Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1906-06-14
The Chivalry
of Silas
by PHILIP vrRRnL MosnLs
,Copyrish,, by Joseph .. BowlssJ

squeakingly. and tried to sag even low
or, for q man came TO lean on Il. be-
side the woman who was already
there.
you don't spose you could norway
say yes, en- settle the whole shebang
this mornin'. do your" said he.
The woman was reading book. She
wet her thumb and turned leaf. read
ing on slowly until q paragraph was
finished.
"silas Jud," said she. leaning an el-
bow on the volume TO keep II open.
you amt never yit read Sir Beverly.
the Knight Of the Mystic Moor'T
II ain't-never."
mo. feared ye hadn't. Ye'd DO
less pesterfyin' n ye had. How KIN
ye ruminate on matrimony with me.
an you dom no chivalry deeds?"
81 made Tilly good husband"
"Y-e-s. but where's yer backbone
oozed to since she went?" -
He answered with q sort Of whis'
pered whistle. that conveyed skele-
ton idea OF tune.
why don't ye buckle on yer ar
NOR, an fare forth with q chunk OF
my hair-ribbon in yer helmet. an
prove yer waller. II ye want me 30 ter
rible?"
He did not answer but walked away
silently. and she continued to read.
That same question he had put to her
every week for three months.
Jud was q lorn and silent mar,
who lived apart from other men Ia
Deer Hollow. and looked indefinitely
forward to a small California farm on
the hillside for q home. He mad:
his living cutting wood. and even man
aged to save a trife against the farm
OF the future. For year now, which
time had elapsed since the death OF
his wife, he had spent great many
of his hours In the cabin to which he
now repaired.
At the door he paused and listened.
No sound he heard. but when he had
tiptoed In, q curl-hal0ed head was
raised from bunk. and one large. VIC.
let-colored eye greeted MIN. its mate
being hidden by a chubby INST ina
screwed vigorously around. rubbing
away the few remaining sleep-webs.
Then a dear, red-lipped mouth
stretched itself into an o as large a.
q half-dollar. =.
TUNED back. papa?" said the own :
er of the fist and eye and mouth and
golden hair, and she climbed to the
floor.
yep. honey-bug." he answered.
cheerfully. *
"Baby's dress tored." vouchsafed the
tot, bringing the garment for inspec-
ton.
Pore III gel. It's. ha, hal" He took
It up, jerked needle as large as
small sword out of the wall. waxed
his linen thread. and sat down to sew.
stabbing his fingers now. and. then.
but getting on. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. his
kind. The child sat near. her face
In her dimpled hands, looking very
"old-fashioned." and altogether wise.
Baby wants mamma" she satd az
last, and the utter irrelevancy OF this
observation seemed not at all apparent
to the man.
what would mamam do for baby"
Baby sit on her yap. and mamma
sing" .
Having finished the dress and put
It on her, he took the child up on
his knee. holding her tenderly againE!
his rough coat, and rocked himself
back and forth as he sang.
The song, which. fortunately, tho
little one preferred of all the vast
repertoire of the mother who was gone,
was the only one he knew. After, half
q dozen verses Of It, the child slippe J
away.
Mamma Diet baby sumfn' to eat.",
why, en- course. my popsy-wopsy
blossom" So he fetched bowl OF
milk, q can OF brown sugar, and some
strange 'mush" from q pail that hung
from a hook over the dying embers
In the fireplace. where he had put Il
to cook before going out. Taking her
once more on his knee. he satisfied
her hunger, unintentionally Fastening
matters not q little by usin Q spoon
that was large enough to chg potatoes
with.
what else would mamma do TO:
baby?" he asked, after the wee apo
lite was appeased.
PAY ON floor wifi blocks" said she.
Down he got on all fosrs," build
ing matchless structures with the half
peeled cubes, and giving the, most des-
perate descriptions Of tlle animals rep
resented therein.
An uneventful week went by. When
wednesday was come. Eilas "a rred him
FORTH" to do his accustomed wooing.
As he neared the cabin Of the Widow
Harvey, he saw her leaning. - before,
on the garden gate, and reading. -
usual, in the famous book Of Bev erly.
He took the place that she left for
him, saying. after 4 moments
"You don't s'pose you could. anyhow.
say No. en- settle the whole shebang
This mornin'. do youi"
She was taken on her guar d COM
pletely; he had never put e n at way