condition afterward. So In two!
hours' time he straightened up and
snapped the sweat from his brow, be
holding the slain pickets prone on the
grass wit, thorough satisfaction. Yet
he felt tired, for the day was already
hot with a moist and soaking scacoast
heat, to which the plainsman was tin-niA-'iistoiucd.
A three-quarter grown
boy passed by, lounging on the seat
of n farm wagon.
"Hey!" hailed lted. The boy stopped
and turned slowly around.
"Yes, sir," lie answered courteously
enough.
"Want a Job?" said Red.
"Well, I diiiiuo," replied the boy.
He was much astonished at the ap
pearance of his Interrogator, and he
was u cautious New England boy to
boot.
"You don't know?" retorted lted.
"Well," with some sarcasm, "d'ye sup
pose 1 could And out at the postofllce?"
The boy looked at lted, with a twin-
1 kle In his eye and a comical drawing
I of his long mouth.
j "I cale'late If you cud flu' out any-
' w'eres 'twould be there," said he.
Hod laughed. He had noticed flic
biisv oostmislress rushing out of her
Btoro to waylay nny one likely to have
Information on any subject, a stream
f ,,ntlon nrneoPnlm? from her
of questions proceeding from her
through the door.
"Say, you got anything particular
tp do?"
!
"No, sir; leastways th'nln 1 no hurry
about It."
"Can I buy stuff to make a feme
with around here?"
"Yes, sir; Mr. I'ettlgrew's got nil
kinds of huihllu' material at Ills stoic
- two mile over yonder," pointing with
the whip.
"You drive ovir there for me nnd
get some Just like this here- plektrtH
and posts and whatever 3011 call tln."u
long pieces, and I'll make It ilglil with
you."
"Yes, sir. How much will I gel?"
"Oh, tell him to fill the wagon up
witli II, and I'll send brd. what I
don't want. Hustle, now, like a good
bov ; I want to get shut or this Job;
I liked it iM'tler before 1 begun."
When his Mercury had speeded on
the Journey at a faster g.ilt than Red
would have given lilm credit for the
aichltcvt strode down fo the black
smith's shop. There was 11 large,
crowd than usual around the forge
as the advent of the stranger had go;
into the wind, ami the village Vnlini.
was a person who not only looked tin
whole world In the face, bill no otn'
of the maiden ladles of Fairfield cotth'.
have excelled his Interest in looking
the whole world as much In the Inside
pocket as possible. The bhtcksniltl
was emphatically 11 man of gossip, im
well as 11 hardworking, (Sod fearluu
man.
"Say, there he conies now, Mr. Tut
tie!" cried one of the loungers, am'
nudged the smith to look.
"Well, let him come!" ictoited the
smith testily, Jamming a shoe In tin
lire wllh unnecessary force: as a mat
ter of tact he was embarrassed. Til
loungers huddled together lor mora
support as the big cowman loomed
through the doorway.
"(1001I morning, friends'." said he.
I "(lood morning, sir!" replied t Ii-"
1 blacksmith, rubbing Ills hands 011 111
i apron. "Nice day, sir."
"For 1 lie sake of good fellowship I'.i
' say wV to that." icspniided Red, "bit'
1 if you want m honest opinion on lie
1 subject it's d-n hot."
! "'Tis that," assented the smith, and
1 a silence followed.
I "Say, who's 3 our crack fence build
1 or around here," asked Red "Ihe inau
that can make two pickets grow where
only one grew before and do It so ens;'
that It's a pleasure to sit and look a'
him?"
"Hey?" Inquired the smith, not pie
clsely getting the meaning of the ml
dress.
"Why, I've got 11 fence to build," ex
claimed Red, "and now I want sonui
help want It so bad I'll produce to Iho
extent of three a day and call It a day.
from now till 0 o'clock. Any taker
here? Make your bets while the littl
bull rolls."
The loungers understood the general
drift of this and pricked up their ears,
as did the blacksmith. "(Suess one o'
the boys will help you," tnld the latter
"Well, who's It?" asked Red, ghuu
Ing at the circle of faces. Three do!
lars ii day was enormous wages In
that part of the country. Nobody
knew Just what to sa.v.
"Oil, well," cried Red, "let's every
body run.' I reckon I can find some
thing to do for the five of you. Art
3ou with me?"
"Yes, sir," they said promptly.
"Can I borrow a hammer or so off
you, old man?" questioned Red of th'
smith.
Certainly, sir," returned the laltci
heartily. -Take what you want."
"Much obliged. And the gate hinge.
are out of whack. Miss SaimdcrV
place, you know. Come over and Ink
a squint .it 'cm In the near by and lb
will 3011? May as well fix It up all .1
once. Come on, boys!"
II wa thus that the greatest enter
prise that Fairfield had seen in many
a day was undertaken. Miss Matte
was simply astounded as the anr."
bore down upon the house.
"Whatever In the world Is Cous.i
Will doing?" said she, but restli.
utrong in the faith that It was nece
sarll.v all right she was content -
wait for dinner and an explauatloi
Not so tin; postmistress. The agonic-
of unrequited curiosity the worthy
woman suffered that morning ini'i
she at last .-tiniinoned up her resol 1
tlon and asked (lie smith plump r:
and out what It all meant would lur
to he experienced to be appreciate '
And the smith kept her hanging f '
awhile, too, sa.vlng to himself In Jus,
flcatlon that it wasn't right Ihe win
that old gal had to get Into every
body's business. The smith was Ilk
some of the rest of us he could se
through a beam If It was In his own
ve.
I To be continued.
Looking i-cr i-i....
"Do you think n'Tggins woi,!u inal:-'
n good husband?" asked the conscten
Rous youth.
"Why do yon ask?" Inquired the gi
In surprise.
"Because If you think such a fool ?
Wiggins could manage il I have .1
good inlnd to take a chance myself."-
Washington Star.
Insomnia.
"Did 3011 fry counllng l.oon sheep,
I ;." u ' .. . .. t . . . .
j ' 7 "i . , T o fif:"rlK7
WlM-ll eol.1,1 get fof 'elll by tllO potlll 1
tit present prices, and after that I Ju-i:
couldn't go to sleep." Kansas City
Journal.
-
t
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