The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-26

0eSnakeS 6ln as your body and as thick as your arm. You would always be alone, and the Limberlost Is alive with sounds and voices. don't pretend to say what all of them come rom, but lIom a few sinking forms I've seen and hair raising yells I've heard I'd rather not confront their owners myself, and am neither weak nor fearful.
 Worst of all. any man who will enter the swamp to mark and steal timber is a desperate fellow. One Of my employees at the south camp. John Carter, compelled me to discharge him for number Of serious reasons, He entered the swamp alone and marked number of valuable trees that he was endeavoring to sell to our rival company when we secured the lease. He has sworn to have these trees if them. 's
 But if he came to steal trees wouldn't he bring teams and men enough. that all any man could do would be to watch and be after youT queried the boy.
 "Yes." replied Mclean. 'sThen why couldn't 1 be watching just as closely and coming as fast as an older. stronger man?"
 "Why. by George, you couldr' ex- claimed Mclean. "I don't know that the size of man would be half so important as his grit and faithfulness. What is your name?"
 Freckles grew a shade whiter, but his eyes never faltered-
 "Freckles." he said.
 "Good enough for every day." laugh ed Mclean. but l can scarcely put ,FreckIes on the company's books"
 'f haven't any name," replied the boy.
 ''I don't understand" said Mclean.
 .I was thinking from the voice and the face of you that you wouldn't" said Freckles slowly.
 Docs it seem to you that any one would take newborn baby and row over it until it was bruised black, cut of its hand and leave it out in a bit ter night on the steps of charity home to the care of strangers? That's what somebody did to me.
 ''The home people took me in. and was there the full legal age and several years over. They could always find homes for the rest of the children but nobody would ever be wanting me on account of me arm."
 Were they kind to youw asked Me Lean.
 T don't know" answered Freckles The reply sounded so hopeless even to his own ears that he hastened to qual fly it by adding: 'sYou see, it's like this, sir. Kindnesses that people are paid to lay off in job lots and that CTS ain't going to be soaking into any one fellow much"
 -'Go on." said Mclean.
 There's nothing worth the taking of your time to tell,' replied Freckles. ''The home was in Chicago, and was there all me life up to three months ago. When l was too old for the train ing they gave to the little childrenthey sent me out to the nearest ward school
  was never like any of the other chil- dren, and they all knew it. I'd to go and come like a prisoner and be working about the home early and late for me board apd clothes. l always wanted to learn, mighty bad, but I was glad when that was over.
 "Then a new superintendent sent me down in the state to man he said he knew that needed a~boy. He wasn't for remembering to tell that man that I was hand short. and he knocked me down. Between noon and that evening he and his son. e ut my age. had me in pretty much the same shape in which l was found in the beginning, so l lay awake that night and run away. I'd like to have squared me ac- count with that boy before I left, but I didn't dare for fear of waking the old man, and knew I couldn't handle the two of them. but I'm hoping to meet him alone some day before