The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-02-01
.FRECKLES
BY
Gene SGraGG0me
Porter
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE
& co.
| j
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE
q CO.


Freckles was whispering to himsel
for fear of disturbing the moth. 1t be
gan a systematic exercise of rasin
and lowering its exquisite wings t
dry them and to establish circulation
Freckles realized that 1t would sool
be able to spread them and sail away
His long coming soul sent up its frs
shivering cry.
IL don't know what 1t is. Oh. wisl
I knew. How l wish l knew! Il
must be something grand. 1t can't b.
butterfly. It's away too big. oh
/ wish there was some one to tell me
what 1t Isl
He climbed on the locust post and
balancing himself by the wire. held a
| finger In the line of the moths advance
up the twig. 1t unhesltatingly climbed
on. and he stepped back to the path,
holding 1t up to the light and examin-
ing it closely. Then he held 1t in the
shade and turned 1t. gloating over its
markings and beautiful coIorlng. When
he held the moth back to the limb 1t
climbed on. still waving those magnih-
cent wings.
MY. but I'd like to be staying with
tOu" he said "But IL / was to stay
here all day you couldn't get any pref
tier than you are right now and 1
wouldn't get smart enough to tell what
you are. | suppose there's some one
that knows. OF course there is. Mr..
Mclean said there were people that
knew every leaf, bird and foyer in the
Llmberlost. oh. lord. how | wish you'd
be telling me just this one thingw
The goldfinch had ventured back to
the wire. for there was his mate only
a few inches above the man creatures
head. and, indeed. he simply must not
be allowed to look up just them, so the
brave little fellow rocked on the wire
and piped up, just as he had done ey-
cry day for week, See me; see me?'
''See you! OF course l see you"
growled Freckles. II see you day aft
er day. and what good is 1t doing me?
| might see you every morning for a
year and then not be able to be telling
any one about It. Seen a bird-little
nnd yellow as any canary. with black
What you doing here anyway? Have
you mate? What's your name? See
your l reckon | see you. but | might |
rs well be blind for any good it's doing |
NET
Freckles impatiently struck the wire. |
.
led precipitately. His mate tore from
,ff the nest with a whirr. Freckles
ooked up and saw It.
"O-how he cried. $50 that's what
'ou are doing here! You have a wife"
Freckles climbed up, to examine the
Ieat. tiny cradle and its contents. The
ZEN darted at him in n frenzy. NOW,
where do you come imp he demanded
Vhen he saw that she was not like
be goldfinch.
you be clearing out of here! This
J none of your fry. This is the nest
me little yellow friend of the wire.
nd you shan't be touching it. Don't
lame you for wanting to see though.
Iy. but it's fine nest and beauties Of
ggs. VIII you be keeping away or
i'll fire this stick at your
Freckles dropped back to the trail.
he hen darted to the nest and settled ,
a 1t with tender, coddling move ,
ent. He of the yellow coat flew TO ,
lie edge to make sure that everything ,
as right.
"Well, I'll be switched" muttered
rockies. 'If that amt both their {
st, And he's yellow and she's green. /
she's yellow and he's green. or ,
urse don't know, and | haven't
" way to find out. but it's plain as :
g nose on your face that they are +
It'll ready to be fighting for that nest, :
OF course they belong. Don't that h
at you? Say. that's what's been \
licking me for all OF these two weeks a
that grass nest in the thorn tree /;
wn the line One day a bluebird
setting. and | think it is hers. The =
Nt day a brown bird is on, and | :.
ase II Off because the nest Is blues. \
,Xt day the brown bird is on again, y
d l let her be because l think IL q
lst be hers Next day, be golly
le's on again, and Off | sent her be- :,
use it's browns, and now | bet my :,
[ it's both their nest. and I've only :.
en- bothering them and making a big :,
81 of meself." ~
Nreckles plodded on down the TRAIL 9,
wiling blackly and viciously spang N
, the wire. At 9 finches' nest he is
I the line and peered into the thorn 6,
e. There was no bird brooding He n,
essed closer to take n peep at the =,
owy. spotless little eggs he had oil
Ind so beautiful. and at the slight :,
Use up hared four tiny baby heads 7,
tn wide open mouths and hunger
es. Freckles stepped back. The
own bird lit on the edge and closed
e cavity with a weighing green -
'rm. and not two minutes later the L
lie filed another with something
lite. That settled it. The blue and
own were mates. Once again -
eckles repeated his How L wish l a
ewn' hi
about the bridge spanning Sleepy ie'
AXE creek the swale spread vida.