The Detroit times., 1913-11-17

amaze or a sleepy express clerk a.
he railroad station: two swans now
allied majestically over the lily-padt
" the lake, along its gravel rim
pair OF bronze-colored ducks waddled
ind preened, and Its placid surface
-ippled and broke TO the sluggish
backs OF goldfish and the flirting fms
Of red Japanese carp. Hens and
guinea.fowl strutted and ran in q
xire waffle behind the kitchen. and
on the wall. now Strengthened and re
paired, q splendid peacock spread his
barbaric plumage OF spangled purple
and screeched exultingly TO his sober
hued mate.
The house itself wore another air
It's look OF unkemptness had largely
vanished The comb of the roof had
been Strengthened and the warped
shutters repaired The boards OF the
porch flooring had been relaid. Moss
and green lichen had been secured
from the bases OF the great weather
beaten pillars. These. however, bore
no garish coat OF new paint The
soft gray tone Of age remained, but
.he bleaknees and forlornness were
Gone: there was about all now q
warmth and genial bearing that limited
at mellowed beauty. hrelight and
cheerful voices within.
Valiant heaved a long sigh OF sat
isfaction as he stood In the sunlight
gazing at the results Of his labors.
He was not now the fiippant boule-
warbler to whom money was the sine
qua non Of existence. He had learned
q sovereign lesson--one gained not
the push and night OF crowds,
but In the simple peace OF country.
side, unvexed by the clamor OF gold
and the complex problems of com
petitive existence--that he had inner.
tied q need OF activity, OF achievement
that he had been born to do. He had
worked hard. with hand and foot,
with hoe and mattock-strenuous
effort that made his blood
course fast and brought muscle-weari'
ness over which nature had nightly
poured her soothing indictments OF
peace and sleep. His tanned race
was 90 clear a. q fine brown porce-
lain. his eye bright. and his muscles
rippled up under his skin with elias
tic power.
"Chum." he said. to the dog rolling
on his back in the grass. what do
you think of II all. anyway" He
down. seized hind leg and
whirling him around like q teetotum.
sent him flying into the bushes,
whence Chum launched again upon
him. like q catapuIt. He caught the
white shoulders and held him WISE
like. Just about right, Ell? But wait
till we get those rAmblers.'
"And to think he continued. whim-
sically releasing him. that might
have gone on. one of the httle-neck-
clam crowd I've always trained with,
at the same old pace. till the Yer
mouth cocktail Palm-Beach career co.
q double Nelson on me and the UNI
pire counted me out. And I'd have
ended by Laying clong through my
fcrties with q bay-window and a
bunch Of boudoir keys! Now ! car
kiss my hand to 1t all. At this mo
ment I wouldn't swap this old house
and land. and the sunshine and that
'gyarden' and Unc' Jefferson and Aunt
Daph and the chickens and the birds
and all the rest OF 1t. for mile OF
Row"
He drew from his jacket pocket a
somewhat worn note and unfolded the
dainty paper with its characteristic
twirly handwriting. THE scarlet,
geraniums trimming the porch" he
"the coral honeysuckle on
the old dead tuliptree. and the fuch.
sias and verbenas by the straight
walk. How right she IL. They're all
growing, too. I haven't lost single
slip" He caught himself up short
strobe to the nearest porch-pillar and
raped on It smartly with his
IL must knock on wood" he said,
''or I'll lose my luck" He laughed
a little. I'm certainly Catching
Uncle JefYerson's superstitions. Per.
haps that's In the soil, too"
He went into the house and to the
library The breeze through the wide.
flung bow-window was futtering the
papers on the desk and the map on
the wall was Tapping sidewise. He
went TO straighten 1t. and then saw
what he had not noticed befefe-tAat
Il covered something that had been
let into the plaster. He swung Il
aside and made an exclamation.
He was looking at . square. un-
wall-safe. with a round
figured disk OF white metal on its
face. He knelt before II and tried It's
knob. After a moment II turned cas-
lily. But the resolute steel door would
not open. though he tried every COM
that came into his mind.
No use." he said disgustedly. One
must have the right numbers"
Then he lifted his fretted frame and
.mote his grimy hands together. Con.
found r." he said with q short laugh.
Here am. . bankrupt, with all this
to the very fnger-bowls
handed TO me on q silver tray. and
I'm mad as scat because can't open
the frst locked thing nnd'"
He ran upstairs and donned a
rough corduroy jacket and high
leather leggings. We're going to
climb the hill today, Chum," he an
land no more moccasins
need apply"
In the lower hall. however. he
suddenly stopped stock-stiIl. 1.-THE
slip Of paper that was in the china
dog" he exclaimed. What q chump
] am not to have thought OF IT,"
He found II In Its pigeonhole and.
kneeling down before the safe. tried
the numbers carefully. first right.
then left: 17--28-s4-O. The
heavy door opened.
II was right" he exulted. "It's
the plate" he drew II out. piece by
piece. Each was bagged in dark-red
Canton lannel. He broke the tape