Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1906-11-28


eply, ~ he ate the Ice fhuAn the bot
eom cf tall COO, glass -the move.
Ipnenss OF Paxleys and Of young uanes
bchesterley Bradek are quite BeyDnd
my authority But I tell you what. \
oand the doctor ross and stnred across
the table at the rest hnpresslyeiy.
"Pax knows what he's about. Don't
NEEDLE" And he stalkedl away.
When Raxley came back NJ was easy
| to zee that the VACATION had done HIN
not the least particle Of good lie
was not only tired-he was thin. and
there was something fierce, and yet
pitiful about his eyes. The boys got
over joking with him as they had
done, and nobody spoke Of hts private
affairs, especially after little Cummins
suggested that 1t was time the great
and only James Chesterley Braden
should be put on exhibition.
Paxley glared at him so darby, and
turned the subject In such a queer,
unhappy sort of way, that after that
nobody mentioned the child' again.
till Paxley himself began to do 1t
It was after Jenkins had been tell
ing of some OF the funny sayings or
his little brood.
"Jim gets off good thing occasion
ally, now he's beginning to talk" said
Paxley, and every one felt better. 1t
was so unusual not to be able to talk
about anything and everything with
Paxley.
The next day he had some bright
saying to retail, that made the boys
laugh heartily and honestly-not the
conventional giggle that Is generally
reserved for such accounts of juvenile
wit.
Paxley smiled. In fact Haines, still
resentful, asserted that he smirked
like self-satisfied woman. But
things were easier at any rate, and
from that time on, Paxley talked OF
the boy freely, and told a store OF
funny things that became famous
throughout the office.
The respect for "Paxley's kild'' grew.
That he was an exceptionally bright
and clever little fellow everybody ad-
mitted. and Cummins, who went out
with Pax and the doctor one Sunday
night and saw the boy in his crib gave
an enthusiastic account of his beauty.
The crash came one stormy Deem
Der night, when Paxley had been pa
rent-in-law, as the boys expressed 1t,
for about year.
A number of his friends; Haines,
one or two more from the office, and
others who were members of his club,
were gathered again in the library as
they had been the summer before.
AS usual, Haines started the CONVEX
sation. "Paxley's clean daffy over
that kid of his, isn't he?' Can't hire
him to go out this winter, and he's
thin as a wire fence"
The others grunted. Then little
Cummins, rather red and altogether
embarrassed, spoke.
WELL" sputtered Cumm1ns, you
know that story he told about the
boys asking if the clouds were Gods
dust cloths?"
There was a grunt of assent. "Too
precocious-too prec0Gfous by far"
muttered Jenkins, who had got a night
of, and was enjoying the society Of
adults unmixed with children.
II don't know about that" went on
Cummins, "for don't know anything
about children. But | do know that
that's an old story. read it myself
in a magazine last night. And the
magazine was dated more than year
ago."
There was an, odd, strained silence.
EYES," said another man., "I-I've
had my suspicious myself. \ told two
or three of Pax's stories at dinner
not long ago, and the people Just
howled-said they were every one Of
them bearded with age"
"I've done that, toe" remarked
Haines but l thought maybe two kids
could say the same funny things
they're capable Of anything yOA
| know"
The doctor rose and walked undeefd-
eddy up and down the room a ANw
times
Then he stopped by the table. le&n-
Ing forward, with his long myers
resting lightly ON the polished wood.
Boys" he said and there was some
thing solemn i'm his voice which made
the others lay down their cigars and
look expectantly at him. Boys, am
going to do something I've never done
before-I'm going to betray the conn.,
dence of a friend"
The men sat very silent, gazing up
at him.
eff you would stop and think" the
doctor went on slowly, as though
choosing his words, Il would not have
to tell. You would understand. But
you have not seen. and you must-foI
your own good, and Paxley's-and lit
tie Jim's. Do you remember when he
. Jew at Haines when he said, jokingly
he didn't think much of the boy?l The
strange trip to New York? The anxi-
ETY. and the sorrow in his face fol
months now? And these stolen stO-
ries? For they are stolen, every one
He's stolen them for Jim. He's beer
V..-Sv.~ %hauo For un0nkh@ TA 49,.