The Red Cloud chief., 1908-12-25
CHAPTER VII.
Sweet SIMPLICITY,

CHAPTER VII.
Sweet Simplicity.
And 30 that's how they begun to live
the Natural Life. what Van called the
accept-no-imitations" kind. says
they" but ought to have said I'VE"
Tor was in 1t. I was in it over head
and hands from that time on. didn't
mean to be. When said wouldn't
emigrate to Horsefoot Ozone and be
5cook and general roustabout for the
Heavenly Twins was Just as certain
u meant what said as body could be.
NO." says I.
"YeS," says Van.
Vow can leave the Old Home
f1s?" I says.
NHow can you Y we us?' he says.
"But you've ~ James"
"Yes but les hasn't got U.S."
"But I can't lord to come" says I.
SecdnS afford to do anything
else." says he. Aud that's about what
It amounted to---I couldn't afford to do
nothing else. The wages kept jumping
like summer folks bids at one of them
auction sales of antiques" l seemed
to be as valuable as grandmother's
busted hair cloth sofa. II I'd hung out
long enough / cal'late the Heavenlies
would have fixed me so I'd have begun
to feel twas q crime to die rich.
| give in frst; want everybody to un..
derstand that.
"All right" says /. "Thatll do; I'll
Acowe. But hope you'll pay me In a
k room. I'll be ashamed to look
~ in the face and take that much
moh6y" ~.
They said they was satisfied II I
was. was satisfied, all but my con-
science. Made me wish could swop
consciences with Scudder.
Mates conscience wasn't worrying
him any; you can bet on that. l
wan'n't around when he made the deal
for renting 'em the island. but. from
what heard afterwards, the price
would have been high II he'd been sell
ing It to 'em by the pound to scour
knives with. He agreed to get bedding
for 'em and tin things. and q pig. and
crockery. and hens. and groceries. and
boards to tinker up the barn with, and
anything else that might come in
handy. Likewise he was to fetch and
carry for 'em between the village and
the island: so much to fetch and twice
that to carry. And Hubby Ann was to
do the washing.
When the Twins told me about It
you'd think they'd just pulled through
one OF them stock deals" OF theirs.
and come out on top.
isn't It great?" crows Van, happy
as clam at high water. We've ar
ranged 1t all. Everything is provided
Tor and will be DONE"
Z, could see two things that was go
1As to be done--brown: but didn't
say nothing.
TITS mighty good of Scudder to ac-
commodate US this way" says Hart
ley. Hes a gem, O rough diamond"
"Scudder," says Van, "is one of Ma
ture's noblemen."
OF course twa'n't none Of my funer.
al; couldn't interfere. But I'm a
democrat myself, so the nobility don't
appeal to me much, and II Nate Scud-
der's diamond I'm glad / can't at
ford Jewelry.
The next day was a busy one for all
hands, each In his own particular
line. Nate commenced running "ac-
commodation" trains, 30 to speak, be-
tween his house and the village and
Horsefoot Bar--Ozone island, should
say. AS for nae. went up to the Old
Home house right on. explained mat
ters to the manager and cleared out
for my new Job. The Heavenlies moved
over to Ozone that very morning. Lord
James went with EN- and the simple
' naturalness commenced. III
Fast as Nate would arrive In his
dory with cargo OF dunnage I'd cart
It up to the Berry house and dump It
ON the piazza. Lord James was flying
around. with face on him as sour as
cranberry pie. opening windows and
airing rooms and sweeping out. and
the like OF that. The old ahebang had
been shut up for a couple OF years
: and was as musty and damp as re-
Y ceiving tomb. His lordship looked like
the head mourner: this kind of work
Jared his dignity.
Look acre. Pratt" says he to me
~Ow long do you think we'rc going to
stay 'ersi"