Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-04

group. He saw that nobody was TAX
ing anything but tea and at the same
time he noted gratefully that nobody
was watching him. The Judge and
J. Y. were talking to each other.
Nance, junior, and Cousin Tom were
kneeling before Gerry, Junior, stolen
for a short hour from Alix. That
dwarf Moloch, arrayed in starchy
white that stuck out like a ballet skirt
above his sturdy. fat legs, was gravely
devouring a sacrifice of cake. Charlie
Sterling lay full length on the ground
while his brood, with shrill cries at his
frequent erupt!ons, buried and re-
buried him with sofa pillows. Nance,
Alan and Glen slipped tea and cheered
on the children's efforts.
Kemp turned q twinkling eye on
Mrs. ]. Y. Il amt sayin', ma am. thet
this mixture is my usual bev'rage, but
man don't expect to have his usual
handed down I'm a pulpit. and like
wise see no call for folks turnin' their
front lawns into a BAR
Kemp could feel a scene; his strange
nature was moved at finding itself
rubbing elbows with such a group
and when Kemp was moved he al
ways talked to hide his emotion. Mrs.
]. Us kindly eyes led him on, made
him feel weirdly akin to those quiet,
contented men and women and clean
frocked, rosy-cheeked children frolick-
ing against the peaceful setting of
shady trees, old lawns and the ram
bling house that staidly watched them
like some motherly hen, wings out
spread, ever ready to brood and shell
ter.
Kemp's eyes left Mrs. ]. Us face
and swept over the scene again.
"Speakin of bars" he went on in his
soft drawl. IL don't think a missus
ever has no call to handle drinks over
an above what goes in md out of a
milk pail, which isn't drink in a man.
ner O. speakin'. l can't rightly rec'llect
that ever seen missus leanin' over
either side of bar in this country, but
I've strayed some from the home fence
an you may be surprised, Mis- Wayne.
to know thet they's lands where no one
amt never heerd tell on a barman an
where barmaids is some commoner'n
the milkin' brand"
"Yes?" said Mrs. J. 7. encourag-
ingly.
"sho' thing" replied Kemp; "I seen
'em. 1 won't forget the fust time be-
cause I was consid'able embarrassed.
1 missed steamer in Moo Yawk an
the firm was in a hurry, so they sent
me acrost to Southampton, an while I
was waitin' for the Brazil boat a Teller
I'd picked up on boa'd showed me
around some. Well. it want long be-
fore he corralled me, quite wilin', In
a bar. l pulled off my hat and he
says, why dyou take Off yo' hatT and
l says, why don't you take Off yourn?
Don't you see they's lady heap Then
he bust out laughln' and everybody
that was nea' enough to hea' bust out
laughin' an the missus behind the bar
laughed, too, though somehow it didn't
sound as If sha laughed because she
couldn't hep it,"
Kemp paused to blush over the men,
ory. He did not notice that the judge
and ]. Y. had drawn quietly nearer
and that the rest of the group of
grown-ups were intent on his words
"They's times" he continued, when
it's fittin' that a man should be without
shootin' irons an that was one of 'em
l can't rightly say what would have
happened but guessn's easy. When
he was through laughin' the feller that
was showin' me around slapped me on
the back and sez, That amt no lady:
it's a barmaid' An then they all
laughed some mo- and the missus Just
kind o. laughed an | mought "a been
dreamin'. but | thought ] seen a look
in her eyes thet says she wasn't laugh
in inside at all. Ever sence then I've
been of opinion that missus has no
call to handle drinks an | ce'tainIy
hope I'll never see one a'doin' of it
under the home fence"
Kemp stayed at Maple House for
week. Before he left he was known
throughout the countryside. His lanky
figure. dropping mustacEes, domed hat
and the way he held out the reins in
front of him when he rode marked him
from the start. and when the youth
Of the surrounding farms learned that
he was genuine cowboy that had
ridden everything with four legs, they
worshiped from afar and gloried In
casual approaches.
Just before he went away Kemp
took it upon himself 70 call ON Alix.
Alan led him to where she sat on the
lawn among the trees at The Firs and
left him. Allx looked up in wonder at
his tall. lank form. Kemp held his hat
in his hand and twisted 1t nervously.
Mis- Lansing" he said. II want
you should let me say few words to
ye. l seen Mister Lansing bout five
weeks ago."
Alix sprang to her feet, her pale
cheeks aflame. "Yesf" she said.
"When-when is he comIng?" She
sank down again and buried her face
in her hands. The shame of putting
that question to a stranger over
whelmed her.
Kemp sat down near her. "Sho. Mis-
Lansing" he said don you take II
l. -