Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1901-10-24

"Joe!"
"He has been scolding the poo
child, / suppose, and she is afraid Il
be seen with you; or, perhaps" gen
tly, "she doesn't want to hurt you"
"Joe!"
~ am so sorry" holding out q
plump, soft little hand. $50 sorry!"
But poor Barnes could only say
"Joe!" The idea. at first incredible
under the bits of evidence that be
gan to come in. grew past doubt
BY the time he had reached home a
mountain Of proof was throbbing in
his brain. He called himself a bat
and hourly accumulated misery
Treachery. deliberate falsehood, never
occurred to him.
A perfect day dawned for the golf
play. Old Shucks sat out on his door
stone and gave smiles and blessings
and smoked his pipe, while the gay
groups came with their bundles and
greetings. The old man listened keen
| ly with head bent, Identifying step or
voice and giving a jolly comment or
grunt all to himself as they passed
on to their game.
Dat ar stumble b'long ter Marse
Joe; never could lift his feet dat
boy"
"Marse Barnes? ain like hisself.
Mighty down in de mouf fer Marse
Barnes"
"Dar's de Ill widder. I'm; step like
a cat Um."
Miss Louise, bossin' de earth. La,
don know Miss Louisel"
"En Miss Sue, trottin' long b'hlnd,
totin' de left-overs."
"Whar's Miss Mae?" suddenly loud
er. as gwine miss dat chile?
Whar's Ill Miss Mae?"
Here. Unc' Shucks."
Somebody throwing bricks at yo',
honey? You walk like yo' steppin' on
yo' heart"
"She is quite happy, shucks," said
Barnes voice beside them, but she Is
afraid of hurting some one II she
shows It,"
Shucks turned his sightless eyes
anxiously from one to the other.
"De truf bes', chile; better hurt
'em den fash 'em. What yo' happy
bout. honey?"
II don't know" faltered Mae.
"Um. What she happy bout, Marse
Barnes?"
at is her secret-and Joe's."
The old man leaned eagerly to catch
her reply, but Macs pretty head was
tilted in indignant silence.
"Marse Barnes" turning a broad
smile on him, "if yo' an Miss Mae
was to go ter de spring an fetch
me a drink I'd be mighty thankful;
dat | would"
81 must speak to you" Barnes said
as the girl would have turned away
from him. Let me at least have
your forgiveness" SO they went to-
gether down the pretty hill path, un-
der the elm and hawthorn and wind
ing through witch hazel to the old
spring.
"Um." grunted Shucks, and filled
his pipe. the smile still broad on his
face.
Presently the pretty widow came TO
him.
Have you seem" she began, anx-
iously. "I mean heard. anything of
Mr.. Barnes?"
"Marse Barnes gone on ter de
links" shamelessly, "wid> Miss Sue,
marin. Yes, marm."
hut he shook his griazled head as
she hurried away. Dat how de cat
jump" he mumbled. "Um. Old
Shucks gwine feel a pain in his con
science bout dat falsifyin' an dat
barrel o. fine -four, um-uh-who dar?
Marse Joe? Yo' late at de links,
sar."
81 am not going to the links, Unc'
Shucks. | am hanging about with my
gun. Miss Mae is anxious about your
chickens; she says a screech owl gets
one every night"
Dat he does, dat he does" indig-
nantly; "an' | makes no doubt he's |
nappin' up one ob dem trees dis min
ute, dreamin' bout supper time, but"
sotto voce, "yo wastin' shot firm fer
Miss Mae, chile, yo' shorely is"
Joe, all unconscious OF this, went
peering keenly along the edge of the
wood. and the old man listened, his
mind divided between chuckles for
The spring and conscience-stricken
yrunts for the wood.
"Ah! here he isl" came triumphant
" at last.
"llit i'm fore he holler, Marse
Ioe!' Shucks advised, eagerly. DE
amt no luck in his screech."
So Joe took the owl silent and se-
'ured happy fortune to the donation
party; at least that was the old mans
verdict, but he shook his head du-
Diously when he considered Joe's
share Of il.
"But de biggest sort er luck" he
yrunted, philospohically, "'bleeged
Ter end somewhar."-Spring6eld Re-
publican.
Brain-Food Nonsense,
Another ridiculous food fad has been
branded by the most competent authori
lies. They have dispeled the silly
notion that one Kind OF food is needed
Ior brain, another for muscles, and still
another for homes A correct diet will