The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-03-02

aging editor of great newspaper,
who was content to live in the chapar-
raj along with his spring of mountain
water and his hand-reared and mani
cured fruit trees. Ferguson had solved
problem. A weakling and an alco-
holic, he had run away from the doc
tors and the chicken-coop Of a city,
and soaked up health like a thirsty
sponge He sat down suddenly on the
bed, startled by the greatness of the
idea that had come TO him. He did
not sit long. His mind, working in it's
customary way, like steel trap, can
vassed the idea in all its bearings. It
wes big-bigger than anything he had
faced before. And he faced it square
ly, picked 1t up In his two hands and
turned 1t over and around and looked
at 1t. The simplicity of it delighted
him. He chuckled over it, reached his
decision, and began to dress. Midway
In the dressing he stopped In order to
use the telephone.
Dede was the first he called up.
Don't come to the Office this morn.
ing," he said I'm coming out to see
you for moment"
He called up others. He ordered
his motor-car. To Jones he gave in
structions for the forwarding of Bob
and Wolf to Glen Ellen. Hogan he
surprised by asking him to look up
the deed of the Glen Ellen ranch and
make out new one in Dede Mason's
name. "Who?" Hogan demanded.
"Dede Mason" Daylight replied i'm
perturbably-"the phone must be in.
distinct this morning. D-e-d-e Mason.
Got it?"
Half an hour later he was flying out
to Berkeley. And for the first time
the big red car halted directly before
the house. Dede offered to receive
him In the parlor, but he shook his
head and nodded toward her rooms.
I'm there" he said. mo other place
would suit"
AS the door closed, his arms went
out and around her. Then he stood
with his hands on her shoulders and
looking down into her face.
"Dede, If tell you, fiat and straight,
that I'm going up to live on that ranch
at Glen Ellen, that I amt taking
cent with me, that I'm going to
scratch for every bite l eat. and that
l amt going to play ary q card at the
business game again, will you come
along with me?"
She gave glad little cry, and he
nestled her In closely. But the next
moment she had thrust herself out
from him to the old position at arms
length.
How Is this possible? How can
You leave your BUSINESS? Has any.
thing happened?"
mo, nothing's happened yet, but it's
going to. blame quick. I've taken
your preaching to heart. and I've
come to the penitent form. I've taken
my last drink. You're marrying a
whisky-soak. but your husband won't
be that He's going to grow into an.
other man SO quick you won't know
him. A couple Of months from now,
up there In Glen Ellen, you'll wake up
some morning and find you've got q
perfect stranger In the house with you,
and you'll have to get introduced to
him all over again. You'll say, I'm Mrs
liarnish, who are your And I'll say,
I'm Elam Harnish's younger brother
I've just arrived from Alaska to "a
tend the funeral What funeral?'
you'll say. And I'll say, Why the fu.
neral OF that good-for-nothing, gam.
bling, whisky-drinklng Burning Day.
light-the man that died Of fatty de-
generation Of the heart from sitting
In night and day at the business game.
Yes. ma'am.' I'll say he's sure a gone
coon, but I've come to take his place
and make you happy. And now,
ma'am. If you'll allow me, I'll just me-
ander down to the pasture and milk
the COW while you're getting break
fast"
But you haven't answered my ques-
tions," she reproached him, as she
emerged. rosy and radiant, from the
embrace that had accompanied the
elimination of his narrative.
Now just what do you want to
know?" he asked.
~ want to know how all this is pos
sible? How you are able to leave
your business at a time like this :?
What you meant by saying that some
thing was going to happen quickly?"
Lets go and get married" he urged
all the whimsicality of his utterance
duplicated In his eyes. 1--WE been work
ing like forty horses ever since this
blamed panic set in, and all the time
some of those ideas you'd given me
were getting ready to sprout Well.
they sprouted this morning that's ALL
i knew | wanted to ride in the hills
with you just about thirty million
times more than wanted to go to the
office. And | knew all the time it
was impossible. And why? Because
OF the office. The Office wouldn't let