The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-08-20
|DAFFY
DANIEL
BY cLARISSA MACKIB

AbneP, her husband, had also heart
the crtak Of wagon wheelx
who b II, Marthyr he asked
Nobody but Daffy Daniel" she ~
Piled, Iesuming her mending.
'HuIaphp muttered Abner. "Wisf
he'd sell me that south lot"
"He ought to be made to-" agreed
bis wife. Amy one az simple a. DAM
ought to have a guardeen. I shoult
think you'd speak to the sslectmer
about Il, Abner."
"rvs q mind to-" grumblsd Abner.
1.-THE lot don't do him any good.
argued Mrs. Tweedy. 1--WE said for q
long time that Dafry amt got common
sense"
Miss Blake. tho new schoolteacher
who boarded at the TweedyS, looked
up from her book.
why DO they call him thatr' she
asked.
Call who - whatT' demanded Mrs
Twesdy, startled BY the sudden Ques
don.
"pafy Daniel"
'Ohi Because he II daffy.e
TN what way especiallyr' insisted
Frances Blake. She was q small, clear
eyed woman. intrepid Of speech and
action. rs he insaneT
'Land, nor protested Mrs. Tweedy,
Daniel amt really crazy, but he's
simple minded. Folks have called him
'Dafty Daniel ever since the firs at
tho Tord place. Daniel was only sew
snte an, and his pa and ma and his sis
ter was burned to death Daniel had
bsen spending tho night with his cous-
In at Overlook. In the night he saw
the liaines and came running Eve miles.
And when he reached home it was too
late rhsre want any homo or any
folks lsft.
'Trs was sick for weeks afterward
and siics then he's always been queer.
Some say he blames himself because
hs want home that night He said,
II I'd been there might have saved
theri.''
"Poor fellow" murmured Miss Blake,
"And whore does he live nowr'
"Buit himself O cottage on the old
ssllar. He loves the farm like leech,
won't part with an inch of land, tho
Abnsr d like that south lot II Joins
our prDp'y, you know"
"And 30 he Is queer" went on Fran
css Blake. els he marriedT
"Iav', no! Wouldn't look at a gin.
Awful Queerr'
'Is Re disagreeableT '}
''No-o-o, not exactly" admitted MrS.
Tweedy. Hes very short In his man.
Asr, don't stop to talk with neighbors
and roads most all the time. He's
queer. He's downright daffy, Miss
Blake. It all happened twenty years
ago. -
Miss Blake made no comment She
returned to her book, but for nearly an
hour she did not turn a leaf.
Presently Mrs. Tweedy arose to pre-
pare the evening meal Abner got up
and ne hted the big reading lamp.
But Frances Blake had lost interest
In her book. She got up and went
barehe aded into the April sunset.
The garden was fragrant with the
smell OF growing things. The odor OF
earth was pleasant
From the woods at the north came a
vagrant breeze. It bore whifr Of
sassafias and violets and now leaves
and springing grass.
"Ohg cried Frances Blake, throwing
her arms to the rosy clouds. II must
brea tho this before It goes away"
30 she wandered down the back path,
through the orchard where robins were
calling In low thrilling tones, whore
insects chirruped In the grasses.
Out of the orchard she wandered into
the rol Ing pastures. Once or twice she
crossed a fence.
She heard the distant ciamor Of the
Tweedys' supper bell and scorned Il
It Wis a magic world, bathed In q
rosy light Bird songs, flower life and
smell Of springtime Frances closed
her eyes and leaned against the fence.
Are you sickr asked a mans quiet
voice.
Frances looked up, startled. She saw
q tall, broad shouldered man In rough
gray suit. His cleanly cut features
were hronzed with sun and weather.
There was boyish. look about him In
spite of his gravity. He had good
brown eyes and white. even teeth.
Thank you, / am quite WELL" said
Frances. 81 was only enjoying the
evening" It Is 30 beautiful"
"You like Il toor' he asked eagerly.
IL love II, but I don't dare mention
those things. Ny neighbors believe
one should cake the beauties Of nature
a. q mitteT Of course"
Like daily bread, and water. and
turnps, suppose" laughed Frances.
He nodded.
"But one In supposed to enjoy bread
and to nips and be thankful for them.
God m ade sunshine and flowers and
birds, and why not be grateful for
those t,or
II an" said Miss Blake quietly.
-And 90 should you"
IL am doubly 80. since have dis-
covered another one who thinks a.
do. Estenr
From the orchard came the throe