Evening star., 1900-07-14

hurried toward the great doors that swung
,etween them and freedom But Gregory
i[n0x took another way.
wish you luck, old man. called Old
Addm after him But good luck looked
doubtful. the boss-in Bruces diaIect-was
put of temper. The heat and confinement
.asDed him
"Eh? week off? Man alive. are you
iaft?'' he cried. sharply. Don't you know
we're shori-handed now? The young cubs
ave TO go-can't hold EN- in. But you
I'D chaps are our standbys. You've had
your fling
'.Yes-ycs' murmured Gregory Knox ao-
sently- When had he had his fling? He
was watching the boss fold up a trout pole
joint on joint. Then his pale blue eyes
rcamed 70 the litter of flies and lines and
sinlers on the desk. He had been thinking
" trout pole all day lorg-queer, But
his had been slender sapling, fresh cut
u fuller ring of fish than he used TO catch
with his sapling? What beauties they had
heen, How the sun had silvered their wet
backs, Queer. how all day long he had
been thinking of trout and a little thread
" shadowy water, ripping under willow
trees. He gazed away out of the window,
and instead OF lstless-moving crowds a
barefoot boy with a string of trout crossed
his retinas-
There. sir. that's the SWEETEST trouting
outfit there'll be in the Adirondacks this
summer, You can't beat it, the boss said,
in better spirits.
NO. sir-oh. no." Gregory Knox said
But then, it's pretty surprisin' what a
string D fish you can haul in with a sap
lin fresh cut You get one jest sappy
erough and jest the right bigness-I tell
you,'
When he turned away a moment later
he boss called him back.
"Oh. l say, Knox" he called. II take
i, we can let you off for a day-say to-
morrow Well manage somehow. Not at
all-not az al-no thanks. man! Wish you
good luck"
But Gregory Knox had not thanked him
There seemed no occasion. The thread of
dark water ran under willows a hundred
and fifty miles away
The boss had rclentcd suddenly The
blood of Izaak Walton. running in both
rheir veins. had forged link OF good
fellowship between him and the little old
c.erk. Such a slender link, What would
j day of-One day-avcn over a hundred
and fifty miles? But IN the morning Greg
Ory Knox followed a sudden impulse and
slipped down to the sea 10 catch a glimpse
Of ma and the girls. He had not meant to
90 until the last minute. and he went in his
shabby store suit and forgot TO change his
shirt. On the train remorse assailed him
sharply What would ma say? No. GER
talnly not; ma must not see him in that
dubious guise-ma, who was making her
one-month-long struggle for gentility In a
great hotel by the sea 1t was her one
chance for the year-hers and the girls.
'shey dreamed of 1t, and pa worked for 1t
thc year round
II ought to have fixed up for mas sake
ana the girls, thOught Gregory Knox guilt
ily ari IN a minute the holidays zest had
vanished He settled back DULY on the hot
velvet cushions and made his plans wearily.
He would keep out Of sight-that would be
Easy enough in such crowds-and ma and
The girls need never know he had been
there al all. II would be nice lest to see
EN- enjoyin' themselves. he said.
I'm keep on the outskirts out o. their
sight; my old clothes won't do 'em any
harm that way
Poor little stocking counter clerk, He had
always been on the outskirts, and he was
fifty years old,
But when he had settled himself on the
great, hot beach. hidden In the lee of q
mighty bOWlder. whom should he see
dancing down the beach toward his hiding
She was all alone and she made pretty
picture to pas admtring eyes.
Peggy was the baby and his favorite In
his quiet. secret way he worshtped at IttIe
Aadcap Peggy's restless feet. The other girls
called him pa. but she called him daddy
How pretty she looked in that little blue and
white rig. The little oil-skin cap perched on
her brown head had a saucy witchIne oir
But Gregory Knox shrank back in the
lee OF his rock A minute too late daddyI
For Peggy had seen him
.'Daddy-of all things, great and small
things. Daddy Knox
Yes. It's me. Peggy" he answered meek
Iy.
TT is. sure as live. But where'd Won
drop out of-a balloon? Did you come on
the wings OF the-but there isn't any, not a
BREATH Wei. tell me about II, daddy"
She threw herself in the sand beside him
and dug the toes Of her bathing shoes deep
IN Her long black stockings stretched out