The Green Forest tribune., 1912-03-22

playe poker, lawn-tennis, and bucket shops lparted soon with my money in many tgays. But there remained one role dR the wearer of cap and bells that bad not played That was the seekerhfter buried treasure. To few doeS tie delectable furor come. But of dll The would-be followers in the hoofprI hts of King Midas none has fouAd { pursuit so rich in pleasurable prdpisk.
 Nut lgoing back from my theme a wM las lame pens must dol was a foM of the sentimental sort I saw My Martha Mangum, and was hers. SAe w$s eighteen, the color of the yHite iFory keys of new piano, beau Whl, nd possessed by the exquisite 8b1er lty and pathetic witchery of an inf' listicated angel doomed to live h small, dull, Texas prairie-town.
 May Martha's father as a man hid aea behind whiskers and spectacles. He livey for bugs and butterflies and all inseets that fly or crawl or buzz or get down your back or in the but ter He was an entomologist, or words to that effect. He spent his life sci ing the air for flying fish of the Jur bug order, and then sticking pins through 'em and calling 'em names.
 There was another besides myself who thought May Martha Mangum one 10 be desired. That was Good, Joe Banks, young man just home from c9llege. He had all the attain ments to be found in books-Latin. Greek, philosophy and especially the higher branches Of mathematics and logic.
 If 1t hadn't been for his habit of pouring out this information and learn Ing on every one that he addressed I'd have liked him pretty well. But, even ai 1t was, he and I were, you would tave thought, great pals.
 But, fn our talks together and in our visits Rnd conversation with May Marth4 neither Goodloe Banks nor could find out which one of us she preferIfd. May Martha was natural born T 'n-committal; and knew in her cradle how to keep people guessing.
 Old Jan Mangum certainly was absent minded. After a long time he found out one day-a little butterfly must have told him-that two young men were trying to throw a net over the head of the young person, a daugh- fer, or some such technical appen- ' age, who looked after his comforts. never knew scientists could rise VN& cn0h cinT1a n1d oral.
 Nabeled and classified Goodloe and 8self easily among the lowest or
 Na of the vertebrates; and in Eng
 HKpo, without going any further in-
 Ein than the simple references ~Hetorix, Rex Helvetii-whieh is F Esas. ever went myself. And
 Ahat if he ever caught us
 We MY house again he would add , ~9 fMcolleci ion.
 ooos4 Banks and remained away five days, expecting the storm to sub side. When we dared to call at the Aouse again May Martha Mangum and her father were gone. Gone! The house they had rented was closed. Their little store of goods and chat. tels was gone also.
 And not word of farewell to eith- CT Of us from May Martha-not a white, huttering note pinned to the hawtho ,n-bush; not chalk mark on the gate post nor postcard in the postoffi Ee to give us clue.
 For two m onths Goodloe Banks and I-sepalrately y-tried every scheme we could think of to track the runaways. We used our friendship and influence with the ticket agent, with livery sta ble mi'r railroad conductors, and our one losI l0rn constable, but without result@
 Tn ka'king things over one after noon be said to me:
 Suppose you do find her, Ed, where by would you profit? Miss Mangum has A mind Perhaps 1t is yet un- cultured, but she IS destined for high or things than you could give her. have, talked with no one who seemed to appreciate more the enchantment of the ancient poets and writers and the modern cults that have assimilat- ed and expanded their philosophy of lifeI Don't you think you are wasting youf time looking for herr"
 MMy idea" said l, "of happy home I f eight-room house in a grove of saks by the side of a charco on a E prairie. A piano. 1 went on, an automatic player in the sit room, three thousand head of cat Snder fence for starter, a buck
 sI and pOnies salwavS hitched at a
 flor the missus sand May Martha
 gum to spend the profits of the
 in as she pleases, and to abide ,Npe, and put my slippers and pipe away every day in places where they cannot Noe found of evenings. That" said II. Atis what is to be-and, fig, a dried, \Smyrna, dago-stand fig for your curriculums. cults and philos- ophy."
 "She is m cant for higher things" repeated Goodloe Banks.
 whatever She Is meant for," I an- swered. just now she is out of pock- ct. And I shah find her as soon as I can without aidN of the colleges"
 "The game \is blocked" said Good Joe, putting down a domino: and we had the beer.
 Shortly after \that k young farmer whom lknew came Into town and brought me folded blNe paper. He said his grandfather had Vust died.
 MoIsorn [