Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-11-27

lected. | can't go with Jackie very
often on account Of the babies. He'll
get you good pony and turn you
loose on them, and. my, oh, the good
you'll do theml A special providence.
call itw
Mae Maude smiled as the immediate
past rushed before her minds eye" A
queer kind of providence. she thought.
But she fell into line and was soon gal
loping over plain and prairie, full
sized benedlction in the settlers homes
and the backbone Of the nearest school
house Sunday school, to which the COW
boys flocked for miles around for "a
good look at the new super. just on
from the east"
One Sabbath Mrs. Agnes crimsoned
to the roots Of her hair with the ter
rlble publicity Of telling the Sunday
school folks about the bee" they were
going to have, to put up lean-to. with
porch for vines. to give the new su.
perintendent living room. and would
they all come? Aud those who hadn't
any women folks Of their own to bring
to help get the big dinner and supper
might bring somebody else's, and Mr..
Duncan was over on Forty Mile run or
he'd give II out. but they'd all come
just the same and have mighty good
time putting up the new Sunday
school ladys lean-to,
When Mae Maude climbed up on the
rear car Of the express, after throw
Ing her old shawl and her boys hat
into the river that bleak November
night of the baby's funeral, she was
sure she could never laugh again. But
when Mrs. Agnes told Jack the next
day about her announcement OF the
"hee" Mae Maude had to put the frills
on the story. Jack Duncan caught his
wee, plump wife In his arms, with a
hnby or two thrown In for good meas
l,ure. their squeals Of merrlment ac-
companylng his full throated American
laugh. their heels Kicking his broad
chest gleefully. while the second edi-
ton OF Melville Tremaine squeezed his
mothers neck, shouting mildly: 1--WE
don't have to preach, momsy and me,
We'm goln' to farm IT.
Then all Joined. big and little, In the
chorus Of laughter. and there came
near being riot Of hugs and kisses.
Mae Maude. with the help Of the
second generation OF Duncans and her
correspondence with the back to the
soll' wise men Of Washington. made
the manse ten acre lot bud and bios
som as the rose, Many good hint did
she give the settlers and their wives
that made her word on farming IT,
take the place OF their "rule OF thumb
methods.
Dan Wetherell, a thoroughgolng
young ranchmnn. with his eye on the
Legislature, noticed her neat, trim ap.
penrnnce while she took notes In the
"lecture car" and Increased the fre-
quency Of his visits at the manse,
One day he Qulzzod Mrs, Agnes about
her friends widowhood. quite shock
ing her by asking her lf II were sod
or grass"
Niue Moude heard only the word
widow" but Il sent the "creeps" up
and down her spine. After that Dan
Wetherell might as well have tried Ia
win one OF Grenfels Labrador peaks
She kept tab on the home folks
through the Duncans, even to the mys
terlous disappearance OF Melville Ire
maine soon after her own. Every.
body had given him up for dead; but
woman fashion, she held stubbornly
the hope that she would see him again
her very own-the noble fellow that
he was when she first knew him. Hav'
Ing been through the ordeal herself
and knowing how they always thought
along the same lines when he was him
self, she looked for him TO come to heI
permanently redeemed
One evening day or two before
Thanksgiving John Duncan came home
from two weeks trip, He was silent
aud Obsentmlnded though the, small
house was falrly tlpsy with merrlmeut
Agnes usual eNpedent OF putting The
baby In his arms was n dat failure II
came near breaking the chllds neck
Tor he set II down on the door, lts Ions
clothes wadded about its useless feet
ma when it was tumbllng over on Ia
small nose he took It. this way and
that as he would have done a bag OF
graln to make Il stand ON end,
! Mrs Agnes sprang TO the rescue
'For mercy's sake, lackw
He came TO the surface long enough
TO beg the bahy's pardon and stop with
u big, bmshy kiss It's issue OF protest
ing notes, Come, Aggy, lots so ant
take walk"
He drew her hand into tho bend ol
hls elbow leaving the baby aud N,
Thanksgiving box that Ind Just ar
rived from the home church, the con
tents OF which the junior Duncan'
were ALMOST pcrlshlng 10 explore,
just fairly beyond earshot he brok,
ont with, Lost my trail Yesterday. Az
Gle, and you can't guess whom ! rar
across"
"No, Jack WhoY certain that IN,
mystery Of his abstraction was abon
TO unmvel itself
Melville Temalne."
NO, Jack He's dead"