Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-25

munCatlonS De yea, yea, ana nay,
nay quoted the apparition, his instrument drip
ping oily gore. And the newcomer stared at him
with a mixture Of astonishment anger, and
tempt.
Better hang that up on fence-post somewhars,
he remarked dryy. Some o. tn boys might stand
fur yore authority and improve thar morals accord
in. But His glance ranged the artists close
nuseied shape, from wide cowboy hat over clerical
collar and tie to pain-smeared extremities, and
der changed the immediate personal defiance on his
tongues tip to a sury comment on his opponent S
occupation 81 shu'dn't think yu'd get enough to
buy paint, let alone vtles an tobacky, passn' tn
sombrero to a congregation arnin stray texcs off n
OF rails" he finished lamely
"'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out Of the mouth of God! "
Numbered the luridy bedaubed decorator But again
the horscman failed to take fire at his challenge.
His quick car had caught the hiss and crackle of a
blaze, and casting about for its locality, his eye lit
upon fresh object of interest
Half concealed by the highways fringe OF big
Towering buckeye lurked dingy little van, house
wheels, such is used by waffle vendors and
other quick-unch concerns in cities and in its open
end door stood gipsy-faccd girl, listening, half
smiling. half sullcn, to their sword-crossing
The traveller DOTTED his headgear with sheepish
grin eff I'd known thar ladies present I'd "a
been more careful O my English he apologizcd.
MAN stands Away in the presence of his Maker!
declared the painter unappeased. But the girls
level look met the strangers, and in it he read
belion: to what whom he did care; his spirit
answered hers.
"All tn comforts of home, tn stew-pot boilin,
an it's good miles to Wasons" he enumc-
rated blithely. "Cu'd yu take pore wayarer in If
he paid for his dnner?"
Apparently they accustomed to extending
the courtesies of the road. The black-browed ben.
stern acquiesccnce. "The Master bids us feed his
sheep" he answered SISTER Abigail, set third
place at our humble board And the girl, betray-
ing neither pleasure reluctance, turned instantly
within.
The stranger tossed her quizzical glance, and
throwing his leg the pommel, slid stif1y to ths
ground. He had been in the saddle since dawn, and
the prospect of dismountng hour this side of his
destination would have appealed had the brush
wielder been alone this woodland sprite of the sub
volcanic mien added piquante to the menu
although Jake Polhemus could not have wordet
his feelings to his life.
They were an oddly assorted couple 70 have STUN
bled upon in the open. The man who had storme,
their peripatetc outwords had hill-dwcllcrs keel
INSTINCT Tor physiognomy !umberman's sharp ey
for slim feminine grace; and he wondered how cam
this .rose-glowing queen Of hearts, with her wild
wood trts, linked TO that straight jawed male who's
tropc-bloomed neither attire served to emphasiz
tie asceticism of mis- bearing and the urban cut O
his coat Not but what the text-writer, too. wa
sun-darkencd and weather-b beaten And the travee
traced an elusive likeness between the two patentl
unlike faces.
Painted yore way clean down from tn city," h
asked with easy assurance as his beast, freed OF it
trappings, dropped ecstatically into the dust TIL
pent, hollow orbs of his host lit with the proud ligl
of fanatcism.
"All across the continent from Chcago-Tnoi
Iowa, the Dakotas in Montana, in Idaho and Or,
gon, and half down the length of California have
made straight the way of the Lord he procaime
his itinerary badly. "Twice have we been
jeopardy from floods; once we lost horse over
cliff in the Rockies. Two full years the storms {
winter have but multiplied my message and II
languor of this nkssed shore only, lii
the shadow of great rock in weary land
strengthen hearts for the desert reaches
come"
The man from the sawmills above shook h
cramped muscles very much as the horse had don
Don't tackle the DESERT" he said sharply. 9TH;
amt fences to paint trac's TIL drum few TIL
is is made O wire Thar amt God-besscd gree
bush, let alone tree nor blade o grass; nuthi
but prckly cactus an dusty sagebrush that no hor
en- live Yu have to carry yore waer-an' if
gives out yu go crazy. | tell yu Montany an Idyi
is play compared to southern Nevady an Arizon
They warn't meant fur humankind, with thar he
hot sands an pizen springs"
"Oh, hush!" commanded a quickened voice. al
the girl Abigail brushed his sleeve. Dinner
ready" she announced, long lashes sweeping h
dark cheek if to deny her involuntary discosul
But the stranger was beginning to understand