Evening star., 1908-02-04
CHAPTER III-Continued.
By Joseph C.. LINCOLN.

CHAPTER III-Continued.
Van Brunt looked after her. will
some one please inform me-" says he.
whether I've been at clinic. or a
| funeral or just cooking-school session.
'Humph! says Hartley. unfortunate
interruption. Now we shan't learn what
became of the long-suffering Jehiel.'
"Oh, he died" says Van. Il wanted
to find out what became of those beans.
"I understand now why they put AT
rest on Jehiel's gravestone," I says.
Hartley turned to me. skipper he
says, "you mustn't think that Van and
are altogether cold-blooded because we
refuse to weep over the departed Sam
ueIs. The lady has cheered us with happy
little memories of this kind ever since she
agreed to demean herself and make rlz
biscuit at four-fifty per. She began with
her cousin. who died of smallpox. and
she's worked down through the family
till she's got to her husband.
YES" says Van. land he's only her
first We shall hear later how No. fell
into stonecrusher or was boiled IN OIL
Lord"
Hank Purvis had five brothers." says
], land they've all died within the last
ten year You've got more funerals COM
ing to you
It was quiet for a few minutes. Out
back we could hear Hannah Jane laying
into the neighbors boy because he
tracked mud on the kitchen floor.
"It was no use," says Van. decided. Il
refuse to renew my subscription TO the
parting with the Widow Purvis at once.
| immediate. P. D. O.. will say Aye; Con-
trary minded. MOI It's a vote. Hannah
is erased. What shall we do Martin-go
back to James and dignity or feed our
Selves?"
Hartley seemed to be thinking. Skip
per-" says he to me. you can cook. l.
even 1, the interesting invalid-can eat
your chowder and like 1t and come back
for more. Will you come and help us
but? What do you say?' ;,
Van Brunt sat up straight. Martin,
says he. you're as comforting as the
shadow of a great rock in AIN a-some-
thing or other. You're genius Pratt
| you've got to come here and live with US
We need thee every hour as Mrs. si, r.
| time for getting out of bed. It's settled;
| you're coming
"well. now. hold on" says I. "some
ways I'd like to. and. if you want plain
cooking. why. ] guess. likely can give
| it to YOU But business Is business. and
there's my boat and my living for the
summer. You're here only month, as
understand it, and
| That didn't make no difference. l could
| fetch the Dora Bassett along. too. Van
| said. Hartley explained that they In
tended to stay through the summer. any.
how. perhaps later. He went OIL to tel
that he and his chum was what he called
redeemed conventionalities.' or some
such name. and that they intended to
stay redeemed They'd hitched horses
and agreed to find the natural in all It's
glory. And the natural they was going
to find if it took a thousand years.
''And while we're giving you the story
Of our lives, skipper" says Hartley, with
right here that our present surroundings
aren't all that fancy painted EN- They're
too much in the hmelight." This was
| Just one of his crazy ways of saying
things; I was getting used to EN- little
by now. Were too prominent" he says
THE populace are too friendly and In
terested."
/ Also" says Van, "the select bunch OF
feminines from the hotel have taken te
making our front walk sort of prone
made. Martin and l are naturally shy; We
pine for solitude"
! There was more Of this but l managed
to find out that what they wanted was {
quieter place than Scudder's. A place OF
by itself, where they could he as natura
| as a picked chicken. / agreed to try
and help 'em find such a place. And
said. too. that I'd think about the cook
ing idea. Money didn't seem to be no OBJ
| ject-I could have my wages by the hoo
or barrelful-just as see fit. ,,
"Well." says I. getting up to go, III
see. Let me sleep on 1t for spell
same's you fellers have done on Nate:
pin-feather beds. But I amt SO sure
about your staying all summer How
about that young lady friend of yours
Mr.. Van Brunt? She may take notion
| to send for you to introduce her to the
King of Chiny or the Grand Panjan
drum with the little round bottom on top
Then you'd have to pack up and cut youl
| cable"
Van. he looked hard at me for min.
ute thought first he was mad at me
Cor putting my oar in where 1t wan
supposed to be. Then he laughed. "Sol.
/ says he. that young lady and are kin,
dred spirits. For year I'm natural ano
happy, and she can nurse her Hooligans
and go on charity sprees. Then-well
then we fall back on our respected par
ents and wedded.-er-bliss. Hey. Mar
tin?'
Hartley. in the shadow of the vines. Ii,
another cigar and nodded. But he didn't
1 say nothing.
| For the next three or four days
chased around trying to find house an6
lot where them heavenly lunatics could
be natural I located couple of bully
summer places, all trees and windmills
| and posy beds. and hot and cold water
and land knows what. But they wouldn'1
do: they ''smelled of coupons Van said
What they really wanted. or thought they
wanted was a states prison In a desert
/ judged.
! For a week or ten days we kept the
hunt up. but didn't have no luck. When
ever I'd think I'd uncovered promising
! outfit the Heavenlies would turn to anC
dump in a cargo Of objections and bury
| 1t again. After five or six funerals of this
kind ! got sort Of tired and quit. 1t go,
to be July and their month at Mates wa.
most over. l was up there the evening
| of the 3d. and 1 happened to ask 'em Il
they wanted me and the sloop for the