Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-07-02
FRECkLES
by
Gene SmraGG@a.
Porter
COPYRIGHT. 1904. BY DOUBLEDAY. PAGE
- q
CHAPTER XVII.

"a LEAN rode down to the Lin
I'M berlost and. stopping in the
II III shade. sat waiting fol
S Freck!es.
Along the north line came Freckles
fairly staggering. When he turned east
and reached Sleepy Snake creek. slid
Ing through the swale like the long
black snake for which 1t was named
he sat down on the bridge and closed
his burning eyes, but they would not
stay shut. AS II pulled by wires. the
heavy lids few open and the outraged
nerves and muscles Of his body
danced. twitched and tingled.
He bent forward and idly watched
the limpid little stream flowing be-
Meath his feet. Stretching back into
the swale. 1t came creeping between
an impenetrable wall Of magnificent
wild flowers. vines and ferns. Milk
weed. goldenrod. ironwort. fringed
gentians. cardinal flowers and turtle
head stood on the very edge Of the
creek, and every flower Of them grew
q double in the water. Wild clematis
crowned with snow the heads OF trees
scattered here and there along the
bank.
Freckles sat 80 still that presently
the brim of his hat was covered with
snake feeders. rasping their crisp
wings and singing as they rested.
Some of them settled on the club and
one on his shoulder. He was SO quiet
and feathers. fur and gauze were SO
accustomed to him that all about the
swale they went ON with their daily
life and forgot he was there.
The heron family waded about the
mouth Of the creek. Freckles IDLY
wondered whether the nerve racking
rasps they occasionally emitted indi'
Gated domestic felicity or raging
quarrel A sheitpoke. with iaring
crest, went stalking across bare
space near the creeks mouth. A
stately brown bittern waded out into
the clear flowing water. lifting bis feet
high at every step and setting them
down gingerly. as II he dreaded wet
ting them. and. with slightly parted
beak, stood eagerly watching about
him for worms. Behind him were
some mighty trees Of the swamp
above, and below the bank glowed a
solid wall Of goldenrod.
No wonder the ancients had chosen
yellow as the color to represent VIC
tory, for the fierce. cOnquerinG hue OF
the sun was in it. They had done we'll
too. In choosing purple as the color OF
ROYALTY. 1t was a dlgnified. compelling
color, and in It's warm tone there was
hint Of blood.
1t was the Limberlost's hour to pro-
claim her sovereignty and triumph
EVERYWHERE she haunted her yellow
banner aud trailed the purple OF her
mantle. that was paler In the thistle
heads. took on strength in the first
opening asters. and glowed and burned
In the irOnwOrt.
Compeilingly beautiful was the Lin
berlust. but cruel withal: far back In
there bleached the uncofined bones OF
her victims. ard she had missed era
ding him. oh, so narrowly!
Below the turtle LOG. u dripping silver
gray head. with shining eyes. was eau
tiously lifted. and Freckles' hand slid
around to his revolver. Higher and
higher came the head; long. heavy
fur coated body rose. now half. now
three-four.hs out OF the water.
Freckles looked at his shaking hand
and doubted. but he gathered bis
forces, the shot rang out. and the otter
lay still. He hurried down and tried
to lift IL. He could scarcely muster
strength to carry it to the bridge. The
consciousness that he really could not
GO farther with 1t made Freckles re-
alize the fact that he was we'll up to
the limit Of human endurance. He
could bear 1t little. II any. longer
Every hour the face Of the angel wav
cred before him. and behind 1t the
awful distorted image Of Black Jack
Us he swOre to the punishment he
would mete out to her.
Freckles stopped when he came to
the first guard. and telling him OF bis
luck. asked him to 20 for the otter and
carry II up to the cabin. as he was
anxious to meet Mclean. Freckles
passed the second guard without seeing
him. and hurried up to the boss. he
stood silent under the eyes OF Mclean
The boss was dumfounded. Mrs
Duncan had led him to expect that ne
would find Freckles in bad way. but
this was almost deathly. The fact
was apparent that the boy scarcely
knew what he was doing. His eyes
had n glazed. farsighted look in them
that wrung the heart Of the man that
loved him. Without thought OF pre-
liminaries Mclean leaned In the sad
die and drew Freckles up to him.
"My poor lad!' he said. My poor
lear lad: tell me. and we will try to
right it!'
Freckles had twisted his fingers In
Nellie's name. At the kind words his
face dropped on McLean's thigh and
he shook with q nervous chill. Mclean
gathered him closer and waited.
"Freckles." said Mclean at last,
"wili you tell me. or must I set te
work In the dark and try to find the
troubleT'
"Oh, I want to tell you! l must tell
you, SIR" shuddered Freckles. II can
not be bearing 1t the day out alone
{ was coming to you when I remim
bered you would be here"
He lifted his face and gazed on
across the swale, with his Jaws sci
hard a minute. as II gathering bis
forces. Then he spoke.
'It's the angel. sir" he said.
Instinctively McLean's grip on him
frightened.
81 tried hard the other day." said
Freckles, "and couldn't seem te
make you see. It's only that there
hasn't been an hour, waking or sleep
ing, since the day she parted thu
bushes and looked into me room.' thai
the face of her hasn't been before me-
in all the tinderness. beauty and mis-
chief Of II. She talked to me friendly
like. She trusted me entirely to taks
Fight care of her. She helped me with
things about me books. She traitet
me like was born sintleman, ant
shared with me IKE was OF he'
own blood. She walked the streets o.