M NX. Ii I Red Saunders . . . By . . . HENRY WALLACE PHILLIPS "' COPYRIGHT. IPO?. BY McCLUKE. PHILLIPS O COMPANY I rn.M'TKH vni. m s I - v oik on tho.mlll was push ((! iiliil in splli. of he iisiml i i. .limit of unforeseen dclnjs ll v;is ready for business h.v the killer art of September. 'I lie ollidnl opening was set for the '-'Till. Miss iMji 1 1 !'- bliihiln.v, ::ml t tit. village of Knlilit id was liivlli-il to :i picnic to Im Ik lit nt tin' mill In lin'inr of I ho oc casion It Is needless to say t'':it Hit Kaliiioitl Strawbnard Manurncii'.riiig oinpimy did the tiling up in shape. : Wagons loaded wlili draw iiinl drawn by tour luir-c toni' wont t li munil" f tin v illago colli cling Iho gie-l-. It Is ilnuMfti! If rulrili'lil was ever more siirriiM-d lliiin at tlu ivuMatiou r Iiov. much I here was f 1 1 -. il-lug the pionouii nil of respoci in the majority, "when she Wiis bundled," as Coil ilill. Yon would not have hdiovoil ilial Mlriigg'ing, lonesome InoVInz place held so ini.ii.v people. As Ceil eonlil ill-cover no means In tile town's resources to pim lilt n men! for :;0fi people, it :.s lien tsnrily u lui-Uct party, which si ruck Mr. Saunders us being grievous ly lilt ii Swede (rent, lie in.ide up for it in :i meiistire ly Inning barrels f lemonade and elder on tap at tlie Kioimds. Miongor I leverage!. being bar red, and I'.v hiring a ipiartet of strings "elear from town " Al lut'J p.isl ". on u icp!oudcut but lull September afternoon 111" caravan hilled ior the mill grounds, llie wom en iliesscd in the iiumI uuploiiicky cos tumes imaginable. ; ml the men oteii lalloiislj at ea-e in their '-tore I'lhos. l'i' or., one wa-i la the be-l of spirits, ! en f r tin e?;i Iteinenl mi.! i-leii-mc 'ml "' .su,'ll .V.' '.""'"'i 'J'i' '''':' ' ': Tied Tot!(7fii luek-k!n. ,ln h"'i kiici ..ri.i il to the inevitable on 1 only "jincpt 1 around a Mule." :i Ced put II, (.1 being IllnUllte.l. It W:l- plVtl.V llvel.v 'jumping around." but perhaps Mr. S.iiiiiders found some .itl-f:ietlo:t in sitting pet feci l, at hi ease, st.i '.;-In-, his dgaietto. while l'.uek juinped st nt 1 Faiiiiold admired. And. at any rale, Click bad logs of inn and tin: wind of a locomotive, entry! ig Ced nil day and willing to kick nt anything wlilcli bothered liini when night came. i;o wii" a splendid beiist through and tlnoiigh, from forelock to tall tip, but lift tinfl learned who was Ills master mid obeyed him accordingly. II was a live mile ride, mostly under tin) tiluule of line old trees. The road wound around the hills; here and there a In'eal' in I be arbmeal bonier showed views -f n lling country, well shaped and pleasing, winding tip grassy slopes In i',iove of verdur'. Of course most of the fichness of leaf was past, yet Wit modest gray green Rave a silvery sheen to the laud-cape that brought it Into unity. Oiu lnembi r of the party felt thai Mm heart was very full as he looked at II. That was J.ottls. "Cla-t the old ytllce!" he kept saj lug ( liimulf. "I'.lust Its six dingy window- and the clock al the end! Doe-u't this look imod. Mid doesn't it smell good, dust ami nil'.'" and then he'd howl at the hoists In sheer e.uberanee of good feeling, making the mild old brutes put a better foot of It to the front. Jttd cantered up beside hi- wajjou. "Well, I.ettls," he said, "hciv we pi for the opening overture with the full stiowMli of the coiupiiiiy -we're uveal people this day, ain't we':" And the bli; iniiii smiled like a pleased lk boy. "Oil, what a bully old fellow you are!" thought I.ettls as he looked at him. I.eiils was thinking of other ipinlitles than llesh. but the physical lied Kaunder on horseback was de Hervlng ol a jinnee from anybody; the iniiMslve limire so well ped-ed; the clear cut, proud profile; the shapely head .with Its clown of led pdd hair; the "oiiHy KtiK'e of Willi by virtue of his HtreiiKth It would be a