The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-05-23

Ernest Haftwell modestly. shouldsring
bis hoe. II believe somebody 10 look
ing for yeu. Mr.. Finder"
Ezekiel wheeled sharply about to
confront q pretty gtr.. dark haired.
gray eyed. blue gowned. With Nj kiss
ed cheeks and Nararlet lips. well
Miss Christie. u In thunder do you
d0y" be beloved. deIigntedly sQueez.
ing her hands.
VERY we'll. indeed. Nj. Finder" she
replied. with a provoking glance at
Hartwell. who stood expectantly near.
I'm glad to see you looking ~ hale
and hearty"
what train did you come ONT Con.
sarn Il oil. "a have met you II I'd
known you was coming down today.
Maria said yesterday that she'd got q
letter from you. wanting to know could
you got board down here another sum.
mer for you and your aunt. But
didn't know you was expected today"
II couldn't wait another moment"
laughed the girl. Aunt Phoebe 10
coming tomorrow With all the trunks
and things. came down In the noon
train. and the stage brought me to the
house. but Nancy. says Mn. Funder
has gone to her ethical culture club.
| came on down here looking for you"
well. here I be: Guess We might a.
well 60 along up to the house. Miss
Christine" BE led tho way. tnten.
tionaily ignoring the expectant en-.
bryo farmer. But Hartwell was equal
to the emergency.
Introduce me. please. Mr.. Finder"
he said humbly. and Ezekiel smiled
sourly and performed the ceremony
that made the sculptor acquainted With
Christine Davidson.
Miss Christine u like q daughter to
me. Mr.. Hartwell." be said meaningly
40 the girl released her hand from
Hartwell's clasp and turned away.
And l am a plain farmer boy. and
I'm good" murmured Hartwell obsd-
nately.
you're q sculptor and you'll starve
to death some day." was Nj. Flinders
cheerful representation a. he depart.
ed for bis own side Of the rail fence.
The next day be came once moro to
tho rail fence and watched Hartwell
raking the accumulated weeds be had
uprooted the afternoon before. ANY
time you Gay III bring Miss Christine
over to . the sculpins. provided it's
all proper. l told Miss Phoebe David.
son about you-that's Chrisdne's aunt
and she said you might be worth In.
vestigating." hs observed. watching
Hartwell's face.
The deuce she didr' calculated
Hartwell. bis face growing very red
''see here. Mr.. Finder: just keep all
these ladies away from my place.
UnderstandT" 40 looked quite fierce.
"Well. I'll be stumpedr calculated
Ezekiel, backing Oh. 'You confound-
ed young puppy. you: don't believe
you dast show me zone Of your scuip-
Ing. I'll bet It's nothing but . mess
Of mud pies!"
Would you really like to eco some
Of my work. asked aartwelI With
outward seriousness. although there
we're all sorts Of kinks in biz blue
eyes. He enjoyed his verbal Skin
mishes with his neighbor quite ~
much % Ezekiel did. and Ezekiel was
secretly proud Of the fact that q real
sculptor lived cheek BY jowl with him.
His one lament was that be could not
boast to his fellows that be had seen
any Of Hartwell's work.
"Yes, I'd admire to look at It. Mebbe
could tell you IL It was good enough
for the soldiers monument know
something about art even II ! don't
belong to no hystericaI culture clubs"
grinned Ezekiel delightedly a. he
stumped down the path In the wake
Of the young man toward the bunga.
low.
In the long. low building which
Hartwell used as bis workroom they
paused q moment while the farmer
gazed around at the several groups
swathed under canvas coverings.
Smells damp in here" be said awk.
wardly a. HartwelI removed the can.
vas from q large ~crouching lion model.
ed In clay.
Lord love you. but he looks like he
would bite" exclaimed Ezekiel: then
be scanned the young man suspicious
~. Il scarcely believe you made that
there critter. You don't look like you
had it in you. meaning no ~o1ense."
Hartwell smiled and removed q wet
cloth from a mass Of modelling clay.
''Seeing's believing" be said cheerfully
and moved his fingers deftly. surely.
and with lightning rapidly. picking up
and laying aside a modelling tool, he
brought before Ezekiel's amazed vision
a startling picture In miniature.
Against q background Of rough clay
was a rail fence. Sitting on the rail
fence. one cowhide boot swinging o
chalantly over his clasped hands. was
Ezekiel Finder himself, looking ike
an amiable scarecrow . be nibbled q.
blade Of grass.
Ezekiel stared. open eyed. open
wouthed. chagrfned almost to tears
by gummy!" be breathed heavily at
last Its mel"