Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-27
rn4rs1 UB1IoAN MARslI IOWA

TIdEs-REPUBLIC.AN.N ~
caught Up With rrsckles poundins
heart hs watched the boss from the
tail OF his eye. How had Mcl-san got
there. and how long had hs been
there1 Frsckles did not dare ask. At
last he arose and. going to the case,
took out bis revolver and the wire
mending apparatus and locked the
door. Then hs turned 70 Nolan.
."Havs you any ordsrs. sirT' hs ask.
ed.
eyes," said Mclean. II have. ana
you are to follow them to the letter.
Turn over that apparatus to me and
90 straight home. SOAK yourself In
the hottest bath your skin will bear
and 70 to bed at once. Now. hurry"
..Mr. Mclean" said Freckies. Its
sorry I am to b telling you. but tho
afternoons walking OF the line amt
done. You zee. was Just for getting
to mo feet to start. and was on good
time when up came . gintleman. and
We got into q little heated argument.
It's either settled or its just begun.
but between us I'm that late 1 haven't
started for the afternoon yet. must
be going at once. for there's q tree
must find before the days over.
"You plucky little idiot" growled
Mclean, .you can't walk the line! l
doubt If you can get to Duncan's.
Don't you know when you are done
up? You go to bed. III 6nish your
work."
;..Niverv' protested Freckles. X was
Just a little done up for the prtsint a
minute ago. I'm all right now. Rid
ing boots are away too low The
days hot and the walk Q good seven
miles, sir. Niverr'
AS he reached for the outfit be. pitch.
ed forward and his eyes closed. Nc
Lean stretched him on the moss and
applied restoratives. When Freckles
returned to consciousness Mclean ran
to the cabin to tell Mrs: Duncan to get
hot bath ready and to bring Nellie.
That worthy woman promptly filed
the wash boiler and set roaring. fire
under it. She pushed the horse trough
OF it, base and rolled It up to the
kitchen.
BY the time Mclean came again.
leading Nellie and holding Frecklea on
her back. Mrs. Duncan was ready for
business. She and the boss laid Freck.
les in a trough and poured on hot wa
ter until he sQuirmed. They soaked.
rubbed and secured him. Then they
let the hot water OF and closed his
pores With cold. Lastly they stretched
him on the floor and chafed. rubbed
and kneaded him until he cried out
for mercy. As they rolled him into
bed his eyes dropped shut, but little
later they Jared open.
"Mr. Mclean" he cried. "the tree!
Oh. do be looking after the tree"
Mclean bent over him. which tree.
Freckles?"
II don't know exact. sir. but It's on
the east line. and the wire is fastened
to it. He Dragged that you nailed u
yourself, sir. You'll know tt.:by the
bark having been laid open 10 the
grain. somewhere low down. and 1t was
$500 he offered me-tD be-seiling you
/ out-siry'
Freckles' head rolled over and his
eyes dropped shut. McLean's mind
Travelled back to the night almost
year before when he had engaged
Freckles. a stranger.
Mclean bent. covering the hurt arm
with one hand and laying the other
with caress on the boys forehead.
rreck!es stirred at his touch and twit-
tered as softly as the swallows under
the caves
'1f you're coming this way-tomor.
row-be pleased to step overland Well
repate the-chorus softly"
"Bless the gritty devil" growled Nc
Lean.
Then he went out and told Mrs. Dun-
can to keep close watch on Freckles
and send Duncan to him at the swamp
the minute he came home. Following
the trail down to the line and back to
the scene of the fight. the boss entered
FreckIes' study softly. as II his spirit
sleeping there might be reused. and
gazed about with astonished eyes.
How had the boy conceived 1t? What
q picture he had wrought in living COL
ors! He had the heart Of painter;
he had the soul Of poet. The boss
stepped carefully over the velvet car
pet and touched the walls of crisp YER
dure with gentle fingers. He stood
long beside the flower bed and gased
at the banked wall Of bright 60wers a.
|; II be could never leave Oh.
/ Ito be Continued.)
The Danger Of L. Grippe
Is its fatal tendency to pneumonia. To
..a,,. II ur,pr,o co,,~ha <ako En1ov'a