r
*
t
k My Own Four Walls.
r
t' 'Tho storm anil ! night III 011 the waste ,
fi" Wild through the wind the herdsman
, calls ,
t , All fast on willing nag I halite
Homo 10 my own four wnlla.
I clack , tossing clouds , with scarce . a Slim-
tner ,
, Envelop earth like sevenfold pails :
) But wlfekln watches , correu-llOl dolls slm-
, . rne ,
. Home In my own four wnlls.
. . s .A home and wIfe , I , too have ot
A hearth 10 blaze , whnte'or befalls :
# What needs a man that I have not
Within my own four walls ?
Iing George ! has palaces ot pride
And armed grooms must ward those
halls :
With one stout holt J safe abide
WithIn my own four wnlls.
j Not nil his men may sever this :
It yields to trlen118' and IIIonnrchs' calls :
My hlnstone house 111) castle Is-
I have 111) own four walls.
j
When fools or knaves do make n rout
With ul mon , dinners , lmlllJ , cabals ,
I turn my hack and shut them out-
1 I have my own four wnUs.
The moorland house , though rude It be
flay stand the brunt when prouder
tall ; I
'Twill screen 111) wlte , 111) books , and lI1e , i
All In may own tour walls.
'f/\omas / Carb'le.
, i ! !
I.
A TRAGEDY AVERTED .
) . .
Dv CORDIA GHEEH PETRIE ,
. J , L"pyr KIt , IYIS : by Hal : y story rub cos 1
. , . . . . } 11
The path which penetrated the
mm.t.taln . fastness was steel and perilous -
1I0us und flanked br u dense under'
growlh Far below-lIko an exquisite
picture In mlnlalure-lar the valley ,
through which the river wound Its
sinuous waj' like a silver thread on a
. . _ _ . _ . _ _ _ _ _ 1. .
Led of emerald.
A little woman In a smart white lin-
en gown pressed her war onward and
( UIJward-pauslng ever and anon to
gaze wIth manifest Interest upon the
marvelous scenerj'
At the summit oC the mountain was
, a hut-a typical mountain home , rude-
i
ly I constructed oC poles oC miscellaneous -
neous sizes and lengths , with a badly
warped roof and a. dilapidated slide
and mud chlmncr. At the approach oC
the woman , two lank , hungry looking
hounds hounded out and resented her
encroachment wIth a series oC COItmld
able . ba.rks Terrified , the woman
1
struck at them with her chiffon llara-
wI , which served to infuriate the
beasts the mor At this moment
r\ '
\ .
I
4" ' I I
0" '
, i 14- ' "
11 . . ,
' 1 , , 1 y. . ,1 ( w
'itt 1t.
i yl
( \ i
- . : \ ' J J J
7h-I'f'-
"Vcr ain't uecd to climbing. . "
there appeared In the cabin doorway
a large , masculine woman , unkempt ,
ragged arlll harMooted. Ilomo\'lng the
pipe from her mouth , Mho yelled :
"Hf gone , Klnlc ! You , Yerks !
aiL under the house yer onorr curs !
A body can't sot foot on the place
'tlwut 'OIJ.lHUI air plum ready lo take
'fUn ! " The luK8 slunk away and the
visitor ' / carne nO:1ror.
.
"Yor alu.t used to climbing , " Mho
queried ' nH she noted the weary , tired
eXllroful'on ' or the woman before Iwr.
She WWI Much a frail , tender IItll'
plug , ' , thin ' visitor , uIrno"t doll.Jllw In
her retlnod 10\'ellnOHfoI , arlll Iwtlldo the
coarse featured ! woman or the utoun . ' I .
tale she seemed ! a bit ' or line Dresden I.
A
vivid crhn.on burned her
t i A spot ot : I I
, . . . .
.
cheeks and her eyes shone wIth the
bright t , glassy HplI'ldo : characteristic
or the consumptive.
