Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-02-16
CHAPTER X:
THE RABIES IN THE WOOD.

lowov. and it was not long before
broad bar of light lay across the
eastern hills which shut out the plains of
the Dee and the long glen of the Ken.
The male sea-green lingering in thewest
had not vet faded into ashy gray when
the eastern sky began to fame. The
,.Iouds in the east through which the sun
rose were long and parallel like ocean
rollers eombing towards n sandy shore
while the clouds of the sunset cOnverged
10 a point as though the sun draws them
flaming after him with the speed of his
downward rush. Suddenly up sprang the
san over the low rounded SUBMITS to the
SOUTH and the shadows of every bush Of
hog myrtle and tuft of heather started
westward, and the cool, blue image Of
lonely upright boulder, like a Breton
menhir, lay for half a mile across the
heather. On the sunny side of this land
mark the red rays fell on a bare and
curly head on which the dew sparkles
lust as it does on the yellowish gray
bent upon which it is pillowed. Appar-
emily the flaXen fleece which covers it is
sufficient protection, for the boy has
taken his bonnet off and covered his feet
with it. lie lies curled up like collie
sleeping in the sun. He continues to
sleep quietly and soundly with the unds-
urbed repose of childhood till the dew
dies from off the heath and from The
angles of sunny hair.
At last he awakens, uncoils himself
like 1.-THE young animal, starts TO find
himself under the greater canopy of
heaven; and with shake of his kilt and
toss of his head, he rises, having com
pleted his toilet for the day. He has no
fear now that there is the broad light of
day on the moors. He thinks that it
would not be such a bad thing to be los.
on the. hills if only plates of porridga
were distributed at suitable distances A
pewit stoops toward him with a CON
descending dip and a fiirt of the wings
He resents this, saying to himself Fool
ish bird. to think to take me in.' and
moves along in his own way, like a rang
ing greyhound. along the bare tops of the
peat islands. The pewit flutters a broken
wing, drops almost at his feet, but he
does not even cast tolerant eve on her
bare place where the bent has been
fiattened, he finds what he has been seek
lng-two brown eggs unevenly biotched
with black. Walter seizes them without
the slightest computations. This is his
breakfast and they are soon profession
ally tapped and emptied with the know
ing crook Of the elbow which shows the
heather bred" The pewit meanwhile
screams herself hoarse.
''ShoO! Go and lay other two.' says
more than that"
He remembers with regret the time
when he was allowed penny for each
dozen Of laid away eggs that he found.
practice IN which his gran" encour-
aged him till she found that as the aver
age of found" nests-that is. of nests
made by hens in the fields for secret
bro0dlng unprecedented the num-
Der of eggs in the legitimate nests di-
minished. Walter was rapidly waxing
nch, but the whole hide0us plot was laid
bare one day when his gran" came sud
denly upon him sliding cautiously
towards the planting
What's that we've got aneath yer
peenie, Wattie?' she demanded.
The peenie was lifted, and there, alasi
were, discovered two newly laid eggs
which the small financier was conveying
TO the better investments of an outlaw
nest which IN due. time would be found"
and penny claim made upon it. His
gran" who had hitherto held Walter
immaculate. once more became sound on
the doctrine of Original Sin. Saunders
proposed that the boy be delivered to his
mother with request for an application
Of S0lomon's cure.
Warm backs, guild bairns,' my ain
cautiously.
An a bonny job she made o. ye."
replied his spouse, diSpassionately for
She claimed monopoly of the moral
sentiments in the household. INA, ma;
II manage the boy myself"
consolate in the cold shades of his dear
grams" ayerted countenance.
breakfast being over so quickly, the
lost boy tramped away over the moor.
sure that he must come out somewhere.
He was as merry as the larks that were
singing above him. He hallooed at the
ploveTs. Once he saw a sheep and pre-
tended it was an elephant.
Where the spicy breezes
Blow soft Ger CeylOn'S isle.
By-and-by he came to a wide burn.
ana hastened to cross it in an approved
manner. 1t was friDged, like many South
pland burns, with sparse and ilfav
ored birches. He found one of these
which leaned over the water, being I'M
dermined by the winter spates, and
crawled out upon its swaying top till it
became too slender to bear him. He had
counted upon the bend of the bush de-
posting him near enough the opposite
bank to, drop easily on the ground. But
before he was ready to cut loose, the
LreacherouS birch gave way entirely and
1ell souse into the water, small human
squirrel and all. Walter shook himself
GEAR of the twigs that dashed his bare
legs, and wondered how he was to get
out of the water, for his little feet could
md no bottom.
Here, nice boy, take hold of my
parolsol,' and Ill pull you on Shore"
Salq the clearest little voice in the world,
and looking up in great surprise, Walter
anderson saw a little lady perhaps a
year Older than himself, clothed in some
white stuff, fine like cobweb, she her
self apparently all yellow curls and great
hiue eyes. He had now reached, thanks
10 the water-logged birch-bridge, a place
where his feet touched the bottom, and
IL occurred to him that the opposite side
must be Sairyland. He had. often wanted
10 go there.
Are you a fairy?s he asked.
Why, MOI laughed the curls. gaily,
shaking her fleece bewilderingly. I'm
only a little girl, and you're the incest
hoy | ever saw" Then very frankly, Il
IKE nice boys. Come up here and I'll
give You a kiss"
What's a kiss?" asked Walter Ander-
son, whose ignorance was great. for
Kisses were not mentioned at Drum
do 50.
Come up here and I'll show you."
answered the maiden promptly.
clearly an invitation by no means TO
ne refused