Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-11-23

CAuCh10 Was OF 6uCQ SIuu LudI q gu
faw of instant growth came out OF II
"a laugh that set the echoes to clap
ping from the various farm buildings
Dotn near and remote, seeming to re-
bound over and over the nearby hill
side, then to return from the strip
OF forest beyond the bottomlands that
Dordered the river, a half mile or so
away sounds that trailed to and fro
! through the crisp air like the voice
of hooking gnomes.
Silas regarded the tramp with
vague suspicion. A dread of insanity
obsessed him. Then shrewd scrutiny
quickly commingled in his mind and
sight. With an inspiration both
strange and irresistible he strobe over
to the spot, grasping the pick in both
hands. Goaded by the mans ringing
laughter that respected neither the
dignity of religion nor of landed own
ership, he deftly caught the cold, thin
! point Of the pick in the mans red
dish beard, which came away without
resistance, leaving a clean-shaVen.
clean-cut face most painfully con-
vulsed with laughter, in the place
of it.
"Anson, by Jericho!" Silas said.
himself beginning to shake with quick
emotion. The man, still bareheaded,
got to his feet, Strengthened himself
and his face, and held out both hands
as he knew a prodigal son properly
should do.
Father 1t was a poor joke, but I
hope to be forgiven, for I trust l am
not as bad as 1 painted myself. How
| is Mother?" he said, while they
gripped and looked soberly, almost
reverently, one at the other.
shes got the same old rascal OF
son that she had as many as twenty
year ago when he was boy and first
went away from home" he acclaimed.
| Cant see as he's improved mite as
fur as behavior goes, or looks either,
by links. Wherein the old grey cat
did you get yer makeup? Well, well,
500, 500! Come along up't the house
and we'll see If Ma can recognize
such scalawag as you are. What?
Another hat? Well, I'm blessed il
you don't look pretty nigh respectable
in that one. Come right on up to the
house SOS not to keep Ma waitin',
for 1 amt sure but some bird or
others let on to her you're here.
Mas mighty keen on tracin' up her
children tell you"
Arson adjusted the hat that he I'M
folded after taking it from his pocket,
then paused to look around at the
familiar scenes of his boyhood. "Has
the old spring gone dry, father?" he
asked.
Silas gave a nonchalant assent, for
the spring was a matter that did not
now greatly concern him, having
found a greater miracle on his prem
ises in the person of a renegade son
returned.
"Ma," he cried, stamping into the
kitchen a few moments later, "it does
beat all who's come-bet ye can't
guess, Ma Bet ye won't know him
from Adam"
'Tt's Arson Slusser. Arson! An
son!" Mother half gasped, bending
forth from her cooking as If awed
by sudden and hitherto undreamed-
of revelation.
"Yep," cut in her husband with
youthful abandon. "fiesh-and-blood An
son, Ma, SO no need O. your classin'
him with them celestials any more.
He's a sight too bad, anyway, to git
In there with the rest Of 'em. He
actually fooled his old pa, and talked
scandalus, too. Bet he wants some
pumpkin pie, though, and mebbe
that1l clarity his sins 'nough so't we
can associate with him. Hope so.
Pie suits most tramps I guess. don't
it, Anson?"
Speaking seriously" said Arson,
when the three had Gained down
somewhat, there's that dried-uu
spring. The thought of it is enough
to spoil our holiday jubilee, for /
know you can never stand the work
of watering the stock from the house!
we'll, father. So what do you say to
nv putting in some modern machine
ery? I'll have a man here to look
over the ground and find a site for a
windmill, a good big one, mind you,
and we'll fix things up here in ship
shape style. We can pipe the house
for water as we'll as the barn and
light both places by the same power.
How does that suit your"
THAT" said his father, greatly mys-
tilted, is impossible"
Arson laughed. Ell show vor, ha
said. and, while Mother, in a bewil-
dering maze Of happiness, hurried the
Thanksgiving dinner forward, the two
men studied newest methods and
plans for the future benefit of the old
farmstead
And, Ma" said Silas, when he be-
gan to understand something of the
main project. at does beat all crea.
ton how the unexpected is bound to
turn I'D. / went studyin' and digging
fer water and what'd find? I found
a.