remarkable eiowd In which Chimin Seeehee Ced couldn't pass for a man. Me was ev ery Inch of that from the ground up. Let lis had come to bow down to hhn In adoration, with all an affectionate boy'H worship. To tho-e eyes Ced wan Just ilnht in every partleular; likewise to Miss Mattle, who even now was filling her eye with him from behind I he vantage of a broad brimmed straw hat. At last the whole party dl-embarked at the fiat before the mill and made ready for the otlielal startini; of the iiinihlucry. The blf? doors were thrown open, so that the company could see within while resting outside In the shade, and under the cooling lutliience of what breeze there was. The mill ,wiih ollielally started. Ced climbed the bank to the Hume and raised the Ifitlo The crowd cheered as the Im prisoned waters leaped to freedom with a hollow roar, raising In pitch as the penstock filled and the wheels he (jau to o. round.. , Speech was cnjled toi. i. mi tlie igoroii-lv protesting lieu was torced to the trmit iv hN !"in.ci friends, Hemlli ninl Let lis. Tims be traced bv tbo-e he triMcd. Ced made the best of It "Ladies and ens," said he. to all eoluei-'. geuilemcu, fellow ol 1 1- "Ihe mill i now i-peii We hope to make this We bone to -ce even thing a siicces1. horny haiideil. Iiump 'a Led farmer tu the country ro-In tin- les of his moc casins inn) shove Ids plow through twice as much gioiiud as lie ever did before, and If be conies here with his plunder we'll give hi .i a -piaie shako. We'll pay him as much as we dast and int let him In mi the ground tloor, so he can crawl out Hiioul'Ii the coal hole, as s sometimes done. Now, ev er.vboil.v run away ami have a goo! time. I- r I lioii'l lll.e to talk thN .vnppl any nunc than .voii like tu iicar il. K'll.i gens! U.v-by!"' It .; a very succ,--ful plei'h. They ''pent the afternoon in wander lug nioiiuil in (he tc-iial picnic fashion, developing appetites, un'M it occurred to Cod lo liven the performance by showing theiii Hie art of roping as practiced upon an o'd tow found In the woods. As a spectacle il was a failure The combined efforts of all (he ho'itiu!.' small boys could not make that ow run. She tven s retched her in k toward Ced. as though saving: "liurr.v up with .voiir looll-huess. 1 have u cud to chew and can't stand here idle all da v ." So Ced golloped by and threw tin- noo-e over her head .is an exhibition of how the thing was done rather than how il ought to bo done. Nevertheless picnic parlies are not h.vpori-riticnl in llie mailer of amusement, and the feat received tllli e iM'oros'. The last lillle lie missed llis i as throilll ovol'eoullliellce, wllet'e- at the oltl cow tossed her head ami (all In the air ami tore off itl all elephan tine gallop, with a bawl that sounded to Ced mightllv like derision. "I nil m d if she ain't laughing at me!'' ho cried, l'.ut as a matter of fact It was a hornet ami its unmistakable sling that injected this activity into her svstem. It was all veiy pleasant lo Miss Mat tie, as olio's lirst picnic lu many years should be. She en joyed the crl-p green sod. the great trees standing around, paikllke, with the sunlight railing be tween their shade like brilliant tat ters of cloth of gold, while from the near distance came (lie tiny shouting of cool waters. They had a camp fire at night, uiakjng the moonlight still inoie mysterious and remote by con trast. The quartet of strings pla.ved for the ears of those who cared to listen and for the legs of those who chose to take chances on tripping their light fantastic toes over tree roots In the grass. lied loved music, ami he loved the Jilght. The poelie side of his memo ries of watching the Hipper swing around Polaris while he snug the cows to shop came hack lo him. In his ii il ml he saw the vast pralilo roll on to lutiiill.v. siiw the mountains stand out. a world of v Idle