Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-03-10
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l!II I!!l llIl

back to he watch house bench. AT
first he sought to change the topic OF
conversation, then he ssumed anser
at the boys persistence. Eric's white.
eager, quivering face distressed him.
He realized. with Il pain in his heart,
that his little friend would not be de-
MED. He was determined to know the
truth, n the truth was the thing that
poor old Jabez was striving to evade.
Far back in his mind lay the con-
know n wretched story, but now was
not the time. nor was he the proper
person to make the disclosure. 1t does
not disturb my conscience. therefore.
to the course taken by Jabez
Carr. He lied nobly, with The best Ia
tentions, and his sin. though sure to
; be found out. was worthy OF a lasting
place among the virtues.
To be sure. in his enthusiasm. he
overdid it. but why hold that up
against him? He made Philip Mid
thorne out to be a hero, the like of
whom never walked through the most
exalted tale Of chivalry. His descrip-
ton of h u well imagined combat on
the lonely duelling ground. and the cir
culnstances that led up to 1t, merited
distinction in the choicest yellow back
fiction of n age. I leave his story to
your Imagination. i have my own to
tell. The effect 1t had on the boy is all
that l care to record.
! When the lengthy. involved and high
ly colOred narrative came to an end
which was when the old nan reached a
stage where he realized that he was
beginning to contradict himself because
he couldn't remember just what had
gone before-the boy was fairly
sQutrming with excitement, and bride,
and glory in his heroic father. Jabez
left nothing to the imagination. albei
he uttered not u single word OF the
truth.
Later on, the old man watched his
ward the gate In the road wall sur
rounding the Blagden garden and stable
yard. He was very thoughtful. and he
shook his grizzled head in deep per-
plexity.
He'll find out the truth some day.
poor lad" unused he, and all my lynn
will go for naught. Mebby 'twould
been better to have told him the truth.
What a fine little chap he is"
Eric encountered Chetwynd in the
grape arbor. The older bay was
snugly ensconced In a remote nook.
where he spent much of his leisure time
reading. far from the questioning eyes
OF his parents. n quite out of view
from any Of the windows in the house
itself. He chose this spot because 1t
was secluded. and he denied either OF
his cousins the right to approach with
III ~ pdCeS OI HIS ldlT. 1.-TWO Oh IuFcS
lkickings had convinced Eric that
discretion was better than valor. He
kept his distance thereafter, but down
in his ear he cherished the hope that
there would come a time when ne
would be big enough to drive the proud
sure that C~hetwynd's nook was the
shadiest. the coolest and altogether the
most desirable In the garden. He chose
1t with considerable perception. It was
there that ostensibly he pursued the
course in reading his father had laid
cautiously from behind. you would have
observed that a flashy, blood stirring
paper q library of the 5 and 10
cent variety reposed atop the obscurei
pages OF Virgil. Chetwynd managed. in
some way to read at least one of these
demoralizing pamphlets every day. His
mind was soaked with the vicious per-
formances OF certain hfghwaymen. road
agents, detectives, and the more ex-
allied but scarcely less a~pprovable vir-
tues Of youthful heroes. 90.
His doting parents would have beer
shocked beyond measure could they
have known of this unexampled stray
ing.
Eric usually gave the sacred spot a
wide berth. Today, full Of e%xaltation.
he boldly invaded the nook.
"Get out OF this!" roared Chetwynd,
SCARCELY OSkl0V1u8 UlS SyS0. k10 lOWCIVO
his feet from their perch on the trellis
and was almost prepared to rise from
the small of his back. on which he was
sitting.
The ugly scowl did not daunt the
trespasser. He ann up quite close t.
: | his cousin.
you can kick me n.you want to. but
mean to tell" he began.
Chetwynd interrupted him with q
mild oath. A moment later he was
standing over the smaller boy. his arm
drawn back t~hreateningly.
III you tell father What I've beer
reading. I'll break your neck" M
5 hut at the thought Of the information
goinG to his father.
"Oh. I'm not q tattletale." cried Eric
"You know better than that. You're s
telltale yourself. but I'm not: You
:. Don't you call mo q telltale:"
!. We'll. you are. You tell on me t.
aunt every time I do anything, and yo'
tell her lots Of times that I did tn,
things that you did yourself. SOS II
get punished. She believes you. and
Z : get It good m hard. too. But I neve
'aa ssou on ao ySs. aa xcs i no.: ! p asn,s;.
: Chetwynd. You know what I'd do t
YOU"
= why don't you pick on Johnny Met
: calf OF Roy Gray? You're afraid Of err
; They're az big ~ you are. and they
just lick you"
''Tll give you a smash In the eye
' hrst thing you know" 4rowled Chet
wynd. Still his arm was withheld"
"Go on and do It! Go on cried tn
3 reckless Eric. you're q coward. that
what you are. You won't light fail
You know I can't lick you"
"Tor two cents. I'd
; '1M night with 'dornicks' at 20 PAGES.
. said Eric.
Chetwynd laughed derisively a. Il