Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-08
|FREGN(L|E@
BY
Gene SGratt@1l-
Porter
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY.
PAGE n co.
CHAPTER TX.
A FIGHT WITH BULLETS.

|M Snake creek and the goldfnch.
(U waiting as ever, challenged,
81 "See me?" he saw the dainty,
sway1ng grace of the angel instead.
What is a man to do with an angel
who dismembers herself and scatters
over a whole swamp. thrusting vivid
reminder upon him at every turn?
you needn't be thinking" he said
to the goldfnch, "that because I'm
coming down this line alone day after
day it's always to be go. Some OK
these days you'll be swinging on this
wire, and you'll see me coming, and
you'll swing. skip and flirt yourself
around and chip up right spunky,
See meT I'll be saying See you? See
herr You'll look, and there she'll
stand. The sunshine won't look gold
any more. nor the roses pink, nor the
sky blue, because she'll he the pinkest.
bluest, goldest thing of all. You'll be
yelling yourself hoarse with the jeal-
ousy OF her. The saw bird will stretch
his neck out Of Joint, and she'll turn
the heads Of all the flowers. Wherev
er she goes I can go back afterward
and see the things she's seen. walk
the path she's walked. hear the grass
es whispering over all the things she's
said, and If there's place too swampy
for her bits Of feet. maybe maybe
she'd be putting the beautiful arms
Of her about me neck and letting me
carry her Overt"
Freckles shivered as with chill.
He sent the cudgel whirling skyward,
Gextrously caught it and set it spin
ming.
Maybe she'll be wanting the cup
me blue and brown chickens raised
their babies in. If there's any feathers
falling that day, why, it's from the
wings Of me chickens-it's sure to be.
for the only angel outside the gates
will be walking this timberlne, and
every step of the way I'll be holding
me breath and praying that she don't
unfold wings and sail off before the
hungry eyes Of me-"
When the week was up Freckles had
his room crisp and glowing with fresh
living things that rivaled every tint
Of the rainbow. He carried bark and
filled up all the muckiest places Of the
trail.
It was middle July. The heat Of the
last few days had dried up the water
about and through the Limberlost,. so
that It was possible to cross 1t on foot
in almost any direction if one had any
idea Of direction and did not become
completely lost in its rank tangle of
vegetation and bushes.
The heat was doing one other thing
that was bound to make Freckles, as
4 good Irishman, shiver. As the swale
dried its inhabitants were seeking the
cooler depths of the swamp. They
liked neither the heat nor leaving the
field mice, moles and young rabbits
of their chosen location. He saw
them crossing the trail every day as
the heat grew intense. The rattlers
were sadly forgetting their manners.
for they struck on no provOcation
whatever and didn't even remember
to rattle afterward. Daily Freckles
was compelled to drive big black
snakes and blue racers from the nests
Of his chickens. Often the terrified
squalls of the parent birds would
reach him far down the line, and he
would run to the rescue Of the ba-
bies.
He saw the angel when the carriage
turned from the corduroy into the
clearing. They stopped at the west
entrance to the swamp, waiting for
him to precede them down the trail.
as he had told them it was safest for
the horse that he should do so. They
followed the east line to point oppo-
site the big chickens tree, and Free
kles carried in the cameras and showed
the Bird Woman path he had cleared
to the log.
They arranged that Freckles should
drive the carriage into the cast en-
trance In the shade and then take the
horse around toward the north to a
better place he knew. Then he was
to entertain the angel at his study or
on the line until the Bird Woman fin
ished her work and came to them.
Freckles trod on air, for his dream
had come true so soon. He was going
down the timberline and the angel was
following him. He asked to be excused
for going nrst, because he wanted tc
be sure the trail was safe for her
She laughed at his fears. telling him
that 1t was the polite thing for him tc
do anyway.
"Oh," said Freckles. 80 you was
after knowing that? Well, didn't
s'pose you did. and ! was afraid you
think me wanting in respect to bt
preceding your
The astonished angel looked at him
caught the irrepressible CLEAN Of Irist
fun in his eyes. and they laughed TO
gether.
Freckles did not realize how he was
talking that morning. He showed hel
many Of the beautiful nests and eggs
Of the line. She could identify a mum
Der OF them, but of some she was igno
rant. 30 they made notes Of the mum
Der and color Of the eggs. material and
construction Of nest. color. size ant
shape Of the birds and went on to look
them up in the book.
At his room, when Freckles had lift
I'd the overhanging bushes and stepped
back for her TO enter. his heart was al
out OF time and place. The angel drew
deep breath and stood staring. frs
at one side, then at another. then fal
on down the cathedral aisle. 1T.
just fairylandw she cried ecstatically
Then she turned and stared at Freckles
exactly as she hAd at his handiwork