The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-02-29


minutes. ! want a clear, cool, spar
king drink that has d tang of acid il
IT,"
The angel compounded the drink ant
carried the brimming glass 10 Freck les
He said in the melowest of all tn,
mellow tones of his voice. IN b,
drinking it to the Swamp Angel"
And as he had said to her that frs
day the angel now cautioned him, BE
drinking slowly"
AS the screen door swung behind
them one of the men at the counter
asked of the attendant. Now. what
did that mean?"
Exactly what you saw" replied he
rather curtly Were accustomed TO
IL in here. Hardly a day passes this
hot weather but she's picking up some
! poor. god forsaken mortal and bring
ing him In. Then she comes behind
the counter herself and fixes up a
drink TO suit the occasion"
mighty queer specimen she had this
time" volunteered another. Wonder
who he tsp
IL think" said a third. that he's
McLean's Limberlost guard, and | sus-
pect she's gone to the swamp with the
Bird Woman for pictures and knows
him that way"
Out on the street the angel walked
beside Freckes to the first crossing.
and there she stopped.
Ibid you insist on fixing that drink
because you knew how Intoxicating
'twoud be-" asked Freckles.
There was subtlety in the compli-
ment, and the angel laughed gleefully.
Next time maybe you won't take so
much coaxing." she said.
81 wouldn't this If | had known your
father and been understanding you
better Do you really think the Bird
Woman will be coming again."
The angel jeered. wild horses
couldn't drag her away" she cried,
"She will have hard work to wait the
week out. ! shouldn't be in the least
surprised to see her start any hour"
Freckles couldn't bear the suspense;
1t had TO come.
"And you?" he questioned, but he
dared not lift his eyes.
wild horses me. too' she laughed. |
couldn't keep me away either. Now,
goodby."
Freckles was half way to the Linn |
berlost when he dismOunted. He could |
ride no farther. because he could not |
see the road. He sat down under a |
tree and. leaning against it. burst into
q storm of sobs that shook. twisted
and rent him. If they would remind
him of his position. speak cOndescend-
ingly or notice his hand he could
bear it. but this-it would surely kill
him, His hot. pulsing Irish blood
could not bear it, What did they
mean? Why did they do it? We're
they like that to every one? Was it
pity?
1t could not be. for he knew that the
Bird Woman and the angels father
must know that he was not really Me-
Leans son. and it did not matter to
them in the least. In spite of acct
lent and poverty, they evidently eX-
Dected him TO do something worth
v
remedy. He must go TO work on his
He must get away. He
must find and do the great thing of
which the angel talked. For the first ,
line his thoughts turned anxiously to-
ward the city and the beginning of his
tudies. Mclean and the Duncans
poke of him as 1.-THE boy" but he was ,
man. He must face life bravely and
ct a mans part. The angel was a
mere child. He must not allow her Il
o torture him past bearing with her {
rank cOmradeship that meant to him z
Ugh heaven. earthS richness and all 5
hat lay between and just nothing to v
er. q
There was an Ominous growl of >
hunder. and Freckles snatched up his I
'heel and raced for the swamp. He >
-as worried to find his boots lying at "
ne cabin door. The children playing =
n the wood pile told him that mither j.
aid they were so heavy she couldn't II
ak in them and she had come back
nd taken them off. Thoroughly d
'ightened. he stopped only long 81
lough TO slip them on himself and
len sped with all his strength for 81
lie Limberlost. To the west the long. b
ack. hard beaten trail lay clear. but &c
If up the east side. straight across al
lie path, he could see what was GER w
inly limp brown figure. -
Face down. Sarah Duncan lay across eC
e trail When Freckles turned her ii
'er his blood chilled Mt the look Of
,rror frozen on her face. There was ii
low humming and something spat- al
d against him. CHANGING about. oil
reckless shivered in terror, for there 70
rs swarm OF wild bees settled on til
scrub thorn only a few yards away. "a
lie air was thick with excited. unset So
ID bees making ready TO lead fur -
err in search OF a suitable location. f
len he thought he understood, and
tn a prayer of thankfulness in his Sc
art that she had escaped even so W
rrowly he caught her up and hur- 7
d down the trail until they were !.
III out Of danger.
de
CHAPTER Mi. pc
WITH HIS SWAMP ANGEL sn