The San Francisco call., 1905-01-15

sped on the faster Tommy Haskins
gave a sideways glance of alarm at
Billy.
rs he-is he-running off?"
But Billy only laughed and said:
Ease UP a bit on the linee and see."
Tommy Haskins slackened the lines
and very soon Prince had slowed down
with delighted eyes. albeit his voice
was trembliIe just little.
When l get to- be a man I'm going
to have a trotting horse-just like
himi"
They walked Prince the rest of the
way and when they came to the strip
of alfalfa along the creek bottom.
first cutting, Billy laid his hand on
the lines and stopped the horse. The
odor of the bloom was beginning to
rise with the early falling dew.
Smells mighty good, don't it? But
/ just got a sniff of somethin' a heap
nicer. Don't you smell it. too-ma's
coffee b'iPn'?"
door Tommy Haskins' ma met them
and started to extend Tommy's COM
panion hearty Kansas greeting and
to say that supper was already on the
table. when she paused, scrutinized
Billy's face closely and exclaimed:
Good land alive! II it isn't Billy
Mcclure! Pal pal Come here this
minut'! Here's Billy Mcclure that 1
used to go to school with back in In
diana, long before 1 ever saw you.
My memory's better'n yours, Billy
MCGUIRE! You don't know me? Don't
you recollect the girl that used to
hold you with one hand and wash
your face in a snowbank with the
ether? Well. I'm her!'
Then Billy replied, while the sound
of his boy name, spoken in an old
wine: Molly Briggs. sure as 1 live!
thought this morning that / had
seen those eyes of Tommy's some
where beforei"
-Tommy's pa came forward, smiling
and shook hands cordially with Billy
Mcguire and asked him IL he had
just come out to Kansas.
at the county seat for the last ten
years."
Well" put in Tommy's ma, we've
been out here a dozen years this
spring, and the last six OF 'em right
here on Walnut Crick. How on earth
does it happen that we've never heard
tell OF your" Then a flash of intelli-
yes, it is so, too. Pa, I'll declare IL
you didn't vote for Billy last fall
Don't you remember-'For Represent
ative, w. III. Mcclure? / noticed the
name at the time. but never thought
once of its bein' Billy!"
After supper they insisted that Billy
had to stay all night. But Billy de-
clared that he was compelled to take
the morning train for Topeka to look
after a case he had in the Supreme
Court. So they did the next best thing,
and made the most of an oid-fashioned
evening visit that lasted until the
hands on the big, old-fashioned clock
pointed alarmingly to the XII on its
face.
Tommy Haskins sat wide-eyed all
evening listening to the talk about the
Smiths and the Wigginses and the Dill
lingbecks, and about the church festi-
vals at the chapel, where, town against
country bows. a cake was voted to the
prettiest girl. And the country girl was
the winner. And of all thingsl Her
name was-Molly Briggs. And then
and there Tommy Haskins resolved
that, when he went back with his ma
to visit at gran'pa's next fall. he would
see at least two places. He would see
wesley Chapel, where his ma had been
voted the prettiest girl": then he
would have her show him the identical
spot where she had washed Billy's face
in the snowbanlx.
When Billy had at last said goodby
at the front gate, and had promised to
come back the next Sunday week and
stay all day, the moon was riding high
In the sky. and the smooth road was
almost as light as day. At the cross
road he turned to look back. and saw
them slowly walking toward the house.
Tommy Haskins and his ma and his
pa, hand In hand.
As he faced about and drew the lines
with f-rIner grip, his thoughts fell
into rhythm with the rhythm of his
horses Gathering feet, and both seemed
TO say over and over:
Billy McGuire-~is found-is found!"