The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-08-14
UNDER the KING
OF
the PINES.
Ey ALICE SPENCER GEDDES.
r r + + r r r + r r r r r + +

r - r r r + r + r r + + +
The whistle of the New Hampshire
| Lumber Company's saw mill pie"
shrilly in the mountain air. The work.
men began to collect their coats ana
| empty dinner boxes preparatory 10
scrambling into Bill Bickford's cart for
their homeward journey. The dusty
white mare settled herself in her har-
ness and broke into that rambling trot
which it was her custom never to vary
during the entire eight miles to the
village.
Say, fellers, look at tibet, now said
Bill. as they turned into the valley.
The men looked anXiously toward
one-story cabin which stood alone IN
the centre of field on the opposite
side Of the road from the clearing.
On the low doorstep crouched an old
man, his head resting on his knees,
and his long, white hair falling almost
to the ground.
when | KEN down to the river
morn two hour ago." continued Bill,
Uncle Ord sat thar jest like tibet, and
he amt moved straw since. Guess
he's sleepin'.'
The rattle OF the ramshackle cart
died away and only the gurgle of the
bull frogs and the chirping of a wake
full bird broke the twilight stiffness
AS the sunset colors grew dim, Uncle
Ord's head sank lower and lower and
he began to rock himself back and
forth and moan:
1T amt no use, can't bear 1t no
how. 1t amt no use."
Never before had Uncle Ord been
otherwise than happy. He was so gay
and joyous a playmate that the chill
dren for miles around all loved him.
and the farm folks would have as soon
expected to see the King of the Pines,
on the top of the mountain opposite
his cabin, wither and die as to find
Uncle Ord sorrowful. So many were
the years that he had lived alone In
his little cabin that even the Oldest
inhabitants could hardly remember
when he came, or the reasons for his
choice of solitary life. AS time
brought more and more infirmities to
him, the kindly folks of the valley
came to feel that Uncle Ord was a per-
sonal responsibility. They took turns
in taking him provisions, and as the
winters came around, one and another
tried in vain to persuade him to leave
his lonely home and live with them.
When the New Hampshire Lumber
Company built the saw mill, and the
roar of the machinery shut off the
songs Of the birds, Uncle Ord grew per-
ceptibly weaker and weaker. He
seemed to wither with the trees as
they lay strewn upon the hillside. But
every day-each time more slowly and
feebly-he climbed the mountain and
rested for longer and longer time
under the remaining pines.
On the morning of the day when
Bill Bickford thought he was asleep,
one of the men had called out to him
as he passed the mill.
well, Uncle Ord" he had said,
"ye'd better make the most of them
pines terday, fer they'll be the next
to 60 tomorrow"
Uncle Ord reeled and swayed where
he stood. His knees gave way, but
with courageous effort he drew him
self erect, pointed with his gaunt and
trembling forefnger to group of
pines on the crest of the mountain,
and in thin, cracked voice asked
weakly:
Them up there, de We mean?"
The man nodded.
Uncle Ord stared first at the man
and then at the trees, his weather.
stained, tanned cheeks grew pale un-
der the brown, his lips moved but the
sounds he made in his throat were un-
ineligible. At last his head fell
weakly on his breast and his arms
dropped Imply at his sides Then he
turned and tottered down the hill.
When he reached the cabin he sank on
the doorstep and did not move until
roussd by the shouts of Bill and the