Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-27

sole ornament, and who had called
Never Land there had been only his
father and he!
Yet they were anything but lonely,
! for the country was inhabited by good.
natured friendly savages, as black as
a lump of coal, most Of them with
curly white hair. These talked a queer
language. but Of course his father and
he could understand them perfectly.
Tn Sc savages had many curious and
enthralling customs and strange cud-
ding songs that made one sleepy, and
all these his father knew by heart.
They lived in little square huts around
Wishing House, made of sticks. and
had dozens and dozens Of children who
wore no clothes and liked to dance in
the sun and eat cherries. They were
very useful barbarians, too, for they
chopped the wood and built the fires
and made the horses coats shine
for he and his father would have
scorned to walk, and went galloping
like the wind everywhere. The forests
about were filled with small brown
cats, tremendously furry, with long
! whiskers and sharp, beedy black eyes,
and sometimes they would hunt these
on horseback; but they never caught
them, because the cats could run just
little bit faster, than the horses.
Christmas time at home was not SO
very exciting, but at Westinghouse
what time they had! Then all the
savages and their wives and children
received presents, and he and his
father had dreadful!y scary shivery
time remembering them all, because
some had so many children they ran
out Of names and had to use numbers
instead. So there was always the har-
rowing fear that one couldn't remem-
Der the last one till the very final
minute. After the Christmas turkey,
the oldest and blacklist savage Of all
would come in where his father and
he sat at the table, with pudding as
lis as the gold chariot in the circus,
and the pudding, by some magic spell,
would set itself on fire, while he car
ricd it round the table, with all the
other savages marching after him.
This was the most aw ,-inspiring spec
tacle of all. Christmases at other
places were a long way apart, but they
came as often as they were wanted at
Wishing House, which, he recalled,
was very often indeed. 49,.
] John Valiant felt ali odd beating OF
! the heart and a tightening of the
throat, for he saw another scene. too.
It was the hushed and horrible night,
after the spell had failed and the door
had refused to open for a long time,
when dread things had been happen
ing that he could not understand,
when a big man with gold eye glasses,
who smelled of some curious sickish'
sweet perfume, came and took him by
the. hand and led him into room
where his father lay in bed. very
gray and quiet.
The white hand on the coverlet had
bcckoned to him and he had gone
close up to the bed, standing very
straight his heart beating fast and
hard. \
"John!" the word had been almost
a whisper, very tense and anxious
very distinct. John, you're a little boy
and father is going away" 49, b
"To-to Wishing House!
The gray lips had smiled then, ever
so little, and sadly. mo, John"
Fake me with you. father! Take
me with you. and let us find ,it!' His
/
had to gulp hard. -. .r q
Listen, John, for what am saying
is very important. You don't know
what mean now. but sometime you
will" The whisper had grown strained
and frayed, but 1t was still distinct
q can't go to the Never-Never Land
b,t you may sometime. If you . If
YOU do, and II you find Wishing
/ House, remember that the men who
lived in it >. before you and me -
we're gentlemen. Whatever else they
were, they were always that. Be
! like them, John. will you?"
! "Yes, father"
The old gentleman with the eye
glasses had come forward, then
hastily.
'"Good-night, father"
He had wanted to kiss him, but g
strange cool hush had settled on the
room and his father seemed all al
once to have fallen asleep. And he
had gone out, so carefully, on tip-toe
wondering, and suddenly afraid.
CHAPTER w.
The Turn Of the Page.
John Valiant stirred and laughed, 8
little sel1-COnSc1Ously, Tor LneTe HdI
been drops on his face.
Presently he took check-booh
from his pocket and began to figure
on the stub, looking up with a wry
smile "To come down to brass
tacks," he muttered, when I've set
tied everything (thank heaven, DOM
owe my tailor!) there will be little
matter Of twenty-eight hundred ode
dollars, passe motor and my clothes
between me and the bread-line!'
Everything else he had disposed o.
everything but the four-footed com
rade there at his feet. At his look
the white bulldog sprang up whining
and made joyful pretense Of devour
ling his masters immaculate boot
laces. Valiant put his hand under the
eager muzzle, lifted the intelligen'
head to his knee and looked into the
beseeching amber eyes. But I'd moi
sell you, old chap" he said softly
mot single lick OF your friendly
pink tongue; not for beastly hun
dred thousand"
He withdrew his caressing hand anc
looked again at the check-stub. Twen
tyoipht hundred' Ha laughed bleakly