Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1906-07-20
A Couple of
ScarecrOWS
BY PHILIP VERRILL MIcHRLs


A-SSiiS rV'Ieot went 10 Oed peaceful
nomad, and awoke rebelllous farm
er. At first he knew nothing at all OF
the germ OF war that slumbered under
the ample folds Of his yellow pajamas.
He lay in his bed rejecting, a letter
In bis hand, and his knees upheav,ng
the coverlet to form two rival f,lgi-
yamas.
Your uncle James is dead, and you
are his heir to the Black Oaks farm"
was all he had read OF the letter.
Visions Of meadow and stream, OF
hillsides cool beneath majestic trees
the gray OF a lichen-feathered wall.
o'ergrown with berry brambles, the
wide-spreading house, outstretchlng
arms OF hospitality, and the curving
path that skirted the ancient we'll on
its way to the veteran gate-that never
shut, but merely stood knee-deep in
the grass-came over his mind from
a barefoot time of long ago.
This mood was merely reminiscent,
however, and not at all to be con-
strued as a consent to become the own.
er Of a farm.
"on the whole" he ruminated,
scratching at the bottom OF his Root,
and thereby causing a fearsome COM
motion among the coverlet fugiyamas,
the place is good to have, II oni"
for home-a sort OF retreat. And then
II ever | should get married Well,
let's see what the rest of It says"
He resumed his letter:
Heir to the Black Oak farm, includ-
In the Hilltop addition and a legacy OF
$4,000, provided you marry Abigail
Umatilla Smeethers, a much-removei
family connection In the event OF your
refusal to wed the said Abigail, etc.
You to inherit the Black Oaks and she
to have the Hilltop addition and leg.
acy-
Now, hang Abigail Utility Smithcr-
eens!" calculated Forrest, bounding
out OF bed and sweeping the coveIle;
fugiyamas into space in a tidal wave
OF blankets and sheets. Its perfectly
idiotlc! It's the kind of stuff you read
about! Abigail Curlpapers GiIdy-
greens! No, you don't, uncle Jeans,
not on your daguerrotype. She can
have the Hilltop addition, and Nov
why In thunder did he have to give
her the whole bank? twenty-five
thou think I'd like-but no!-no,
with Abigail. No, Abby, go thy
Smeethers ways, in peace and curl
papers!"
He danced the prelude of a marvel
GUS snakentine gyration. and sat him
down on the edge of the bed to scratch
at the bottom Of his foot again. The
rebellion was started and working
we'll
"Heigho!" he unused, as with hands
on his knees, he looked with winl.ess
eyes on the coTmon design OF the car
pet It's just the luck-it always goes
about that way-and just as a tel
low Is actually taking an interest in
the loveliest girl in the universe, and
begins to think he'd like to settle
down.
Here he grew quite as sentimental
and retrospective as is possible to any
man in pajamas.
Wasn't she charmlng!" he OK.
claimed, in delight. "Such dear biowE
eyes! Such hair-it looked like what,
like raven-colored skelns OF silk.
Such spirit and genius OF expressing
herself. And yet a touch of sadness.
too. ! wonder why she wouldn'.
dance-she said she liked II. Well,
perhaps We made better progress al
getting acquainted as It was"
He was silent moment.
Miss Rockland-rather fine. won
der what her first name is? And
don't know where she lives, or any.
thing about her. That's the trouble
with n formal introduction at a non.
anyway"
Slowly investing himself in conven.
tional attire, and nuctuating between
.rhapsodies on his unknown queen. and
raillerIes on Abigail, Forrest wen; Oh
10 MS breakfast ut last. Later he TOOK
the boat for Cornneld and the Black
Oaks farm.
I'm look the place over for couple
OF weeks" said he, "and then I'm icing
TO hunt Miss Rockland up, or squandel
my youth and fortune in the effort
Three large crows were stalking
about and cawing in a field that be-
longed to the Hilltop addition one
morning as Forrest came forth from
his farmhouse. lie saw them out o.
the corner OF HIS eyes, the same way |
that he saw the woman who walked |
about the place from time to time
That Abigail would come to fetch him
away, or, maybe, that he should iuad-
vertently wander down through the