Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-09

T1UT on the trail the Bro woman
I'M wheeled on Mclean with q
dumfounded look
do you thing the ange
knew she did that?" she asked softly.
NO" said Mclean. Il do not Blu
the poor boy knew it. Heaven helE
him.
The Bird Woman stared across the
gently waving swale Il don't see
how l am going to blame her" sht
said at last Its so exactly what
would have done myself"
Say the resi-" demanded Mclean
hoarsely DO him Justice"
He is a born gentleman" conceded
the Bird Woman HE took no ad
vantage. He never even offered tt
touch her. Whatever that kiss mean
TO him. he recognized it was the low
ing impulse Of child under stress OF
strong emotion. He was f'ne and man
" as any man ever could have been"
Mclean lifted his hat THANK you.
he snid simply and parted the bushes
for her to enter Freckles room.
1t was her first visit. and before she
left she sent for her cameras and
made studies of each side OF 1t and OF
the cathedral She was entranced with
the delicate beauty Of the place. and
her eyes kept following Freckles as II
she could not believe that it could bs
his conception and work.
That was happy day. The Bird
Woman had brought lunch. and they
spread II. with Freckles' dinner. on the
study foor and sat about. resting and
ENJOYING themselves. But the angel
put her banjo into Its case, silently
gathered Up her music, and no one
mentioned the concert.
The Bird Woman left Mclean and
the angel to clear away the lunch and
with Treckles examined the walls OF
his room and told him al she knew
about his shrubs and flowers. She an
alyzed a cardinal flower and showed
him what he had all summer wanted
to know-why the bees buzzed inef'
fectually about 1t while the humming
birds found IN It an ever ready feast.
Some Of his specimens were so rare
that she was unfamiliar with them
and with the flower book between
them they knelt, studying the different
varieties She wandered the length OF
the cathedral aisle With him, and II
was at her suggestion that he lighted
his altar with a row Of flaming foxhre
AS Freckies came up to the cabin
from hfs long day at the swamp he
saw Mrs. Chicken sweeping away to
the south and wondered where she was
going He stepped into the bright,
coy little kitchen. and as be reached
down the wash basin be asked MIS-,
Duncan question.
Mother Duncan, do kisses wash
orr
Lord, ma. TrecklesH' she cried "At
least the anes sc get from people ye
love dinna. They d:nna stay on the
outside They strike in until they find
the center Of your heart and make
their stopping place there. and naeth
ing can take them from ye-i doIb: .
even death. Ma. lad. ye can be rect
sure kisses dinna wash off"
Freckes set the basin down and NUT
tered. ~ needn't be afraid to be wash
ing. then, for that one struck In L"
II WISH" said Freckies at breakfast
one morning, that I had some way To
be sending q message to the Bird Wo'
man. I've something down at the
swamp that I'm believing never hap
pened before, and surely she'll be want
ing It,"
'Wbat now, Freckies? asked Mrs.
Duncan.
why. the oldest thing you ever
heard Of" said Freckles The whole
insect tribe gone on spree. I'm sup
posing it's my fault. but 1t ali hap
pened by accidentlike. You see. on
the swaie side Of the line. right
against me trail, there's one Of these
scrub wild crab trees. Where the
grass grows thick about 1t is the
finest place you ever conceived OF fot
snakes. Having women about has SET
me trying to clean out those fellows
bit, and yesterday noticed that tree
in passing It struck me that II
would be good idea to be taking Il
out. First thought I'D take me
Ratchet and cut it down, for It amt
thicker than me upper arm. Then
remembered how it was blooming In
the spring and filing all the air with
sweetness The coiorinE OF the bios
SONS Is beautiful. and hated to be
killing II. I Just cut the grass short
all about It. Then I started at the
ground. trimmed up the trunk near
the height Of me shoulder and left
the top spreading That made 1t look
10 truly ornamental that. Idle IKE.
chips, OF the rough places neat. and
this morning, on me soul. its . sight
You see. cutting OF the limbs and
trimming up the trunks sets the SAP
running. In this hot sun It ferments
In few hours. There isn't much
room for more things to crowd on
that tree than there are. and TO gel
drunken isn't noways possible"
"weel, I be drawed ony' exclaimed
Mrs. Duncan. what kind Of things
do ye mean, Freckles?"
"Why. Just an army Of black ants
Some Of them are sucking away like
old topers. Some Of them are setting
up on their tails and hind legs, ID
ding. away with their fore feet and
wiping their eyes. Some are rolling
around on the ground. contented
There are quantities OF Dig niueDottie
aiss over the bark and hanging on the
A. =