The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-19
cayed pine about ten feet long.

! S1CuaCiOn.
 ''No, kin put it on,'' Abner answer 1 ed shortly; ''but I'll tell you what you kin do. You kin go whar I got this un an fetch some O them fat pine | knots lyin' thar to start it to goin'.'
 ''I want to git onto the game fust,
 Uncle Ab,'' Pole laughed in a low, mys- 1 tifed chuckle.
 Abner was actually blushing now, and his friend could not remember ever l having seen the phenomenon before. 1 To hide his confusion Abner went back 1 into the shadows and brough* forward some of the pine knots.
 'tI may as well own up nm be done with it, he finally said, letting his 1 sheepish glance fall into Poles reso- 1 lute stare "Ef I had evil in mind, set | tim the woods afire or the like, it would be easier to explain. I reckon most of us has secret crochets that the world don't know about, an you've got on to one O mine"
 1 'tI don't know as I'm on yit,'' Pole said graveIy. An, Uncle Alb, I'll tell you that, so fur in the game. I'm as blind as a bat in broad sunlight. Eff you want to call it off right here I'll promise on my life never to let it go out O my mouth that Eve seed what have.''
 t-Oh, it ain't as bad as thatr' Abner said testify. Fer you to go away right now after-after seefn' me here like this you'd think it was some'n' awful. but it ain't. It really aint noth- in but dang whinsy notion O mine. know folks well enough to know that they would say I was goin' daft ef they got on to this fool thing..''
 tssI won't tell nothin'." Pole returned 4l.< <kT to keep my mouth shet."
 @You keep maxim so durn much out of itr' Abner sat down on a fiat stone by the fire which looked as if it had been used for a seat many times and folded his long hands over his knees tsThis is all thar is to it. Pole. I reckon begun 1t about five years ago. I was feelin' sorter bad one cloudy day in the fall, an I started out fer a walk up this mountain. The furder I went the better I felt, till finally I got to this place jest as a brisk shower of rain set tn.z Eff you'll look good you'll see that the rock thar shelves back ans makes sort O roof Well, to keep from 9ein' drenclled to the skin I got back in thar am set down. The rain kept on gittfn' harder an harder till felt chilly. and then. happenin' to have some matches in my pocket an seeing some dry stuff, leaves an bark an one thing or other, made me fire. We'll don't know what it meant, but when that place was all lit up with a red glow an the steam was belchin' out O my clothes an shoes, an all that tu- multi o' rain an wind was surgin' out side, I had the most restfuI feeIin' l ever had '-TSd Hook out an see the freetops wavin' back an forth, an the gray mist hustiin along over the valley, an hear the batter on the beds O leaves an pine needles outside, an turn back to my hole in the rocks with, a feeltn I never knowed a person could have I come from pioneer stock, an, now believe the love O. simple outdoor life Is in my very Boness Well, do yoI know? After that day whenever I'd git bothered over any matter or the weather was bad I'd slink of here, an each time liked it better an better knowed common folks would swear was off my base an so never lei anybody know I did it.
 4tSee that flat rock agin the big oak I'll say Open, See-same,' in minute an let you see what it hides. Under it is a hole I dug about two by two foot, an it is full O pans, pots, knife an fork, spoon, cup an saucer an in fact, a campers complete outfit even to a hatchet fer chopin ul kindlin', 9 rope fer draggin' logs an; what not. I've lied to Mrs. TrumbIey many an many time an said was to eat over at yore house or stay il town, when I've bought me slice Q bacon, some crackers, fresh eggs, g young chicken, coffee an sugar an climbed up here an spent the day like DanI Boone or Davy Crockett Them's been the happiest times I ever spent silly as it may look.
 4sThe habit would grow on me, know, ef I let myself loose. Folks laugh at herrnits an say they are cracked, but all of lem ain't by a long shot. Some of 'em are jest Twin higher to God an have the peace thai passeth understandin' ;
 ! sI don't know as the argument will hold good,' Pole said, fer gittin' soak ed with whisky has the same effect An eff the Lord instigates a prolonged spree he must leave you to the devils care when you are comin' out of it.''
 Well, it ain't no jokin natter Alb ner spoke. live been doin' this, an in my judgment it is my own affair Elf like to be out under Gods sky at certain stated times more'n want to stay under a roof well, that's jest the way happen to feel about it.
 s'I really haiT't been here much late Iy.' Abnerss glance rested on the leap ing flames .'In fact. not since I tuck hold O that paper. but, to tell you the truth, I'm SO sbothered-so broke up over Towards trouble-that jest had fn ersf off fte FryEe,f
 That's what I was lookin' fer you about" Pole said eagerly. q hatn't been in to see you because I was at the end O my rope an hated to admit it. I've been told that I'd make a purty good detective, an I've always thought did have sort O turn that way. So when I settled 1t in my mind that