Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-22
IOWA. JANUARY 90 1912

on that grass nest In the thorn tree
down the line. One day q bluebtrd
IL setting. and I think It ID hers. The
next day q brown bird u on. ana !
chase It or because the nest IL blues.
Next day the brown bird II on again,
and I let her be because think II
must be hers. Next day. be golly,
blues on again, and OF sent her be
cause it's browns, ana now bet my
hat it's both their nest. and I've only
been bothering them and making big
fool Of meself."
Freckles plodded on down the trail,
scowling blackly and viciously spans.
ing the wire. At the nnches' nest be
left tho line and peered into tho thorn
tree. There was no bird brooding. BE
pressed closer to take peep at the
snowy, spotless little eggs he had
found 80 beautiful, and at the slight
noise up Jared four tiny baby heads
with wide open mouths and hunger
cries. Freckles stepped back. The
brown bird lit on the edge and closed
one cavity with q wiggling green
worm. and not two minutes later the
blue filed another with something
white. That settled It The blue and
brown were mates. Once again
Freckles repeated his GLOW wish
knew
| About the bridge spanning Sleepy
Snake creek the swale spread wide
the timber largely dropped away, and
Willows rushes, marsh grass and
splendid wild flowers grew abundant
ly. Lazy big black water snakes, fol
which the creek was named, summed on
the bushes, wild ducks and grebe chat
tered. cranes and herons fshed. and
muskrats plowed the bank in queer
rolling burrows. 1t was always place
full Of interest to Freckles.
Freckles struck slowly into the path
leading from the bridge to the line.
1t was the one spot at which he might
relax his vigilance. The greatest tim.
Der thief the swamp had ever known
would not have attempted to enter it
by the mouth Of the creek on account
Of the water and because there was
no protection from surrounding trees.
He was swishing the rank grass with
his cudgel and thinking Of the shade
the denser swamp afforded when he
suddenly lodged sidewise. The cud-
gel whistled sharply through the air
and Freckles sprang back.
Out Of the clenr sky above him, first
level with his face, then skimming,
dipping. fitting, whirling until 1t lit
quill down in the path in front of
him, came a glossy. iridescent big
black feather. As it struck the
ground Freckles snatched It up and
with an almost continuous movement
faced the sky. There was not tree
of any size in a large open space.
From the clear sky it had fallen. and
Freckles, gazing eagerly into the arch
of June blue with q few lazy clouds
floating far up In the sen Of ether,
had neither mind nor knowledge to
dream of bird hanging as If frozen
there. He turned the big quill ques'
tioningly, and again his awed eyes
swept the sky.
"a feather dropped from heaveny'
he breathed reverently. ''Are the holy
angels molting2 But, no: If they were
It would be white. Maybe all the an
gels are not for being white. What II
the angels Of God are white and those
OF the devil are black? But black
one has no business up there. Maybe
some poor black angel is 30 tired Of be
ing punished it's for slipping up to the
gates, beating its wings trying te
make the Master hear!
Again and again Freckles searched
the sky. but there was no answering
CLEAN Of golden gates, no form of sail
Ing bird. Then he went slowly on his
way, turning the feather over and
wondering about It. It was q wing
quill eighteen inches IN length, with q
big, heavy spine, gray at the base,
shading to Jet black at the tip, and It
caught the play of the suns rays in
slanting CLEANS Of green and bronze.
Again Freckles' 'old man Of the sea-
sat sullen and heavy on his shoulders
and weighted him down until his ster
Ia eyed and his heart ached.
"Where did 1t come from? What
is It? oh, how I wish I KNEW be
kept repeating.
Before him spread a great green
pool, filled with rotting logs and
leaves. bordered with delicate ferns
and grasses, among which lifted the
creamy spikes Of the arrowhead, the
blue Of water hyacinth and the deli
cate yellow of the jewel flower. AZ
Freckles leaned, handling the feather
and staring first at it and then into
the depths Of the pool, he once more
give voice to his old query, II won
der what it is?"
Straight across from him. couched
in the MOSES of soggy old log. big
green bullfrog. with palpltant throat
and batting eyes. lifted his head and
beloved in answer, "Fin' dout fin
dout!"
"Wha-what's that!" stammered
Freckles, almost too much taken abact
to speak. Ill know you are only .
bullfrog; but. be jabers, that sound
ed nightly like speech. Wouldn't yor
please to be saying It overt"