The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1916-10-12

For some eggs" Sarah rounded out
the sentence. And Of course he didn't"
suddenly her brothers face alarmed
her. Cal" she exclaimed, Il haven't
done anything l shouldn't have done.
have II"
Caleb turned wry face toward Ali.
son.
In-that-outft!" he groaned Down
to the village. and it's a lumber town!
He's gone, and IL he doesn't have to
fight his way back then r.
Sarah's alarm changed to fear IN
stantly. She stepped out upon the
porch.
They sat and waited, and in due
course of time the boy returned. As
he appeared at the gate Sarah, with
strange choking sound in her throat.
half rose and then dropped weakly
back Into her chair. And even to AIN
son. who had fondly looked forward to
the worst, the little suit with the pref
ty ruffed cuffs was an unbelievable
wreck. The coat had been ripped from
hem to collar and dangled loose upon
either side as the boy advanced toward
them, the knees Of the trousers We're
split till the bare skin showed through
beneath. and those portions Of the fab
! ric which were not incrusted with dirt
We're literally o'erspread with egg.
After one stricken glance at the spec
tacle Sarah tottered to her feet and re-
treated none too steadily into the house
Just what does this mean:" Caleb
faltered. "Where have you been?"
He hardly recognized the boys voice.
Il been daown to the city" Steve
slurred the words. Il been daown to
git Miss Sarah dozen eggs, and run
into trouble daown there a-gittin' EN-"
you'd better go upstairs and get into
your old Clothes" Caleb advised him
then. And I'll get you something less
less dangerous to wear before night"
But the boy stood rigid still.
"Wil you" he asked. will you give
me another quarter nowr
"A quarter" echoed Caleb slowly.
even while he reached into his pocket
and handed the coin 20 the boy. Nov,
what do you Here. where are you
coing now:'
"Why. I'm coin' back daown to the
ity," he grated out. I'm goin' back
.fter Miss Sarah's eggs.'
And he went. and when he returned
the creases in the paper bag which
held his purchase were as fresh as
when it had left the grocer's counter.
Well. Im-l'm hanged! Allison
uurmured. after the boy had entered
he house. I'm hanged. You'll have
bring that youngSter over. Cal, and
Introduce him to the children"
Acting upon Dexter's suggestion, the
nan took Steve the very next day and
presented him to the children who
we're guests in the big stucco and
imber house: Little. shy. transparent
kiuned Mary Graves and Garret Deye-
eau and Archibald Wickersham-the
Right Honorable Archie. But from
he very first Stoves lack of enthusi-
ism for their company impressed itself
ipon Caleb. As matter OF fact, the
boy did cross over and join in their
games the first day or two. but 1t was
only after Caleb himself had suggested
| il. And more often than not he would
he back again before an hour had pass
| ed. to sit silent and moody.
But 1t needed no word OF Caleb's to
| keep Steve at home. Without some
suggestion TO urge him. the latter
| showed no inclination 10 leave his own
| yard, and yet he would sit, too. Tor
hours upon the top step of the veran-
| da, staring I'm the direction OF the stuc-
co lodge and listening to the voices be-
| hind the high hedge. More and more
| often Garry Devereau came over and
! Joined him instead. and together the
pair made almost daily trips down to
the mills. A quick intimacy had grown
| up between the two boys, an intima-
cy which seemed all the stranger to
| Caleb because OF the contrast between
them.
! From the beginning Steve had
eyinced an unsuitable appetite for
books; he started In TO devour every
/ thing upon which he could lay his
hands, and the Hunter library was
lined with well stocked cases. But 1t
was the history volumes that drew
| him most. With a fat tome upon his
knees he would sit for hours In a cor
ner upon the floor, his eyes glued to
the pages. And one day, two weeks
after the occurrence Of the eggs. he
came to Sarah with shy question, a
book In one hand. After she had
caught the drift Of his query Sarah
took the volume and found that he had
been reading of the fabulous deeds OF
King Arthur and his Knights OF the
Round Table.
Steve went back to his reading after
she had finished. but ever and again
that morning his eyes. blank with pre-
OCCUPATION. wandered from the type
ever and again his ears seemed to be
straining to catch the echo OF childish
trebles from the yard beyond the
hedge. And after dinner Caleb was
astonished when the boy explained, 9
little awkwardly. that he was goinG
over to Allison's grounds for awhile