peaks, rising from a sea of darkness. Again he heard the plaintive shrilling of an Indian whistle of the song of the lad down creek, made tuneful by the charm of dis tance. "Having a good time, Mattle''' he asked, w till u sin Ho. "The best I ever had, Will," she an swered, smiling back unsteadl'y. l'uor lad.v ; The size of uu uccabiuu U so many standards, whether the stand ard be Inches oi feet or miles. Miss Matile's events had been measured In hundred! lis of an Inch, and it took a good many of them to cover so small an action as a successful picnic on a beautiful night. ler eyes were hu mid; her mouth smiled and drooped at the corners alternately. Ced felt her happiness with a keen sympathy, and, as he looked lit her, suddenly she changid in his eyes, .lust what the difference was lie could not have told, nor whether It was In her or hi him. A sudden access of feeling, undelin able, iiiiplaeeablo, but strong, pos sessed him. There Is a critical tem perature lu the life of a man, when no amount of pressure can ever make the more expansive emotions assume the calmer form of friendship. There was something In Miss Matile's eye which had warmed Ced to thnl de gree, but ho didn't know It. He only knew that he wanted to sit rather tin necessailly close beside her, ami that I he would be sorry when II came time 1 to go home. And he was very silent. J During the drive back to the house j ho spoke in monosyllables; he went straight to the barn with I.ettls afler ward, ami made no attempt to take the usual frank and hearty good night kiss. "You're as glum as an oyster!" said Lettls, when they reached their tjuat- ... ' OlJ i. t luj I Irlfr i .i.T -, ', "l don t knew. Let; I feel kind of (jlilet. soiin In vv." "Sick"' tr something go wrong?" "Ni : l.i thing of the kind. It's Just sott t an attiuk of stillness, but I foi I duiii good." I.ettb- laughed. "If It wasn't yon, Ced. Id ay you wete in lovi," he said. It ii' will iho barn was dark, or l.c would linvi -eon il change Woinle'flil ti beliold eiitne or the ex-pnm her's line. "'Ike lad has hit K. s!l( to hini'i .1 in astonishment; ah ml ho grunted "kuiih" s,. rnfitiiy. mid aroused bine elf for an unnecessary jel-e or IWe. Miss Mattle had notice I Hie "nitnik of silliness" ninl immediately tried to fasic i il. e 1 lame upon horn-It. What had sH. done? She couldn't iconil an.v Hung, she lomombeioil she had said sou. (thing about Hie wa his hair looked with Iho moon shining o.i it. Perhaps lu had taken offense at that. The remark was entirely compliment ary, but sometimes people are torn hy iiboul such ihini."-. Still, thai was not tin least like Cousin Will. She mini have said or done somcthlm.'. thoti'.ii What lould it be? Oh. vv lint a pitiful memory that could not recollect an In jury ilone lo one's best friend! She tossi i anil wondered over it for a hue-' time before at length she loll asieep Kid i.l-u looked Up iit the took iici omit of sloi k. Ills r if and lace Wiis rail;.'. ;it lu the dark. "If I oii'mI only "I tuns t pi::i that oil!' he IhouIit seem an aw I ill rough cuss to lie.-, thoi'L'h. All right for si ntslu. but It's lill'eidit when you come to the othci proposition. My .lliuin.v! IM take a bailee hi Hie moriilui.' and find out. iinvhow!" sjiid p4 jind. eased In i n 1 1 nl h.v Hie dci ision of action, lie too sh'iok hands with Morpheus and ns prc-ciiil.v (lien miii:.' It had neer occurred to Ced Saun dots that he was afraid of anybody. I I He i veti chuckled when he got I.ettls nil of the way wlili a plausible o.t etlse Hie net morning. Then he strode biiskly Into the house, his ipies tloii on Lis lips in a plump out and out lorm. Miss Mattle looked at him with her slow smile. "What Is II?" she asked. Ced swallowed his iUo.iii;i whole. i-1 wanted a Utile hot water to shave with." said he. Then a fury look In Id of hhn. "What the devil am I Ivlng