Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-12-04

talk, and looked wistfully after him
when he left.
OF medium height and spare frame,
Mr. Boyce was probably 40, though ut
first sight one would have thought him
much older, his light brown hair was
so thickly strewn with gray. His blue
eyes had dreamy, PARKWAY look and
smile lit up his face. His compan-
ion. Harvey Jones, IA big, good-natured,
yellow-haired fellow of 25 or there
about. was devoted to him, taking
upon himself all the toughest and
heaviest work The two had taken ad-
Joining tracts as homesteads, building
their two-roomed house on the dividing
line so that, without being separated,
each lived on his own land.
One Saturday afternoon, VIII was
watching them putting up rough
board stable, giving helping hand
whenever he could, when Mr.. Boyce
| fell from the top of the structure, strik-
ing on his head. Harvey dropped the
timber that he and VIII were lifting
the boy escaping injury by leaping
nimbly aside-and ran to his friend,
who soon revived, sat up and looked
about him with a bewildered air.
Its all right, Wythe OF man."
cried Harvey Thank the Lord, you
amt much hurt, reckon. l thought
you was done killed. sure
His friend rose to his feet, leaned
against the corner of the stable and
with his hand to his brow, glanced
from Harvey to WILL with no sign of
recognition.
"Where am ~ he asked.
Here at home, dear Mr.. Boyce,"
said Will, laying his hand on the man 3
arm.
why do you call me that? What
has become of my own clothes and my
grip! What place is this and where
did you find me? l was walking from
Kirksvile to Otter creek-I couldn't
hire a team-and the last thing l re-
member was a step behind me-"
"Blest if he amt come to his senses
and clean forgot about the ten years
that's gone since dad an l found him,
just about whar he says. Harvey,
greatly excited. whispered to the boy.
"What'll we tell him.
| What State was that in?" inquired
WILL breathessly.
Tennessee. l s'posed you knowed
whar we came from"
IF your name Is not Mr.. BOyce.
Will appealed to the older man, please
tell me what it is and where you be-
long"
1T is Henry Strong and my home Is
in Orange, n. ]. l am travelling for
the Stamper company of New York"
Without word the boy turned and
ran home at the top of his speed, burst
in upon his mother, threw his arms
about her and gasped:
Come. mother! I've found father.
Here's your cape-don't stop for a hat
come and see him." and almost car
rying her. he hurried his mother along
the path over which he had Just flown
telling her. as they went, what had oc-
Cured. They found Harvey alone and
explained the situation to him.
well, ma'am, + reckon it Is your
husband" he said. He don't know me
an it cuts me to the heart; he's al
ways seemed to think such lot of me
an to depend on me. l didn't know
Jest what to say to him, so l coaxed
/ him to lay down. an | come out to
look for WILL hopin' he'd know what
to do. Will you step in an see him,
ma 'am:'
Mrs. Strong, with shining eyes and
flushed cheeks. opened the door.
Marian, my wife," they heard, in
joyful tone, and low murmur for
what seemed to VIII an age, then his
mother, wipng away happy tears, call
ed him in. After little he came out
aud looked for Harvey, whom he found
sitting dejectedly on pile of lumber
1T is my father, Harvey. He and
mother want you to come and tell us
where you found him and all about It,
He don't remember the least thing"
Harvey told them how, ten years be-
fore he and his father had found an
irscnsible man in lonely spot not far
from their home in the Tennessee
| HlOtIHtdIllS. HIS OILY clOtIlIS Il dirty
and ragged coat and pair of trousers
There was nothing whatever to tell
who he was or from whence he came
When he came to--seemingly not much
Eurt-he had completely forgotten his
past life. When asked his name he
stammered out what they took to be
Wythe Boyce, and this they called him.
He remained with the Jones family.
and Harvey then Il well grown lad OF
IL. felt that some way the strangely
found man belonged to him more than
the others. Gradually many things
came back to Wythe. He could read
ana write. though little to read fell in
his way. Rough outdoor work he had
to learn and he and Harvey always
worked together For more than n
year past he had been very restless,
and the two. having saved little
money, Harvey proposed that they
should go North and get some land of
their own. land here we are" he con-
cluded. wping his moist brow on his
sleeve. Il reckon you uns don't want
me any longer starting to go out.