The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-27

and lowering It's exquisite wings to dry them and to establish circulation Freckles realized that it would soon be able to spread them and sail away His long coming soul sent up its first shivering cry.
 'I don't know what it is. Oh. wish I knew! How I wish I knew! It must be something grand. It can't be a butterfly. It's away too big. Oh. I wish there was some one to tell me what it is!'
 He climbed on the locust post and. balancing himself by the wire. held finger in the line of the moths advance up the twig. It unhesita tingly climbed on. and he stepped back to the path. holding it up to the light and examfn- ing it closely. Then he held it in the shade and turned it. gieating over it's markings and beautiful coloring. When he held the mt]eh back to the limb 1t climbed on. still waving those magnih cent wings.
 "My, but I'd like to be staying with you! be said. "Rut if I was to stay here all day you couldn't get any pret tier than you are right now and wouldn't get smart enough to tell what you are. I suppose there's some one that knows. Of course there Is. MT. Mclean said there were people that Knew every leaf, bird and flower in the Limberlost. Oh. lord. how I wish you'd be telling me just this one thingw
 The goldfnch had ventured back to the wire, for there was his mate only a few inches above the man creat lures head. and. indeed. he simply must not be allowed to look up just them, so the brave little fellow rocked on the wire and piped up, just as he had done ev- cry day for a week, ''See me; see meT'
 'See you! Of course I see you" growled Freckles. Il see you day aft. CT day, and what good is it doing me! I might see you every morning for year and then not be able to be telling any one about it. Seen a bird-little and yellow as any canary, with black silk wings That's as far as I'd get. What you doing here anyway? Have you a mate? Whats your name? See you? 1 reckon I see you. but might as we'll be blind for any good it's doing meI''
 Freckles impat;t ntly struck the wire. With a screech of fear the goldfncb fled precipitately. His mate tore from off the nest with a whirr. Freckles looked up and saw it.
 "O-hor' he cried. "So that's what you are doing here! You have a wife"
 Freckles climbed up to examine the neat, tiny cradle and its contents. The hen darted at him in a frenzy. "Now. where do you come imp he demanded when he saw that she was not like the goldfnch.
 "You be clearing out of here! This is none of your fry. This is the nest of me little yellow friend of the wire. and you shan't be touching it. Don't blame you for wanting to see though My. but it's a fine nest and beauties of eggs. Will you be keeping away or will I fire this stick at your
 Freckles dropped back to the trail. The hen darted to the nest and settled on it with a tender. coddling move ment. He of the yellow coat flew t. lhC CQpC LO AdhC SuI v lA4&L CfCA IAiA was right.
 "Well. I'll be switchedv muttere Freckles. "If that ain't both the nest. And he's yellow and she's greer IT she's yellow and he's green. O .ourSe I don't know, and 1 haven any way to find out. but it's plain !. the nose on your face that they ai both ready to be fighting for that ne> so of course they belong. Don't tn beat you? Say. that's what's be, sticking me for all of these two wee; on that grass nest in the thorn tr down the line. One day bluebi is setting. and think it is hers. TT next day @ brown bird is on. and 'hase it off because the nest is blue. Next day the brown bird is on agai md I let her be because I think must be hers. Next day, be goll blues on again, and of I sent her h 'ause it's browns. and now I bet hat it's both their nest. and I've on been bothering them and making b fool of meself.''
 Freckles plodded on down the tra scowling blackly and viciously span ing the wire. At the finches' nest | left the line and peered into the thor tree. There was no bird breeding. H pressed closer to take a peep at tn snowy. spotless little eggs he ha, found so beautiful, and at the sligh noise up fared four tiny baby heads with wide open mouths and hunger cries. Freckles stepped back. The brown bird lit on the edge and closed one cavity with a wiggling green worm. and not two minutes later the blue filled another with something white. That settled it. The blue and brown were mates. Once again Freckles repeated his How wish ] knew!'
 About the bridge spanning Sleep, Snake creek the swale spread wid. the timber largely dropped away, ano willows, rushes. marsh grass ans splendid wild flowers grew ~bundant ly. Lazy big black water snakes. foi winch the creek was named, stunned ol the bushes. wild ducks and grebe chat tered. cranes and herons fished. and mu rats plowed the bank in queer. rolling furrows. It was always a place full of interest to Freckles.
 Freckles struck slowly into the path