The state herald., 1915-03-05
CHAPTER discontinued.

lue watermelon leaned back in the
deep soft cushions of the big car and
smiled smile of calm and peace and
comfort. The car ran smoothly, noise
lessly, little breezes laden with the
sweetness OF the approaching night
wandered by. on each side of him was
pretty girl. Tramping idealized! 1t
was living idealized. And that morn
Ing, hungry, shabby, unshaved. he had
been content TO lie in the sweet lush
grasses OF a chance meadow, inder
butternut tree, with the convivial
James and the corpulent Mike! He
crossed one weH-pressed silken leg
over the other and saw by the way.
side, lounging in the shadows. waiting
ior the car to pass, the two. James
and Mike-Mike fat. red-faced, dirty,
his frowsy hat pulled aslant over his
small, bleary eyes, shoulders bumped
from long habit in cold weather. toes
coming out OF his boot ends; James.
clean shaven, but otherwise no better
dressed, no cleaner. both chewing to-
bacco with the thoughtful rumination
OF the cows watching over the pasture
bars at the end OF the wooded lane.
Billy nudged the Watermelon to call
his attention to the two weary figures
by the wayside.
Poor fellows" said Henrietta soft.
ly. lest they hear her.
The Watermelon glanced at them in
lofty disgust and catching James eye,
his own fiickered the fraction OF an
inch and he raised his hands languid.
ly 10 adjust the brown silk tie at his
throat When they had passed, he
turned and waved n graceful farewell
He explained to Billy as they swept on
into the deepening dusk:
You might as well encourage the
poor fellows. They probably want to
ride Ms well as l." And Henrietta
iancied that possibly his father had
looked thus on Sunday. In the pulpit
OF country church.
Yes" agreed Billy. They may be
perfectly dandy fellows"
"Assuredly," laughed Henrietta
The stout one fairly radiated truth
and nobility. manly. upright youth"
u don't care" declared Billy warm.
ly You can't always tell from ap-
Nnces. You ought to know that.
Henrietta. Clothes don't make the
man"
Nor his Manners" laughlngiy re
torted Henrietta.
Sure" said the Watermelon. "Fa.
ther used to say that manners didn't
count any more than the good apples
on the top OF the box to hide the rot.
ten ones beneath"
Il think your father was a cyp,c. ="
said Henrietta sharply. into whose ears
Billy had been recounting the sayings
OF the absent divine.
Yes" admitted the Watermelon.
"he was"
"Cynicism Ia a sign OF failure. -
quoted Henrietta. Surely your father
wasn't cynic."
Yes. he was" declared tho Water.
melon. "and you didn't make that up
yourself You heard some failure say II
Father used to say. and he's right. that
II man reached forty without becom.
Ing n cynic. he was u fool and might
better never have reached forty"
Your father was philosopher. ''
laughed Henrietta. Il would like to
have met him"
u thought tho papers said" began
Billy. in her slow. anxious way 10 nc,
things right.
Yes. they did" interrupted the Wa.
tcrmoion. "and they were right"
II wnB quito dark now. Bartl,s,
stopped moment while Alphonao n,
the lamps. and then they went on and
on. faster and faster. into the sum
mcr night Once In while ,hey
paabcd lighted farmhouse and dos
rushed out and barkod at them. Twice
they whirled through small Villages
and tho villagers. going homo from
church. paused to watch them pas,
and he swallowed up In tho darl
ahead.
Tho general had boon worried 70,
some time They were apparently gat
ting nowhere. He felt that he ahoult
have consulted tho blue book ~,
was about TO suggest that they ptoI
and get the book from the rcnr car
when Bartlett waved townrq tho darl