Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-09-12

Qearned in Paris). to the accompani-
ment of uproarious applause; and the
harvest was rich, thrown clinking into
| the apron of Old Nita, one of the little
/ troupe to which he belonged All!
those were the gay nights!
| Past the last few months his
/ thoughts flew back to journeyings far
and wide: white roads of Lorraine, a
| theatrical little village near Naples.
| where Mr.. Jones had worsted a rival
| in combat for honors on a market day;
Holland, where the bear had stolen
| the little wooden shoe from the tulip
selling girl, and where they met the
| gigantic Beau-Jean, and he, with his
| wife, Guneviere. and the great. grizzly
Koko had joined them. That made a
company of six, for already there was
Rico, his bear and his Anna, and
| Nita-that wicked Old Nita, who
| danced the "coquette" herself when
| they, bears and all. went late one
| night to the Bal Bodin in Montmartre-
How funny she had looked. dancing,
| with her shapeless old mouth a-smil-
| ing!
Tramp steamersI The smell of
| them came sharply across the autumn
wind. Weeks of motion and Of stencil,
| and then at last the dying of the en-
gfne-throb. the crowding and the jos
| thing, and the great rush out upon the
shore of some new land. On such a
voyage it was that Carlos and HERNIA
mia had joined them, bringing a Gin
| namon bear.
Where had not these eight been
what roads they had travelled together
| under sun and moonl
This host of memories Pedro felt in
| their essence, in a single breath, as
it were. bereft of detail save for some
picture-of a small incident or two,
| trivial, but never to be forgot. The
heart of that past life he held for a
moment in his own. No! mol he could
| not give it up And yet, this other
call, which had been with him, it
would seem, since birth, was now
grown too strong for resistance. Be-
| fore his eyes he must see the thought
of his heart depicted by the labor of
his brain and hand. He must paint!
He was an artist, an artist!
81 will go!" said Pedro shudderingly.
Then. as If shedding the past. he
| squared his shoulders.
k "Come!" said he to the animal. I'VE
shall return to camp and tell them
what we are going to do"
Not until he was within a hundred
yards of the road did Pedro realize
that he had been trespassing on what
| now evinced itself to be a country
estate of some pretensions; and at
! this point the fact was made manifest
| by the sight of cedar and fir hedge.
| Near by was a closed gate, fanked by
| pillars of old brick and soapstone, Civ
| ing access to a narrow footpath which
wound along at the base of the hill
| he had just crossed.
! Apparently he had been dreaming
away the afternoon upon the farming
section of the place. The sloping
ground which lay between him and the
hedge was smooth and soft, and tempt
| ed by it, Mr.. Jones lay down and
rolled a little way Then he got up
and trotted on some distance in ad-
vance of his master. The road was
| very near now, and there came a
sound of pattering footsteps from 1T
| and the swish of light garments.
| Through the somber evergreens Pedro
could see a CLEAN of white, moving
| swiftly. Then came the noise of heay-
Ter tramping-a mans step this time
man in haste at that Then a wom-
an screamed, her frightened cry ring
ing out sharply.
The bear, moved to curiosity by the
sound. plunged through the hedge and
disappeared, and Pedro. grasping his
staff like cudgel. set on down the
slope at a run, reaching the hedge
only a moment later than the bear.
The fragrant branches whipped across
the boys face as he rushed past,
emerging breathless upon the high
4 way A dramatic scene awaited him.
i Down the road a thoroughly fright
| ened tramp was speeding from the ter
rifying and wholly unexpected appa-
rition of the bear, a cloud of dust en-
veloping his Mortified retreat Close
to the gateway, her purse clasped fran
tically to her bosom, stood a girl, be-
| wildered and alarmed girl whom
the last sunbeams bathed in glory,
cleaning on her hair that was red
gold, like joy" And to complete the
picture, there stood Mr.. Jones, erect
upon his hind legs, his tongue lolling
out and his clumsy paws waving from
her to Pedro.
1t was an introduction
That she was almost as much
frightened by the bear as by the
tramp, whose attempted robbery the
animals sudden appearance had frus-
trated. was clear. At sight OF Pedro
she screamed again
i "Oh, the beari Help, help! oh.
| take him awayi" she cried