"I have been very ill for six weeks ,
and during all that time I watched
your little house from my window at
the hotel and In lieu of other diversion
I found ! myself weaving all sorts of
dream pictures about it , Somehow ,
I formed un attachment for the place ,
und resolved that so soon as lilY
strength permitted I'd pay It mr ro-
sJJecls. My husband Is most solicl
totes and guards me as carefully as a
mother does her child. BusIness call-
ed him to town today and-well , you
know time old adage , 'when the cat's
away. ' I am afraid , however , I shall
pay dearly for my outing as I'm tired
to exhaustion. "
The moulalneer rose hastily.
"Let mo fix you a. dram , " she said ,
politely. "I'vo got a full pint that
h:1ln't : never been teched , and fl's fine ,
too ! Nothln' Is more pearlenln' than
u little licker ! " Her guest smilingly
declined the generous offer , and the
hostess went on : .
flYer orter take It regular-yer so
puny looking and yaller ! Ef 'er'd
stay out here In the mountings and
take off them tight fixIngs , J'er'd soon
glt stout like me. " I
.
" 0 , do you think so ? " the vIsitor In-
terposed. " Iy husband thoroughly
dislikes the country-tho mountains
being his pet averslon- ho'd gladly ,
Ir sacrifice business , socIety , every-
thing to have my health restored. The
thought of having to leave John , of
the probability of another being enshrined -
shrined In his heart Is unspeakably
maddening ! I can't bear It ! "
She covered her face with her
small , jeweled hands and wept 80my.
The mountain woman went over and
laid a. . rough hand on the golden hair.
"ThaI' now , " she said , genUy "Don't
take on so , bekase that won't he'p
It none. 'EC wishes wuz hay stacks
we'd all have Illent of feed fur our
nags this \Inter. ' Fur that matter ,
you may outlive all of us ylt. 'Taln't
the puniest that dIes fust-that's a sol
fact ! "
The mountaIneer resumed her scat
by the flreplaco and relighted her pipe
In silence.
"Honer , " she said , after puffing at
the plpo till It was "drawing" satisfactorily .
ractorlly , "rer don't know what trouble -
ble Is Death Is had , I'll allow , but
lhar's things a sight wuss" !
Her guest looked up Inqulrlnglr.
"Is It possible that trouble Jcne'
rates even hete ? " she aslwd.
"Lord , child ! I haln't never Imowd
nothing clio' ! was the Ilnswer.
"You.unJl who live In cities and dress
In yer silks and satins haln't no Idy
how un mounting folks has lo shift
lo keep Soul and body togelher. Il'B
work , work , Cram HIIII Ill' to sun down ,
from 'urlr morning ! tell late at night ,
und then wo never have nothing Jut !
air Injlnerallr In dchl. 'Vo wrumcn !
not only docs the cooking , washing ,
ornlng , and raise regular herds of i
chdren ! ! , but wc'ro expected to gotb-
or brash ! fur tire wood , cut sprouts ,
and work In the fields between lImeli.
No wonder wo bit old afore our timeR
and go all hunkered over and don't
look IIIw nothing when wo do try to
fix up-which nlJl't lflUII. the Lord
knows ! I ncvcI' got no Schooling , Cur
I wuz sent lo the tlclllH afore I 'WII
' . . . _ .11. . , . , . . " . . . . . . . . , . . ' 00' _ . . hoc . . . . . 1
hardly bin unough to LULU a IIUI : , , UIU
bar I stayed " , till I wuz fourteen , when
I run ot and marrlor ! It 'uz nice
jumping from the frying pail Into the
fire , fur mr man wuz putty IUIII afore
I wuz eighteen ho giv plum down
and I hart to make the llvlnt ; fur him
and our little cal. "
hue Hat for sonic UJOUlCllln In deep
abstraction
"It ! wuz hard , but somehow I man'
aged to Iwell our heads above water ,
and when LOJlY groY/ell UII , everybody
'lowOfI Mho WIIZ lho IlUrtlcNt gal III
Knox ! COllllty. Eyes at ! bhw UK hOIUlll ,
skin UH white und raft aM .a hahy' ,
und hair aK 'allor aM thorn mcrrygoldH
out yarulor. I needed her ut homo to
Iwlll mo , 811(1 ! only sent her to two
schools ! , hut It WII % 11 sight to the
world how lee c 'hlld larnt ! I kin
I."I'U her new , Sat fin' hy her 1lnll'fJ 111,1 ,
rr ' adin' Uw f'rllltur to Jlmall l I'rJ"uL !
