The sun., 1909-12-26

ing II. but when arrived homo found
the enemy In full possession OF the camp.
Not only wRs Mr.. Mum wrinkling his
oaggy black suit in my armchair. but
lurking In the warmth OF Laura's wing
was the pale faced girl from the other
end cf Mrs. Craw's table.
This IL Miss Callie snapp. George
said my sister. she 10 such dear. know
you win be enthusiastic IN her cause
when she and tell you her story
For q fact there was something un-
ahectedly and pathetically rowing about
the story OF the little Western girl as
stammered by her and amplified by Laura.
The simple annals OF devotion TO a wid
owed mother. OF hard work at sewing
and teaching. OF high hopes In the fortune
Of the shoe. tho only bequest Of her
deac father. In the lack OF thrift. in the
excess Of faith. there was all the alluring
unworldliness Of fairy tale.
Then too there was Mum. with his
sombre. almost fanstical earnestness, 70
supplement- and fortify with facts. The
in tho speech Of people. He had como
into possession Of the few assets Of the
bankrupt firm OF Berry a Lincoln. Every
body thereabout knew all abosrt the big
shoe that bad stood for 80 many year.
thh hH0nb VI b4ic otOtO. 41Dy lh0A ktt@n "
. ssndon, at the -daypos whom IL had
besn shippsd from the loft in Snaps
old barn.
What else could l. do but convey the
assurance Of Mr.. Gizer's interest. though
l took pains not to say that 1t had been
there are some things. that need not to
be said. There was q dsmire look In my
sisters brown eyes that told me she
knew more about Il than did.
Il regret to shunt q cloud on these
radiant skies,' said Mr.. Mum. .but Il
10 proper for me to tell you. Miss Bufum;
indeed. out Of respect for my own pledge
to you 1 must tell you that notwith-
standing my absolute secrecy in COM
plisnce ;, Nth ts your rsSSsst MS: r. os.r on is
1T seems that the cook, with whom
Mrs. Craw had just had some difference.
had come up the stairs In time to witness
that little scene and out OF revenge not
only told her mistress but the boarders
about-rer-Kalamaxoo 1870. The result
was most calamltous.
Most OF the boarders left the house
on the ground that they had been taken
IN there by false pretences. and Mrs.
Craw got 20 abusive that Mrs. and
Miss Snapp and myself followed suit.
do hope her house will fill up again and
that she win recover her temper. for
otherwise fear from the nature OF her
remarks that she may attempt reprisals.
She knows about the shoe. you sse.'
aghast, sisnt that too bad. sent the
story OF TO the Newtown Clarion. chang:
ing situation and names OF course, and
the paper win be on sale here tomorrow.
hope she doesn't happen to see IT,
Well. OF course she did see It. There
are no hopes 20 inane as those that people
will not see what they should not see.
On the contrary a mslign. microscopic
power seems TO descend on them.
The very next morning. when I was
on my way to inspect the shoe. which
had been received tentatively by the
Smithsonian Institution. that is to say.
tucked away in the basement with the
two headed horse and so on. met Mrs.
Craw evidently coming from the same
inspiring errand. She looked dinRy.
unhappy. desperate. ! must say felt
sorry for her and for myself. II there
In a worse stage than keeping boarders
IL is that of MOI having 5ozTdsrs 20 keep.
She nailed me with her ireful glance
she held me in her mittened clutch a.
was about 70 take to the bushes-
'Ah. yes. Mr.. Buffuni. TO he sure" she
said with excessive civiiity. 'You are
not as young as you used to be: that is
to say you are about my age. Perhaps
you also remember when IL was that little
boys stopped kicking their toes through
their shoesl'
Il never did charge my memory with
that important date. madam I replied
courteously.
-Oh, mighty fne. indeedl Well. luckily
I did, as your friends will find when they
come to submit their ridiculous. shame
lsss claim to the scrutiny OF truth. The
shoe will be on the other foot then. I'm
thinking.
1T ia all very right Of course to ruin
lone woman's living on account Of an inno-
cent mistake. unless. ss believe. IL was a
vile conspiracy. and then hold her up to
scorn in them nasty papers. but my day
in court Ia coming: Friday too
And very properly 80. madam I
could not keep from saying.
1Pahl You've been ready enough 70
stun yourself with IL and keep me waiting
for my pay at times. Pride goeth before
a fall. and the bigger the shoe the harder
the trip. mark that.
out Of a shoe to whip them all round and
send them TO bed. IL was with a chas-
tened spirit that hurried into the Smith
sonian's cellar and examined the mann
moth model that had kicked up such
dust.
Il certainly looked as old an the ark;
It's vast sides OF leather cracked. it's cables
OF laces frayed. its tr1inklike pegs rough
hewn, but the tip OF the toe showed me-
chanical, modern skill.
IL was metallic. OF the very sort, now
dimly remembered, that bad restrained
the Kicking propensities Of little boys TO
the wonder Of the nation in the primitive
days OF my youth. Er pede Hsrculem.
What value then had our golden legend
II its foot was clay?
AZ ali events I must find out where
we stood. II was painful to think OF
Mr.. Munn's modification and Callie's
blighted hopes, yet they had each other
at a valuation reciprocally excessive
they were rich In love. But there was
my Congressman. Mr.. Gizer. with his
ardent, disinterested advocacy. Many
a promising Congressional career had
been blighted by a less obvious charge
OF fraud.
Sc foreboding went over to the Patent
once, but even before I could inquire
I knew the worst. Al the top OF the steps
I met Mrs. Craw coming out. She held
a apa Lad and oartified DaIor In her hand