Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-04
CHAPTER XIV.
wALDO's STRANGER.

wandered about him, pecking at the
food he had cut or at pebbles and dry
sticks. On his right lay the graves, on
his left the dam. In his hand was a
large wooden post covered with carv-
tngs. at which he worked. Doss lay
before him basking in the winter sun
shine and now and again casting an ex-
pectant glance at the corner of the
nearest ostrich camp. The scrubby
thorn trees under which they lay yield
ed no shade, but none was needed in
that glorious June weather, when in
the hottest part of the afternoon the
sun was but pleasantly warm. And
the boy carved on, not looking up, yet
4 conscious of the brown serene earth
about him and the intensely blue sky
above.
Presently, at the corner of the camp,
En- appeared, bearing covered saucer
In one hand and in the other jug with
a cup on the top. She was grown into
a premature little old woman of 10,
ridiculously fat. The jug and saucer
she put down on the ground before
the dog and his master and dropped
down beside them herself, painting and
ont of breath.
Waldo, as came up the camps
met some one on horseback, and l do
believe 1t must be the new man that is
coming"
The new man was an Englishman to
whom the Boer woman had hired half
the farm.
HUMP said Waldo.
He is quite young" said EN-, holding
her side, "and he has brown hair and
beard curling close to his face and
such dark blue eyes. And. Waldo, I
was SO ashamed! was just looking
back to see, you know, and he hap
pened just to be looking back, too, and
we looked right into each others face,
and he got red. and got 50 red. be-
lieve he Is the new man.
Yes" said Waldo.
must go now Perhaps he has
brought us letters from the post from
Lyndall. You know, she can't stay at
school much longer. She must come
back soon. And the new man will
have to stay with us till his house Is
built. | must get his room ready.
Goodbye
She tripped of again, and Waldo
carved on at his post Doss lay with
MS nose close to the covered saucer
and smelled that some one had made
nice little fat cakes that afternoon.
Both were so intent on their occupa-
ton that not till a horses hoofs beat
beside them in the sand did they look
up to see rider drawing in his steed.
He was certainly not the stranger
whom En- had described a dark. some-
what French looking little man of
eight and twenty, rather stout, with
heavy. cloudy eyes and pointed mus
taches. His horse was fiery crea-
ture, well caparisoned. A highly fin
ishsd saddleDag hung from the saddle.
The mans hands were gloved, and he
presented the appearance IAN appear
ance rare on that farm-of a well
dressed gentleman.
In an uncommonly ,melodious voice
ne inquired whether he might be al
lowed to remain there for an hour.
Waldo directed him to the farmhouse,
but the stranger declined. He would
merely rest under the trees and give
his horse water. He removed the sad
die, and Waldo led the animal away to
the dam. When he returned, the
stranger had settled himself under the
trees, with his back against the sad
die. The boy offered him Of the cakes.
He declined, but took draft from
the jug, and Waldo lay down not far
of and fell to work again. 1t mat
tered nothing if cold eyes saw it. 1t
was not his sheep shearing machine.
With material loves, as with human,
we go mad once. love out and have
done. We never get up the true en-
thusiasm second time. This was but
a thing he had made, labored over, low
ed and liked, nothing more-not his
machine.
The stranger forced himself lower
down in the saddle and yawnetl. 1t
was q drowsy afternoon, and he object
ed to travel in these out of the world
parts He liked better civilized life,
where at every hour of the day man
may look for his glass of wine and his
easy chair and paper; where at night
he may lock himself into his room with
his books and bottle of brandy and
taste joys mental and physical. The
world said to him--the all knowing,
omnipotent world, whom no locks can
bar. who has the catlike propensity of
seeing best in the dark-the world said
that better than the books he loved
the brandy and better than books or
brandy that which it had been better
had he loved less. But for the world
he cared nothing. He smiled blandly
In it's teeth. All life is dream. If
wine and philosophy and women keep
the dream from becoming nightmare.
90 much :he better. 1T is all they are
1T for, all they can be used for. There