The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-11

I have if he was to enjoy happiness in this | life.
 | And so they went for a week after that | enlightning conversation under the big | elm; week of uncertainty and fear that | momently strengthened his worshipful ad- miration for her, regardless of any pecu- | liarity of her code; a week that brought | her brother to a trim that left the issue | of a battle in no considerable doubt, | should battle chance to occur. Then
 one day. going out to the group of big | pines back of the house to enjoy, as of | old, the chat and jokes of the noon rest | with the men of the place, he was just in l time, as he came around the corner of the | house, to see Bob Lutes make a bear-like | slap at David Kemble, and in the next l instant to see little David who looked | about half Bulbs size, swiftly rotate upon l his left foot, as a weather gage faces to
 the shift of the wind, anl land hard little fist fairly on Bub's left ear with | a smack that resounded like the clap of | open palms. and a sturdiness of force that l sent the bully tumbling in a heap. Even , Stannard was astonished at the swiftness | and sureness of Davids blow. but then | he had not seen David in action under l provocation.
 Pears to be some more O Bub's cus- l sedness." explained Sam Spence. T take 1 notice he's alluZ teazn' him. Jes' now he
 berries Davids new knife, an Davi1 l gives it to i'm like gentleman, and Bup
 slips 1t into his pocket an says he 1 guesses it'll be his knife now an when 1 David asts i'm fer 1t he up an takes
 a slap at i'm. ut dogged glad David give
 1t to i'm But wasn't that dandy belt
 on the jaw, though?"
 | It was the sorrow of Sam's life for days | afterward that he lacked a regular and l complete report O. that battle by rounds, | for it gave him almost endless matter l for further and fuller admiration, and all | that he was able to make out of it was | a wild failing of the air and a series of
 mad rushes by Bub; all of which came | to nothing for neither blows nor rushss | were able to reach beyond the guard of
 the smaller boy, and after those rushes d 1 lull of fighting on Bub's part that brought | him no comfort that Sam could see be-
 yond sundry hard punches here and there; | and after that when he was so breathless | that he was helpless, whirlWind finish 1 that left him with his face In the dust, l crying with hoarse, croaking sobs, com 1 pletely conquered and humbled bully, too utterly abased to make my effort to rise. l And the next instant, before Stannard had time to congratulate his pupil on his | ache ve.neat, the hand of fate descenied I III brothers name and. looking up, he saw
 her standing at the corner of the house,
 strange. half frightened look on her
 face, looking directly upon him and the
 battlefield. How long she had been there and how much she had seen, he could not say; he only knew that quick sush ! of tears came to her eyes as she caught her brothers hand, and that the next ] moment they had vanished together. It ' was little that he saw. but 1t was enough. I First he thought of going directly to | her and having it out, like man; then l he thought of interviewing David and getting the lay of the land frori him , by way of reconnaissance, then of writ 1 ing her a note, since it Was not likely that she would see him, and then of the possibilities of their meeting in a chance encounter-at table,. for example. ] It ended in the doing of none of these. only in a dsconsolate ramble away to the woods where he used to rove when he
 was a boy.
 He came back late. Supper was over, and the men wer all away from the house. Mrs. Skaggs, along with her fears that everything was cold and nothing fit to eat, handid him a small folded note, boy ishly scrawled with his name. With varied misgivings he opened it and read: Dear Mister Stanerd Nellie got a let ter and so She cant wate to see you but
 We hope you Come to our hous and cal