The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-01
CHAPTER TX.

A
 EIIH HEN Freckles crossed Sleepy
 Mk Snake creek and the goldfinch, lH waiting as ever. challenged. o1 See me?'' he saw the dainty, Swaying grace of the angel instead. What is a man to do with an angel who dismembers herself and scatters | over a whole swamp. thrusting vivid reminder upon him at every turE2 . You needn't be thinking." he said to the goldfnch. that because I'm coming down this line alone day after day it's always to be so. Some of | these days you'll be swinging on this wire. and you'll see me coming. and you'll swing. skip and firt yourself around and chip up right spunky, See me?' I'll be saying See you? See herr You'll look. and there she'll stand. The sunshine won't look gold any more. nor the roses pink. nor the sky blue. because she'll be the pinkest. bluest. goldest thing of all. You'll be yelling yourself hoarse with the jeal- ousy of her. The saw bird will stretch his neck out of joint. and she'll turn the heads of all the flowers. Wherev- CT she goes I can go back afterward and see the things she's seen. walk the path she's walked. hear the grass es whispering over all the things she's said, and if there's place too swampy for her bits of feet, maybe-maybe shed be putting the beautiful arms of her about me neck and letting me carry her over.''
 Freckles shivered as with a chill. He sent the cudgel whirling skyward, dexrously caught it and set it spin ming.
 Maybe she'n be wanting the cup me blue and brown chickens raised their babies in. If there's any feathers falling that day. why. it's from the wings of me chickens-it's sure to be. for the only angel outside the gates will be walking this dmberline. and every step of the way I'll be holding me breath and praying that she don't unfold wings and sail off before the hungry eyes of me-"
 When the week was up Freckles had his room crisp and glowing with fresh living things that rivaled every tint of the rainbow. He carried bark and filled up all the muckiest places of the trail
 It was middle July. The heat of the last few days had dried up the water about and through the Limberlost. so that 1t was possible to cross it on foot in almost any direction If one had any idea of direction and did not become completely lost in it's rank tangle of vegetation and bushes.
 The heat was doing one other thing that was bound to make Freckles. as a good Irishman. shiver As the swale dried its inhabitants were seeking the cooler depths of the swamp. They liked neither the heat nor leaving the field mice. moles and young rabbits of their chosen location. He saw them crossing the trail every day as the heat grew intense. The rattlers were sadly forgetting their manners. for they struck on no provocation whatever and didn't even remember to rattle afterward. Daily Freckles was compelled to drive big black snakes and blue racers from the nests of his chickens. Often the terrified squalls of the parent birds would reach him far down the line, and he would run to the rescue of the ba- bies.
 He saw the angel when the carriage turned from the corduroy into the clearing. They stopped at the west entrance to the swamp, waiting for him to precede them down the trail. as he had told them it was safest for the horse that he should do so. They followed the east line to a point oppo- | site the big chickens tree, and Free kIes carried in the cameras and showed the Bird Woman path he had cleared to the log.
 They arranged that Freckles should drive the carriage into the east en- trance in the shade and then take the horse around toward the north to a better place he knew. Then he was to entertain the angel at his study or on the line until the Bird Woman fin ished her work and came to them.
 Freckles trod on air. for his dream had come tFue so soon. He was going down. the timberline and the angel was following him. He asked to be excused for going first. because he wanted to | be sure the trail was safe for her. | She laughed at his fears, telling him that it was the polite thing for him to dot anyway.