Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-08

blessed tree" Daylight laughed, but
the joy and satisfaction that shone in
his eyes contented the little man.
"Why, dye know. know every one
OF those trees as if they were SONS OF
mine. I planted them, nursed tnem'
fed them, and, brought them up Come
on and peep at the spring
sTt's sure hummer" was Daylights
verdict, after due inspection and sam
pling, as they turned back for the
house.
The interior was q surprise. The
cooking being done in the small, lean
to kitchen, the whole cabin formed q
large 1iving-room. A great table IN
the middle was comfortably Uttered
with books and magazines. All the
available wall space, from wall to cell
ing, was occupied by filed book
shelves. 1t seemed to Daylight that
he had never seen so many books as
sembled in one place. Skins Of wild
cat, coon and deer lay about on the
pine-board floor.
! Daylight found himself charmed and
made curious by the little man. Why
was he hiding away here in the chap
arral, he and his books? So 1t was,
when between them they had washed
and wiped the dishes and put them
away, and had settled down to COM
Portable smoke, that Daylight put his
question.
LOOK here, Ferguson. Every since
We got together, I've been casting
about to find out what's wrong with
you, to locate screw loose some
where, but I'll be DANCED If I've sue
ceeded. What are you doing here,
anyway"
Ferguson frankly showed his pleas
ure at the questions.
"First of all" he began, "the doctors
wound up by losing all hope for me.
Gave me few months at best. anu
that, after course in sanitariums
and trip to Europe and another 70
Hawaii. They tried electricity and
forced feeding and fasting. I was a
graduate OF about everything in the
curriculum. They kept me poor with
their bills. while went from bad to
worse. The trouble with me was two
fold; first I was born weakling; and
next, was living unnaturally-too
much work, and responsibility ana
strain. I was managing editor OF
the Times-Tribune in San Francisco,
and I wasn't strong enough for the
strain. OF course my body went back
on me. and my mind, too. for that mat
atr. It had to be bolstered up with
whisky. which wasn't good for it an!
more than was the living in clubs
and hotels good for my stomach ano
the rest of me. So quit, quit every
thing. absolutely. and came to live 10
the Valley of the Moon--thats the
Indian name, you know, for Sonoma
Valley. I lived in the lean-to the firs'
year: then l built the cabin and sent
for my books. never knew what hap
piness was before, nor health. LOOK
at me now and dare to tell me that J
look forty-seven."
81 wouldn't give day over forty
Daylight confessed.
"Yet the day came here I looked
nearer sixty, and that was hftee5
years ago."
They talked along, and Daylight
looked at the world from new angles.
Here was a man, neither bitter nor
cynical, who laughed at the city-dwell'
ers and called them lunatics; a man
who did not care for money, and IN
whom the lust for power had long
since died.
It was not until ten o'clock that
Daylight parted from Ferguson. AS
he rode along through the starlight, the
idea came to him of buying the ranch
on the other side Of the valley. There
was no thought in his mind of ever
intending to live on It. His game was
In San Francisco. But he liked the
ranch, and as soon as he got back to
the Office he would open up negotia-
lions with Hillard.
The time passed, and he played on
at the game. San Francisco's atti.
tude toward Daylight had undergone
change. While he, with his slashing
buccaneer methods, was 4 distinct
menace to the more orthodox finan-
cial gamblers, he was nevertheless 80
grave a menace that they were glad
enough to let him alone. He had al
ready taught them the excellence OF
letting a sleeping dog lie.
Dede Mason was still in the Office
He had made no more overtures, dis
cussed no more books. He had no
active interest in her, and she was to
him a pleasant memory Of what had
never happened. a joy, which, by bis
essential nature, he was barred from
ever knowing. Yet, while his interest
had gone to sleep and his energy was
consumed in the endless battles he
waged, he knew every trick of the
light on her hair, every quick definite
mannerism OF movement, every line of
her figure as expoundsd by her tailor.
made gowns. Several times, six
months or so apart, he had increased
her salary. until now she was receir-