Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1913-11-28

boys fiocked 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
rible publicity" of telling the Sunday
school folks about the 'bee" they We're
going to have. to put up lean-to, with
porch for vines. to give the new su
perintendent a living room. and would
they all come? And those who hadn't
any women folks Of their own to bring
to help get the big dinner and supper
might bring somebody ese's. and Mr..
Duncan was over on Forty Mile run or
he'd give it out. but they'd all come
just the same and have mighty good
time putting up the new Sunday
school lady's 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
udN dUOut uSI uuQOuuCCLAcuL OA lLC
"bee" Mae Maude had to put the frills
on the story. Jack Duncan caught his
wee, plump wife in his arms, with a
baby or two thrown in for good meas
ure. their squeals of merriment ac-
I companying his full throated American
1 laugh. their heels kicking his broad
| chest gleefully, while the second edi-
ton Of Melville Tremaine squeezed his
mothers neck, shouting mildly: I'VE
don't have to preach, momsy and me.
We'm goin' to farm fir
! Then all Joined. big and little, in the
chorus Of laughter, and there came
near being O. riot Of hugs and kisses.
| Mae Maude, with the help of the
second generation Of Duncans and her
correspondence with the 'back to the
soi' 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, thoroughgoing
young ranchman, with his eye on the
legislature, noticed her neat, trim ap-
pearance while she took notes in the
'1ecture car" and increased the fire.
quency Of his visits at the manse.
One day he quizzed Mrs. Agnes about
her friends widowhood, quite shock
ing her by asking her If 1t were 'sod
or grass"
Mae Maude heard only the word
widow but it sent the "creeps" VI
and down her spine. After that Oar
Wetherell might as we'll have tried to
win one of Grenfel's Labrador peaks.
She kept tab on the home folks
through the Duncans, even to the mys
ferrous 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 agail
her very own-the noble fellow tina
he was when she first knew him. Hav
ing been through the ordeal herself
and knowing how they always though
along the same lines when he was him
self, she looked for him to come to hel
permanently redeemed.
One evening day or two before
Thanksgiving John Duncan came HON,
from two weeks trip. He was silen
and absentminded, though the small
house was fairly tipsy with merriment
Agnes usual expedient of putting til,
baby in his arms was fat failure. I
came near breaking the child's neck
for he set it down on the floor, its lon:
clothes wadded about its useless feet
and when it was tumbling over on it
small nose he took it, this way ant
that, as he would have done bag o
grain to make it stand on end.
Mrs. Agnes sprang to the rescue
"For mercy's sake, Jack!
He came TO the surface long enougl
to beg the baby's pardon and stop witt
a big, brushy kiss its issue of protest
ing notes. "Come. Aggy, let's go an,
} take walk"
He drew her hand into the bend o
his elbow, leaving the baby and tn
Thanksgiving box that had just a,
rived from the home church. the con
r tents Of which the junior Duncan
r were almost perishing to explore.
= Just fairly beyond earshot he brok
s out with, Lost my trail yesterday, AZ
o gle, and you can't guess whom I ra
J. across"
a "No, Jack. Who?" certain that tn
mystery Of his abstraction was abou
e to unravel itself.
n melville Tremaine."
p mo, Jack. He's dead"
"Not by long shot! The liveliea
}, fellow I've met for many day! STAY
n ed all night with him! Told me til
e whole story"
"Jack Duncan, what are you saying
g Didn't he drink himself to death?"
,. Tried to after Mae Maude left, bt
v the Salvation Army folks down thel
IS In the city got hold Of him."
ooh, Jackie! And doesn't he drin
IS now?"
n 'TeetotaI to the backbone! Whe
" the poor cowboys get near the la
N ditch they'll fight for chance to get