Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-23

him he showed by his manner that the
newcomers were unwelcome. and the
matter always ended by their moving
on instead of Enoch.
One day in December 1t occurred to
Cory that his iarder, so far as meat
was concerned, was getting low and
he had better shoot something. He
preferred that his meat should hang
for awhile after being killed that 1t
might lose its toughness. Christmas
was coming on, but this was not a
consideration In his case. because he
knew nothing about the day or what it
was intended TO celebrate. for during
that period when one takes direct iD-
terest in Christmas he had been living
with Indians. Nevertheless it hap
pened that on the coming 25th OF De-
cember he would need meat
Taking his rifle and his other para
phernalia, he started forth In search
of deer. He found none, but got a
fine wild turkey. Singing II over his
shoulder, he started back to his abin.
taking a different route from the one
| by which he had come. Passing from
a thicket, he came upon a natural
| opening, and in the space was domi-
Gle, part adobe or dried clay, part log
| and part board. The chimney, built Of
stone and mud. was not much higher
/ than his head. There were a couple
| of windows in the shanty, in each OF
which a single glass had been put
without a sash. In lieu of door
three planks had been nailed together.
! Enoch scowled. he had not long be-
fore made 1t hot for a family who bad
settled in the neighborhood. and they
had left for other parts. He had seen
father and mother dragging half
dozen children from quarters that
they had made comparatively comfort
able, the woman hurting maledicions
at their disturber as she plodded on.
and he had not liked It, He was not
a bad man at heart-he was simply a
wild man. And now the necessity-as
he regarded it-for turning out another
family troubled him.
He went to the door of the hut, pull
ed it open and looked In. There were
Goals on the hearth, which glowed
brightly and threw out a comfortable
warmth. Though everything was
rough and uncouth. there was cleanli.
ness. Enoch could not but contrast it
with his own dirty cabin. But what
especially attracted his attention was
twigs of evergreen bound together In
ropes and hung in festoons from the
ceiling or. rather. the roof He had
never seen Christmas decorations and
did not know what they were for. In
one corner an evergreen tree four or
FIVE feet high had been propped up on
a bit OF board. What In the world did
the occupants want with so much
evergreen? Did they think that the
tree would preserve its freshness set
up on a board and without roots?
Suddenly Enoch started. What was
that? 1t was like sound from a hu-
man being. Going to a bunk before
which calico apron had been hung.
be moved the apron aside. and there
lay two little children asleep in each
others arms. The sight awakened the
FIRST spark Of gentleness in Enoch's
breast. No man il good who can look
upon a sleeping child and not be moved
to tenderness, and no man IL irretriey-
ably bad who at such a sight feels
softened
Enoch stood for awhile looking down
at the children. their rosy cheeks con-
trasting with their fair, tumbIed locks.
ana saw something. felt something,
that he had never experienced before.
The idea OF turning these iRnocents
out Of their nest In the dead of winter
seemed horrible to him.
He turned away at last and went on
20 his cabin What had come In there
sines be had anna out1 1t waS thG