The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-02-20
HIS FOLLY
BY GRACE KERRIGAN.
pyright 1915, by the Mcclure Newspa-
ner SNndicatnl

peated Mrs. Archer in response to an
inquisitive neighbor. NO, indeed,
Mrs. Blake! Dams never kept com.
pany with a girl in his life-not but
what | want him to get married il
he can find the right girl; but GER
tainly l would know, if anyone did,"
"Of course you would" agreed Mrs.
Blake, but it seems so queer for him
to be building a bungalow up there
on his lot, spending every spare min.
ute of his time ON it, and doing every
stitch of work himself-unless he was
going to live in it. Perhaps he will
rent it" with happy inspiration.
Mrs. Archer shook her head. He
says not If you'll promise not to
breathe word, Mrs. Blake"
"Of course WON'T" interrupted
Mrs. Blake excitedly.
'Well-he says he's going to have
the home ready, and when the right
girl comes along, then he'll get mar
ried! It's a foolish thing to do, but
Dan is a good boy, and if he enjoys
building a nest before he finds a
mate, why, | can't complaint" Mrs.
Archer laughed comfortably.
"No-indeed!" replied Mrs. Blake,
and then fastening her departure
she transmitted far and wide the in.
telligence of Dan Archer's purpose
in building the little brown bungalow
on the hill west of his fathers house.
And before another day had dawned
the good gossips Of Crystal Brook
were chuckling over Dan Archer's
folly" as they called his undertak.
ing.
So Archer's Folly became rather a
joke in the village, but Dan Archer
knew nothing of it. Few would have
dared to hint the words to the steady
eyed young giant who went about his
nest building so earnestly without a
thought as to the absurdity of his
endeavor.
There came a night when the wind
howled around the bungalow and the
snow beat against the walls until
they were covered with thick white
mantle.
There was a fireplace in Dams
study and great pile of hickory logs
as well as a comfortable couch, so
on certain nights when he had been
studying closely Dan would decide to
sleep there.
On this stormy night Dan turned
away from the window and replen.
ished the fire. Then he prepared for
bed leaving a lighted lantern in the
window Of the living room.
It's bad night outside" he mur.
INJURED
While the little village slept under
the drifting mantle of snow, horse
and sleigh moved slowly through the
road that led from the next village.
Occasionally the horse stopped and
breathed heavily and once 1t almost
fell in it's tracks.
Uncle Nathan, I'm afraid that Sor.
rel can't 60 much farther" quavered
girls sweet voice.
"Are you very near the doctors,
Folly?" The old mans voice sound.
ed mufled from its thick wrappings
of wooden comforter.
I'm afraid l don't know" and
this time the girls voice held a note
Of despair 1--WE are of the main
road and I can't see a thing-ah,
there is light Let us turn toward
it-there must be a house. II we
can reach it, perhaps we can send for
a doctor from there"
The wind tore her words into frag.
ments, but the old man understood,
SO he crouched down among the fur
robes while Folly urged the horse to
greater efforts. At last Sorrel toiled
up a steep hill and finally dropped
exhausted between the shafts with
the guiding light only few feet dis
tant.
ITS a house on a hill" explained
Felicia, as she helped her uncle from
the sleigh.
The Daintrys lived in the adjoining
village of Upton Center and the only
physician in the village had been
called away on an urgent case, Sc
that when Uncle Nathan cut himself
with an ak Felicia could only bind up
the wound as best she might and then
bundling the old man into a sleigh
strive to reach Crystal Brook, three
miles away.
BY daylight Uncle Nathan had been
made very comfortable, and the doc
tor having taken his departure Mrs
Archer took the weary girl down tc
the farmhouse and tucked her into
bed, while Dan, after stabling Sorrel
went back to keep vigil by the in
jured man.
Dan came down to breakfast with
Felicia, and his heart quickened as hs
saw that she was quite as beautiful a,
he had thought her the night before.
When Mrs. Archer learned that Un
Gle Nathan called his niece Folly,
she Immediately confided the fact I,
Dan, and added the information tha
his neighbors called Dams bungalow
by the nickname of "Archer's Folly.
"Archer's Folly!" chuckled Dar
with dancing eyes. That sound
pretty good to me, mother" An
bis mother marveled at his meaning
lille Dan added to himself: Il wor
r il she would mind being calle
rcher's Folly?"
ie asked her one day, and he
(Wor was n cotjcfa,torv xh.x A. ~