like this for?" lie Hio'ight. lie ciioi'tei hiinsell to go on and ' ay what he had to say like a iiiau, bill the othi r Cod Saunders refused to do anything of the sort He look the cup of hot water most abjectly and lied from the house. He had to shave thou, and In his hurry and Indignation he turned the operation Into a clinic. "Oil, .llmlny, look at that!" he cried as the ta.or opened up another part ol tlie subject. "There's a sill an Inch long! 11 I keep on at this gait 1 won't have face enough to say good morning, let alone what I want to do. What -nils me? What alls me? Why should I be senrt of the nicest woman (Jed ever built V Now. by all the Mormon gods. I'll po-t right Into the house and sa.v my little my as soon as these cuts slop bleeding"' Cobwebs slopped the cuts, ami other cobwebs slopped Cod Saunders, late of the I'liantu Seoehee ranch, y."0 pounds of the very finest bone and muscle. And the cobwebs held him, foaming ami boiling with rage ami disgust, calling himself all the jailer nuns ho could think of. bill slaving i stt idly within the safe limits or the barn. II was a revelation lo the big man. and lot a pleasant one. How was ho to know that the most salient point of his apparent cowardice was nothing less worthy than res pet t for the woman's security? That If he would slop swearing long enough to gel iit the springs of his action he would find that he hesitated because the new light on llie mailer made huge hndows or the slips lu the career of a strong, lawless, untrained but ftrely tempted man? He knew nothing of Hie sort, and the funniest of comedies took place In the barn. He would reach the sensible stage. "Pah! All foolishnesp! t!o? Of course he'd go, and this very minute, and have the Ihlng done with, good or bad." He was (pille amused at his former con duct until lie reached the door; then he'd skip nimbly back again, with a hot feeling Unit somebody was watch lug bin" although a careful Inspection through the crack of the door revealed no one. Iletl discovered another thing that afternoon, which was that the more nervous you are the more nervous you get. He groaned lu porfiet misery: "Olioho! That I should have seen the day when 1 was afraid to ask anybody anjlhlug! What's come over me any how? It's this darn country, I be lieve. 'Taln't me." Then he slopped short. "What joii saying, Cod?" he queried. "Why don't joii own up like a mini?" The fact that It had a funny side struck him, ami he laughed half lorloruly ami half in thorough enjoy ment. He suddenly sobered down. "Slje's worth It anyway,'' said he. "She's the best there Is, and I ought to feel kind of leery of the outcome. Well, now I guess I won't sity any thing till there's a downright good chance I see I didn't savvy this kind of business like I thought 1 did, 'Twoiildu'l be no kind of manners to step up to a lady and shout, 'I'd like to have j'ou iiiiirrj'.iuo If you feel .vou'vo I than a (i. tinman on lo'hr skates. Your vvo'-k is gool. Cod, but It's u lit tle lilllip.v III spots Them to left feel botlu r ,v o.i. You're good In ,v o ir place, bill .voti'd litter t'lilM a fence around the place. d--n the lii'k! Sum 'e-ra tion! I Ihitik s,(. ui ev mo. d! right, but when it ce. ios lo more'ii that oh. blast It. I'll just have to wall for a real good (Inline! Now come, old man. get Ion.