. - - - -
.
,
,
N01'er and the ark and Joner swa11el'ln'
the whale ! "
Again she paused. Her eyes had
become tender as a child's.
"When she had turned Into her
I
fourteenth year , " she final1r resumed , i
"thur come along one da ' a stranger.
lie looked like them men down liar
at the hotel In his dressing , wuz good
looking , well mannered und had u
voice like a woman's. And how he
did dress ! His pockets jest bulged
wIth money He wuz a artist , and
nothing would do hut ho must paint
Losy's plctur. He 'lowed ef ho could
paint a face like hem his reppytatlon
would bo made. 1\ly oIl man wuz
bed rid with drapsr of the heart : the
last payment on the place wuz nearly
due ; I needed tim money , and so I
tuck him to hoard.v Rell I glv In
fur Los ) ' to set for the plctur he laid
d .g
Rooted to the spot.
a. hran' new fifty dollar bill In my
hand. I felt lI1w drappln' on my
knees and thanking hll11. God ! Ef I
could have seed his black heart , I'd
a sunk a. . knife through and through
It afore placIng my little gal In sick
danger ! "
Again she paused and the visitor
broke In' :
"Pray go on wIth the Gtor } ' . I'm
particularly Interested In artists , for
my husband belongs In that category
-ah ! such an one aB ho Is ! 1'wo
continents delight to do him honor ! "
'fho mountaineer appeared not to
hear , hut continued her narrative as
.
Ir talking to herself :
"Tho night alter him anti Losy run
away my man died-calling for our
little gal with his last breath-\llIl
then I wuz left In the old home alone. "
"A 11I1 Losy--yoUl' daughler-what
became or her ? "
" ! flighty nigh a year passed and no
word como , though something leared
to tell mo sho'll come hacl. On a
Christmas Eve , I wuz Boltln' afore the .
fireplace , thinking or the happy days
that wuz gone from mo fUI'over' All
at onct I sensed that some one \\.uz
at the winder looldng hi at me. I
turned nnd seed her , my little gal ,
hut 0 , fiO gore ) , so pitiful und sorrow-
ful ! WIth Il cry of joy I flew to the
door , throwoll It open , and lwtched her
to lilY hreaat jest as lieu little body
foal fainting In hOI' mammle's arms !
Pore little gal ! Pore little Los } ' !
Site went away 11 child , and come hack
Il hl'Olwn-heurted woman ! I brung
her In und 110m chow got her to bed ,
and Boon'K I could leave her I called
lo Bob Strunle to go fetch n doctor
.
flulc ! { . , . . \\.0 worlwd with her
all night , hut 'twarn't no use ! I'd
fOllflll her jest to lose her agln ! Jest
Il.H . the Ken / COIIIO UII over Indian mountain
luln she hreathed her last-died In mr
armH- thunk ( God fur that I No word
parsed her lips hut tlmr.uz a look
on her taco that makes mo know my
little gal III atrest. . "
1'earK courliod unrestrainedly down
the furrowed cheeks , but no sound
escaped the firm , set l ! IIPM. 1'ho little
wOlllnn In white glided forward and
threw her a1'IIIK IlIIpulslvely around
thin elder womllll'Jj nee Ie ,
I "Poor clear ! " Said she In n voice Cull
. rlr f1'mllalhr. t "How you have Bufter-
. . "l1'
cd. Yon were quite rIght. I have not
us yet learned the meaning of the
word 'sorrow ' "
There were tears In her eyes as also
stood stroking the woman's coarse
hall'
"I buried ( her hy her pap under the
big chestnut tree on the hill The old
place never 'pellred the same alter . . ; . ; .
