La Junta tribune., 1898-12-24
"A FELON'S LOVE.
By HENRI W. NESFIELD.
By HENRI W. NEsFIELD.

yards told that the men had not yet
ceased from their labors.
Mary" Mrs. Hall called out pres
emily. as she heard some one moving
abou, inside the house. lis that you.
dear!"
Yes. mother" replied tall 1.-the
looking girl as she stepped out through
French window on to the veranda.
Poor dear mother. you must be quite
knocked up,'
Il am tired. darling" admitted Mrs.
Hall. Has Jack come up from the
shed yet?'
mo. not yet." answered the girl:
but supper Us quite ready. and he
won't be long now. 1 expect"
Il do hope that your father will
come home tonight. He said he would
be ten days perhaps. 1t is now fort
night since he left"
Il wonder whether he will have
managed to get a cook" said Mary.
as she sat on the edge of the veranda
at her mothers feet. "All this cook
ing is quite wearing you out. You
ought not to have to do IT.
Il shall be all right after good
nights rest. and II only your father
would come back! Can you see moth
ing OF him. Nary"
mo. not a sign" said the girl, "but
here In Jack. sooner than / expected.
Now let US go into supper. and begin. :"
A stalwart sunburnt youth strode
up the garden path. and tossing his
cabbage-tree hat upon chair. threw
himself At full length upon the grass
plat.
well. Polly" he exclaimed. I'm
just baked. l can tell you! wish the
| governor would hurry home. Leav-
ing me all the shearing to look after
Is no catch. All this broiling after
noon I've been drafting out strangers.
| and working just like a Niger"
Mothers been working hard. too"
said Mary reproachfully. And she
doesn't grumble. like you do.'
mo. by Jove: but then the matters
an ANGEL" he answered. springing to
his feet and throwing his arms around
his mothers neck. II bet no angel
ever cooked dinner for seventy men,
with the thermometer at hundred and
ten m the shade. without a murmur!
Oh, I'm not to be irreverent, mother?
Well, / won't, to please you; but upon
my word II was a shame OF that brute
johnson to go on at moments no.
tice. Just at the very busiest time"
Never mind. Jack" Interrupted
Mrs. Hall, as she leaned her head back
over the rail on the lounge-chair and
clasped her hands behind her neck
Don't talk SO much. but look out with
your young eyes and see II your father
is not coming In the distance"
''Or. in other words" said Jack,
laughins-"'S Sister Ann. sister Ann,
do you see some one comingr No,
mother, no one-neither Bluebeard nor
the governor. Talking Of blue. won-
der what our new Gordon bleu will be
like. Drink like fish and swear like
a trooper. suppose. as they all do"
Perhaps father won't have got one
at ALL" observed Mary: "and, IL so,
pity you all. for I'm going to try
my hand at cooking. / stood with my
nose close to the meat safe today to
break myself into the smell of raw
meat, which always make me feel more
or less ILL.,"
"Pshaw-you might as well be an
English grill" said Jack scornfully.
III you were anything like a trump
you'd kill as well as cook-Jennie
Smith does"
Never mind; we don't want Mary
to be quite such a masculine person as
Jennie" interposed Mrs. Hall; which
| brought forth a rejoinder from Jack
that Miss Smith was no end OF a
good fellow" after which be suddenly
remembered that he was hungry, and
added hurriedly-
But I'm ready for supper. II you
are. I'll Just run in and wash of some
OF this dust. and be with you in a few
moments" and Mr.. Jack swung him
self through the veranda and disap-
peared within the house.