- lei i o-t the ground ami don't ro'l your eves. Take II easy li i the chance otnes." l.llllo be 1 new the chaii.e was com Iiil. up the slieel .it Hull moment. He onl.v saw Mls Mattle step out Into the boil ol How ers. her fa e In il.iug n.i lisitall.v pretty and ,v..nliiul under tlie big stiau hat. ami start to i educe the weeds in order, ssjio glanced around as though in search ol some ihv, and Ced fell Iniuitivcly. that the one win hiniM If. "Hole's where I ought lo in I us If I wore long paiils." sdid pe. "Now. what's .t hlmlei me 'v m going out I I hole ami uel a talking?" And Hit u he sat down hastily, more disgusted I than ever. .Mini -niot,' u. lr with i his lis). "Voii'il lint. I. iho iilco'l. (pilot est woui'in that cvr lived was a wild j beast the way I act; .vcs, sir. you j would'." ! MoiiuMiuo the chance drew nearer. I It was not a pleas-ant looking oppor Itunilv. Us eye., lull of dread and !ll .til 111 p epcil oil tl'oio belleiltll il She limit cif u con ii ns mii(ii lit search of Minn Miic. brush of mailed hair. A lough, ropy foam hung from Its mouth. If you put as much of dial loam as would go on the point of a pin in an open cut, joii would have an cud that jour woist enemy would shudder at, for litis was the most horiifjing of dan gerous ..iilmals a mail dog! Poor bruti ! As lie came shambling down the road he was I In grisly mask of tragedj. It was near noon, intensely Iml, am! the street or rairfield was deserted. No one saw the dog, and if his occa sional rail ling, strangling howl reach ed any en's thej wire dead to Its meaning. He w.is unheeded until he lurchel through the gale which Let tis had left open, as usual, ami, spin ning around In a elide, gave voice to his cry ll brought Miss Miiltlo lo her feet ill an unknown terroi'; li In ought Ced from the barn In a full cogniam e ' he had heard that sound before when a mad coyote landed In a cabin full of ! ralrly strong nerved cow men and set them screeching like hysterical wom en before a chance shot ended him. Cod saw the l.rule Jump toward Miss Mattle. Instinctively his hand flew to his hip, ami Instantly he re membered there was nothing there. Then with great, uneven leaps he sprang forward. "Keep your hands up, Mattle. and don't move'." lie Korean od. "Let him chew the dress! For find's sake, don't move!" She turned her while face toward his, and through the dimness of sight from his straining efforts, he saw her try to sinllo as she obeyed him lo the letter, and without a sound. "Oh, brave girl!" he thought and threw the ground behind him desperately. At twenty feet dlslance he dove like a base runner, and his hands dosed nround the dog's neck. Over they went wllh the shod; of the onset, ami before they were sllll the hands had finished their vvoik. A clutch, and a snap, ami It was done. The dog lay quivering. Ced rose to his knees, wondering at tlie humming lu his head. His wits ciinie back lo him sharply. "Did lie bite you. Mattle?" ho cried. Hut she had nlreadv caught his hands nud was looking at ihem wllh a sav age eagerness one would not have be lieved to bo In her. "There Is no mark," she said, slid- ! ilenlv weak. Ho didn't touch you?" "Answfjr me when I speak to you!" shouted Ced, beside himself. "Hid In bite you?" She answered him, with a sob, "o." And then his question asked itself, and answered itself, although, again, he did not know it. He gathered her up In his arms kissed her like oi"j raised from, the dead and Hvvore am) 'Ai"' 1 )Vi --Lit ' , tit i 1iNp3i ti i m ' sfwdEK,V pi jol ami Hi. lined (iml all in tin sun e Incut h. Ills old Imperious mil u iv came bade with the relief. "li.Mv!" said he, put ting her away for a moment. "Take off that tl'-i ss-thnt slime on there's enough to kill a hundred men take It right off." Miss Mattle slurled blindly to obey. Hun sieppui. -Not here. Wlll-1'll ; In the hoii'o." she mild. "You'll take It o'T right hen unit now." vld Cod. "and I'll burn 11 tip on th. : pot. I'd richer have forty rat tlesnakes nioiiuil than that stuff. Off with il! This 1, no child's play, and I do. ft care a d -n what the oltl ladj nel door think' ." MIsi Miiltlo slipped off her oilier skirt mid stool a -c oml. confuted and dainty. She look Might to die hotii'e. running as llthely an a gre.v IioiiikI. il.v jingo! ''said Cod in atliuliulloti. "Lot's se,. you bring another woman that can run like that!" lie g.ithcicd some hay ami piled it on Hit dicss, tiring the heap. Then ho (iirneil to his antagonist "Poor old boj! Hard luck, eh? Hut I had to do it," ho Kiid ami gave him de cent interineiil at the end of Hie gar den, washed his hands caiefully ami went into the house on plonsanter dill l"S. 