The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-21

futely unspoiled or Tagged with the
 nonsensical folderol which makes UT
 the bulk of the usual boy's education
 of his age. and a working knowledge
 for instance, of this north country
 which most mon envy! Why, the pos.
 abilities nre limitlesSv'
 Allison pufred his pipe in silence.
 'No doubt you're right" he admit.
 ted. ''In ten years, with technical education to- back up his practical
 knowledge. he might prove priceless to
 some one who had need of such a
 specialist, always assuming, of course,
 that he developed according to prom ise. But the possibilities are limitless, ] too, in the other directions, aren't $ theyY'
 .f ssMeaning7' invited Caleb. +Well, you don't know any too much Z concerning his antecedents, do you?'
 Allison suggested. "And still"-
 sI don't have to- Caleb interrupted, s mot after one look at him." { land still if you catch a boy young
 enough" Allison finished serenely. you can make fairly presentable
 gentleman out of almost any material, withstime enough and money enough z to teach him what to do."
 Ss 4You can," Caleb came back, "but, ' no matter how much money you spend, you can't make the sort of gentle man out of, him that knows without
 being taught what not to do! They they have to be born to that, Der .er."
 And there they let 1t drop. But the sspsxt morning when they were alone upon the brook Caleb, nfter several false starts, managed to reopen the subject with the boy himself. Has 1t ever occurred to you, Steve" he asked, "that all these things you know about the woods might be, val pable some day toto men who pay well for such knowledger Steve paid no apparent heed to the question until he had landed a trout which he had hooked moment before. 1t was heavy fsh. and Caleb had promised to teach him how to handle 7 that fly rod. Then he looked up. .sOnce old Tom sed they'd be payin' me more'n he ever earned in his life +time jest to go aranSlnd and tell lem how much good lumber they was in standin' trees. Us that-is That what you ,meanY
 N'Partg-partly, but not entirely ei- .ther," Caleb went on. You said last , night that when they got to numbering these mountains they'd be taking 1t ! out by steam- When tiey do they'll want men who know the woods, but < they'll have to know how to bridge theyy' l
 The boy promptly forgot his fishing. Knee deep in the stream, he faced ssquarely around toward Caleb, and from that glowing countenance the \ man knew that he had only repeated ; something which long before had al- Erendy fired the boy's imagination. 5. "They,s places where kin git lem to learn me them things, ain't they?'' E he demanded S ' "Yes," said Caleb, there are places.
 And you-you were thinking of going r to schoolY
 'sThinkin' of it9" echoed Steve. .sI
 always been thinkin' of 1t. Why, thet's all come outen the timber ferg' 'But you said you meant to locate something to do,- the man argued, nonplused, .after you had looked around a trife."
 Steve's eyes dropped toward the white drill trousers and big boots, the latter half hidden from sight by the swirling water.
 T got to earn money first" he ex. 1 plained, patiently. I'll jest couldn't l git to go to school-in these here l clothes." .s 1 "OhY' murmured Caleb. "Ohv' And ] then, recovering himself, s.That'll take 1long time" he ventured. < r The boy smiled strangeIy-tIe first smile of mans sophistication which Caleb had seen upon his face. la i've always he'd to wait q long time fer everything I've wanted" he an. swered, .but always git 1t, just the same, if l only want 1t hard enough" l Caleb cleared his throat self con.
 sciously./ l "Still," he argued again, it would waste some very valuable years Now
 -now, what do you think of stayina
 with me, and-and starting in this r fan?"
 The boy's lips fell apart while he
 stood and gaped up into Caleb's slight ly red face. 4.
 You mean," he breathed; you near I -jest liveTwith you?'
 That was my idea," said Caleb. And then slowly the boys head drop ped again. as it had when he bowed tt
 gaze at his uhcouth. begrimed clothes
 The man thought that he caught tn,
 inference of that moment of silence. I we can fix up the matter of clothe. !, later," he made haste to forestaII an!
 objection in that direction. "Tha
 doesn't amount to anything, anyway"
 Z. The clear eyes lifted again, stead,
 and wide and very, very grave. | T always Inowed 1t was comin' ;
 said Stephen O'Mara. T aIway, knowed it was a-comin'-this chance
 even when I didn't know haow i I would come. Ner want thinkin l about my clothes. reckon I kin learl l jest as fast in these as in any. wa 1 jest thinkin' about Miss Sarah. She
 she might not like it, hevin' two mel folks a-raound the house under foet."
 It was Caleb's turn to stand agape. I "Miss Sarahy' he faltered,f astonish | oH ho oroH Hrpo H