'
that. Somehow I couldn't content
myself no more , fur everything put
mo In ! mlllll of her so , the flowers sho'll
planted , her books and the old tree
whar she used to swing I fell like
I'd shorel go deranged lessen I went
way off summers , 1:10 : J sold the place
and cut out. . , . 't'hey air sleepIng -
Ing sldo hi' side way over on yan side
of that range or mountings-full fifty
mile from hm'e. It's beets ten year : . .
ago , und all that time I've watched ' - - " .J
and waited ! I hl'ung jest two things
away from the old homo--my old
man's shotgun and the partly finished
plctur of Los ' . 'rho llictur Is mine ,
fl's all 1'\0 got left of mr little gal ,
but the load IT\ that 'ar gun Is ! fur him _ ; - ,
-tho devil that wrecked my home- - '
and as shore as God sets on the
throne , I'll send him to Kingdom como
of ho ever crosses my path I Tim
blood or IIIr man and Losy cries out
fur vengoance. "
The visitor shuddered as her eyes
inadvertently sought the made In which
the gun resled.
"And the picture , " sine said with a
rising lullcctIon.
The mountain woman walked to the
wall opposite and drew back a flowered -
ed calico curtain.
A cry of admiration came from the
visitor's lips as she went 0\01' and
critically . inspected ' the half finished
canvas. Truly time woman had spol-
en the truth , the face depicted was
beautiful as an angel's , incomparably
lo\'ely-a veritable Madonna-a. . face " - , ,
to dream about. _ . ;
'Vrough by a. . master's hand , " the
visitor mused as she continued to
feast on Its lo\'ellness.
A shadow fell across the threshold , ' "
j . . . .
.
but the woman standing before tine
unfinlshod canvas failed to note It.
Not so file l'Ough woman of the moun-
tain. She caught her breath hard and
fast as she looked up and beheld the
Intruder-a tall , handsome man of dls
tlngulshell nppearanco. There was a. .
smile on his lips , hut It faded quickly
way when his eyes met those of the
mountatneC'l' Ills color fled and his
face became suddenly aged and worn.
The woman of the hut stood for a. . sec-
end transfixed. Her eyes changed from " - _
an expression of surprise to a. . metal- Ji ; . .
lie , dangerous glltter. Her face now -
hard and steely broke Into almost a
smile us she turned and rcnched for
the gun above her head. ] 1'he man's
knees smote together , he stood rooted -
el ( to the spot. lie heard the elicIting
of time weapon as the Intrepid woman
before him cocked it-and then-
'rho woman before the canvas turn-
ell suddenly , and seeing him , came
forward With n. smile upon her face
and her little ! handy : : outstrctch
" 0 , John ! " she said , merrily , "I
thought you were gone for the clay ,
and ran awa } ' . It has been such fun ,
so please don't scold , for I feel better ,
rcally. " Turning to her hostess she
explained : ,
11-
"I want ran to meet UlJ' hus and , "
i The rugged woman of time moun-
mountains
I taliis stood Irresolute. Her fingers
: eagerly sought time trIgger , but the
palo face of the wife deterred her.
There was a moment of Indecision , of
waverIng , and then she resolutely
I turned and placed the gun back In the
rack. '
ira
.JT
! The man In the doorway fainted.
Alarmed nt His "Load. "
I Waller Camp , time Yale football
I coach , tells the storr of a young Yale
student ! who came to New York to witness
ness n. . football game , and who cele-
I IImted the victory of his team by visits -
I its to lIUlI1j' cafes. lIe accompanied
some friends to a theater In ! time even-
Ing , where the lerfol'manco was In
IHllltomlme. At the conclusion of the
J)01'COrmnnco ) ho exclaimed : "I'm
; i drunker ! than 1 though I was I . . .II"
: ha\'en't been able to understand u W
single / word of time whole Ilhlj'-Ncw
I York 'l'lmes.
