Putnam patriot., 1913-08-15

AS they made their way through the noisy "city square" she kept on won dering. Since his face revealed noth- ing, his disapproval. at any rate. was not so great as to be beyond control Did that signify that he did not feel enough for her really to care? Better for him to be angry about the show, than not to care.
 Fran stopped before the Ferris Wheel
 Let's take a ride" she said, little tremulously Wont need tickets. Bill. This is a friend of mine-Mr. Ashton. And Abbott, this is an older friend than you-Mr Bill Smookins."
 MT. Bill Smookins was an exceed ingly hard-featured man, of no reeog- nizable age. Externally, he was blue overalls and greasy tar.
 Abbott grasped Bills hand, and in- quired about business.
 Awful pore. sense Fran lef the show" was the answer, accompanied by a grin that threatened to cut the weather-beaten face wide open.
 Fran beamed "Mr. Smookins knew my mother-didn't you, Bill? He was awful good to me when I was kid. Mr. Smookins was a Human Lymph in those days, and he smoked and talked, he did, right down under the water remember, Bill? That was sure-enough water-oh, he's a sure-enough Bill, let me tell youi"
 Bill intimated, as he slowed down the engine, that the rheumatism he had acquired under the water, was sure-enough rheumatism-hence his change of occupation. "I was strong enough to be a Human Lymph" he explained, "but not endurable. Nobody cant last many years as Human Nymph."
 Abbott indicated his companion Here's one that1l last my time.'
 The wheel stopped. He and Fran were barred into seat.
 And now" Fran exclaimed, tits all ups and downs, just like a moving pic ture of life. Why don't you say some thing, MT. Ashton? But no, you can keep still-Pm excited to death, and wouldn't hear you anyway. l want to do all the talking-I always do, after I've been in the cage. My brain is filled with air-so this is the time to be soaring up into the sky, isn't 1t! What is your brain filled with?-but never mind We'll be just two bal loons-my! aren't you glad we haven't any strings on us-suppose some peo- pie had hold!-I, for one, would be willing never to go down again. Where are the clouds Wish we could meet a few. See how I'm trembling-al- ways do, after the lions. Now, Abbott, I'll leave a small opening for just one word"
 "I1l steady you" said Abbott, brief ly. and he took her hand. She did not appear conscious of his protecting clasp
 q never see the moon so big" she went on, breathlessly, without think ing of that night when 1t rolled along the pasture as if it wanted to knock us off the foot-bridge for being where we oughtn't. I never could understand why you should stay on that bridge with a perfect stranger, when your duty was to be usher at the camp-meet- ingi You weren't ushering me. you know, you were holding my hand-l mean, I was holding your hand, as Miss Sapphira says l shouldn't. What a poor helpless man-as I'm holding you now, I presumei But l laughed ln meeting. People ought to go outdoors to smile, and keep their religion in a house, l guess. I'm going to tall you why laughed, for you've never guessed, and you've always been afraid to ask
 Afraid of you. Fran?"
 "Awfully, I'm going to show you let go. so I can show you. No, I'm in earnest-you can have me, afterwards. Remember that evangelist? There he stood, waving his hands-as I'm doing now-moving his arms with his eyes fastened upon the eongrega- tion-this way-look, Abbott"
 Fran! As if I were not already looking"
 'Look-just so; not saying word only waving this way and that :. And 1t made me thing of our hypno- tizer-the man that waves people into our biggest tent-he seems to DICK em up bodily and carry them in his arms We'll And if the people are to be waved into a church. it won't take much of a breeze to blow them out l don't believe in soulwavfng. But that doesn't mean that l don't believe in the church-does it?-do you think?''
 You believe in convictions, Fran And since you've come into the church. you don't have to say that you believe in it"
 "Yes-theres nothing on the out side. and oh, sometimes there's so little. so little under the roof-what do you think of me, Abbott?"
 Fran. I think you are the most
 But do you!" she interposed. stiil unsteadily. "In the superiative! | don't see how you can. after that exnl- bition behind the bars Anyway, want you to talk about yourself. what rade you go away from town! But that's not the worst; what made you stay away? And what were you doing on there wherever it was, while poor little girls were wondering themselves sick about you? But wait.-the' wheels going down-down-down. Good thing I have you to hold I come nowi Listen at all the street criers, getting closer. and the whistle sounds-I wish we had whistles; the squawky kind. See my element Ao- bolt the air I've breathed all my life