The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1912-06-20
FRECKLES
BY
Gene SGraGG@NN-
Porter
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE

hat and beat the dust from II care
fully. With his left hand he caugh
the right sleeve, wiped his sweat,
face and tried to straighten his hal
with his fingers. He broke a spray Of
ironwort beside him and used the pur
pie blossoms to beat the dust from
his shoulders and limbs.
Mclean was q Scotchman. The mer
Of his camps had never known him tc
be In a hurry or to lose his temper
Discipline was inGexible. but the boss
always was kind. He shared camI
life with his gangs. The only visible
signs OF his great wealth consisted OF
big. shimmering diamond stone OF
Ice and fire that glittered and burned
on one Of his fingers and the dainty
beautiful, thoroughbred mare he rode
I No man Of McLean's gangs could
honestly say that he had ever been
overdriven or underpaid. They all
knew that up In the great timber city
several millions stood to bis credit.
He was the only son of that Nc
Lean who had sent out the finest ships
ever built In Scotland. That his son
should carry on this business after his
death had been the fathers ambition.
He sent the boy through Edinburgh
university and Oxford and allowed
him several years travel.
Then he was ordered through south
ern Canada and Michigan to purchase
a consignment Of tall. straight timber
Tor aato nd tnN a.
oak beams. The young man entered
these mighty forests, parts of which
still lay untouched since the dawn OF
the morning Of time. The intense ST.
lence, like that Of great empty cathe-
dral. fascinated him. He gradually
learned that to the shy wood crea-
lures that darted across his path or
peeped inquiringly from leafy ambush
he was brother. He found himself
approaching. with a feeling of rever-
ence, those majestic trees that had
stood through ages of sun, wind aud
snow. Soon It became a difficult
thing to fell them. When he had fill
ed his order and returned home he
was amazed to find that in the swamps
and forests he had lost his heart, and
1t was calling, forever calling him.
When he inherited his fathers prop
erty he promptly disposed Of 1t and.
with his mother, founded a home I'm a
splendid residence In the outskirts OF
Grand Rapids. With three partners
he organized a lumber company. His
work was to purchase, fell and ship
the timber to the mills. Marshall
managed the milling process and pass
ed the lumber on to the factory. From
the lumber Barthol made beautiful
and useful furniture. which Uptegrove
scattered all over the world from a
big wholesale house.
Mclean faced a young man, still I'M
der twenty, tall. spare, heavily framed.
thickly freckled and red haired. with
n homely Irish face, but In the steady
gray eyes, straightly meeting his
searching ones Of blue, there were un.
swerving candor and a look of long.
Ing not to be ignored.
you are looking for workT ques-
toned Mclean.
L Is, answered freCkleS.
IL am very sorry" said the boss,
but there is only one man want at
present-a good. big fellow with a
stout heart and a strong body. l hoped !
that you would do, but l am afraid !
you are too young and hardly strong I
"And what was 1t you thought I
night be doingT asked Freckles.
The boss could scarcely repress
tart. Somewhere back OF accident 1
md poverty had been an ancestor who
ised cultivated English, even with an
lccent. The boy spoke in mellow
IRISH voice, sweet and pure. 1t was
carcely definite enough to be called
Drogue, yet there was trick in the
urning of the sentence. the wrong
ound of letter here and there, that
vas almost Irresistible TO Mclean
lie was OF foreign birth. and. despite
ears Of alienation, in times OF strong
ceiling he fell into Inherited sins of
ccent and construction
ITS no child's job" answered Me
can. 81 am the field manager of n
nmber company. We have just leased
900 acres OF the Limberlost. Many
T these trees are of great value. We
ant leave our camp, six miles south.
or almost a year yet, so we have
LACED trail and strung barbed wires
ecurely about the extent OF this lease.
iefore we return 10 our work | must
ut this Limberlost lease In the hands
{ reliable, brave, strong man who ,
'ill guard It every hour Of the day
nd sleep with one eye open at night ,
should require the entire length Of
he trail TO be walked at least twice ,
very day, TO make sure that our lines
'ere up and no one had been tres. !
asslng." ,
"But why wouldn't that be the finest I
Do I'm the world for met" pleaded I
reckles. 81 am never sick. could I
ak the trail twice. three times every I
ay, and I'd be watching sharp all the
lille" Z
"It's because you are little more than @
boy. and this will be a trying Job I
l.. !