The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-09

down and where the bushes were thick over it. l believe I could be finding some of them"
 Good head!" said Mclean. eve will do that. You may begin as soon as you are rested. And about things you came s<ress in the swamp Freckles. the most trifiing little thing that you think the Bird Woman would want, take your wheel and go after her at any time. I'll leave two men on the line, SO that you will have one on eithes side. and you can come and go as you please. Have you stopped to think of all we owe her. my boy?'
 'sYis: and the angeI-we owe her a lot. too" said Freckles. 'I owe her me life and honor It's lying awake nIghtO I'll have to be- trying to think how I'm ever to pay her up."
 "Well, begin with the muff." e1g- gested Mclean. That should be fine." /FreckIes told Mclean of Mrs. Dun. cans desire for a hat like the an- gels. He hesitated little in the tell ing and kept sharp watch on Mc- Leans face. When he saw the boss eyes were full of sympathy he loved him anew. for. as ever, Mclean was quick to understand. Instead of laughing he said: ''I guess you'll have to let me in on that too. You mustn't be selfish. you know. I'll tell you what we'll do. Get 1t for Christmas I'll be home then. and we can send box. You get the hat. I'll add dress and wrap. You get Duncan a hat and gloves. I'll send him a big overS coat. and we'll put in a lot of little stuff for the babies"
 That would be, away too serious for fun" said Ereckles. ''That would be heavenly"
 A week later everything at the Iim- berlost was precisely as 1t had been before the tragedy. except the case in Freckles' room now rested on the stump of the newly felled tree. Enough of the vines were left to cover is prettf1y. and every yestige of the havoc of a few days before was gone. The new guards were patrolling the trail. Freckles was roughly laying off the swamp in sections and searching for marked trees In that time be had found one deeply chipped and the chip cunningly Tsplaced and tackled in. 1t promised to be quite rare. so he was jubilant. He also found s0> many sub- jects for the Bird Woman that her coming was of almost daily occur renee. and the hours he spent with her and the angel were nothing less than golden.
 The LimberIost now, was arrayed like the queen of Sheba in all her glory. The first frosts of autumn had bejeweled her crown in flashing topaz. ruby and emerald. About her feet fraiIed the purple of her garments. and
 
 Everything was at full tide. 1t seem ed as if nothing could grow loveIier. and it was all standing still a few weeks. waiting coming destruction.
 The swamp was paIpitant with life. Every pair of birds that had locked to 1t in>the spring was now multiplied by from two to teh. The young were tame from Freckles' triparenthoOd. and so plump and sleek that they were quite as beautiful as their elders. even if in many cases they lacked their brilliant pIumage. There were chubby little groundhOgs scudding along the trail. There were cunning baby coons and opossums peeping from hollow logs and trees. Young muskrats fol- lowed their parents across the lagoOns.
 If you could come upon a family of foxes that had not yet disbanded and see the young playing with wild ducks carcass that their mother had brought and note the pride and sat isfaction in her eyes as she lay at one side guarding them it would be a picture not to be forgotten. Freckles never tired of studying the devotion of fox mother to her babies.
 The angel was wild about the baby rabbits and squirrels. Earlier in the season. when the young were still i very small. 1t had so happened that at times Freckles could give into her hands one of these little ones. Then it was pure joy to stand back and watch her heaving breast. flushed cheek and shining eyes. Hers were such lovely eyes They were forever changing. Now sparkling and dark ing with wit. now humid with sym pathy. now burning with the fire of courage. now taking on strength of color with ambition. now flashing tn- diGnantly at the abuse of any creature. She had carried several of the squirrel and bunny babies home and had the conserTatory filtered with them. Her care of them was perfect
 Brown butterfly time had come. The outer edge of the Swale was filled with milkweed and other plants beloved of them. and the air was golden with the flashing satin wings of the monarch. l viceroy and argynnis. They outnum- bered those of any other color three to one.
 Among the birds it really seemed as tf the little yellow fellows were in the preponderauce. At least they were until the red winged blackbirds and bOhoIinks that had nestled on the up- land came swarming by hundreds for these last few weeks before migration. Never was there a finer feast spread for the birds. The grasses were filled | with seeds: so. too. were weeds of every variety. Fall berries were ripe. Wild grapes and black haws were ready.
 They seemed 10 feel the new reign of peace and fuIlness most of all. As for