'i',1 ask her now, by the groat liorn spoon!" said he valiantly. Mi's Mat Ho was in a curious state of mind. There was an afler effort from the fright which made her from bio. .nid a remembrance of I'ousi.i Will's in lions which Hindi her tremble more ,vit When she hoard him com ing she started to Il.v. although now clothed bejoml reproach, but her knee deserted her. anil she was forced lc sink back In her chair. Cod came Ui whistling blithely, vainglorious man! He had his suspicions, generated by the peculiar fervor Miss Matlio had shown lu regaid to his hands. ".Mattle." quoth he, "I'm tired or llv lug oil thcic in the barn. I want a rcspoi table house of my own." Mis. Will." replied Miss Mattle, as-tonl-hcil Hull lie should choose sin h a siibi it at such a time. '(-." he continued, "and 1 want :i wife too You often said you'd like to il iiiclhiug for me, Matlio. .Sup pose jmi lake the Job?" 11 w miii h of glancing ill a tiling In mi.'- mind ;- a biautirul improbabtt Il.v will ever make Midi a cold fact less iistiiiils-hing? MIk Maltie eyed him v Ith ejes Unit saw not. Speech was sti ., i ,i from her. Ced (aught liight. He pi lug 'r ward ami took her hand. Couldn't you do it, Matlio?" said he. There Wiis a world of pleading in the lone Miss Matlio looked up, her own holi est self. All the Utile feminine shrink lugs lel'l her Inline. Ilntoly. "Ah, bill I could. Will!" she said. I.ettls i .line up on the sloop unheard. He slopped, thou gingerly turned ami mad. his way back on tiploe, holding his arms like wings. "Will, by Ceorge!" ho murmured. "I'll come back in a little while, when I'M In more welcome." lie spoke to Ced In strong reproach thai night In Hie barn. "You uevci told me a word, you old sinner!" said lie. "Toll j on the honesl truth, l.ol," re tilled Ced eariiesHy, looking up from drawing off a boot, "I didn't know it mjs-eif till you told me about il." Thej talked It all over a long time before blowing out Hie light, but then the Utile vv billow shut Us bright eye. and Iho only life Iho midnight slur." saw In I airfield was Miss Maltie, hor elbow on the easeinenl. looking far, far out lulo tin tranquil night anil thinking mistily. int.: i:m. Voice of Experience. "In mulling an milch to a nuigit zlno" asked the literary tyro. "Is there any peculiar way of arranging th; stamps so as lo convey the Idea to the od 1 1 or that I am an old hand?" "You bet there Is," answered Pei collniu. "Co sure to arrange enough of them on Hie inside to prepay the return postage If you expect ever to see the article iigaln."-('hlcago Trib tine. A few years ago a sister of ml no called lu to see an old lady who lived In a little collage In Lincolnshire and In course of conversation happened to mention that she hnd a cold sponge down every morning. "Law, miss." said the old lady, "and does your mother know?" "Yes, certainly, and she quite tip-, proves." "Well." said the old lady. "Ah washes ml fan co Ivvery tinny, an' Ah wnshen mi neck once a week, hut Alfve nlvvei bin washed all ovver since Ah was u baby." This good lady lived to the ripe old age. of ninety-throe. Cor. London News. Tho Lotus Eaters. The race of people to whom the nniiin "Lotus lialeis" was applied was u Lyblan tribe, known to the Greeks a.-t early as the time of Homer Ilcrcdn tus describes their country and hii.vh that a caravan route led from It to Kgypt. The lotus .still grows there In great abundance ii prickly shrub hear lug a fruit of a sweet tasle, compared by Herodotus to that of the date. It Is still eaten by the natives, nud a kind of wino Is made from lis Juice. J