The Tomahawk., 1917-10-11
"My--lunch? repeated Rhoda, mys

ished. / gave it to fellow who need.
ed it ten times worse than I did, ]
reckon"
"Who was it, jedi" asked Rhoda,
with rising interest.
"A young man, tall, dark and hand
some. He's been hanging around the
town for week. Stranger. My broth
er Bill, who works at the post office.
says he calls there half dozen times
a day, so he must be waiting around
for some letter."
"But what about the lunch?" pressed
Rhoda.
"Why, just as was going to eat it,
after leaving yOu," narrated Jed, Il
saw him sitting on tree stump. He
looked starved and half-frozen. I
thought to myself, maybe you're sort
of prodigal son, like myself I went
up to him and said, You look hungry,
Mister Pretty near he said, with q
sigh that hit me hard. set the lunch
down beside him. told him how I
came by it. That dainty, pretty MISS
he says-'Bless herr"
Dlu u0 say CoIASN AsAAOAe@,
flushing quite delightedly.
"He did, and I say it, too, a'am,"
iterated Jed, CALAMITY. ale tried to
make me take back the lunch. just
ran away. was glad. Looking back,
I saw him just devouring that lunch
like starved wolf"
''Dainty. pretty miss'-Rhoda was
somehow rsaesed with the phrase. She
was glad, too, that her sacrifice had
done second duty. The air of mystery
about the stranger interested her. His
grateful recognition Of her charity in
shoveling the path in the snow had a
certain element of romance about it.
It was the next day, and Rhoda and
her little sister were in the barn gath
ering eggs from the nest, when there
was rustic in the haymOw overhead.
"Mercy mel" breathed Rhoda, as
there followed human groan. "Some
one Is up there. Run and tell mother,
Gertrude!"
Rhoda's big brother, Tom, appeared
with Mrs. Ford. The others tim1dly
followed, as Tom assembled the stairs.
Lying on the hay was tossing, fe-
vered form. From Jed's description
Rhoda at once recognized the mysteri-
GUS stranger and comprehended the
situation.
They were good, heartsome folks, the
Fords. At glance they knew the
trespasser was no tramp.
"Theres something for us to do here,
mother" declared Tom, and an hour
later the sufferer was lying on a COM
Portable bed in Toms room.
It was three days before the stran'
ger rallied from the effects of the cold
and lack of nourishment. Rhoda came
| home from school one afternoon to
| find their guest dressed and clean
shaven seated before the glowing CRATE
| Of the sitting room. An elderly. man
too, was there. He came forward with
both hands extended, as if they were
old friends or relatives.
"And this is Miss Rhoda, know y
he exclaimed. my dear, I am the
uncle of the young man for whom you
| and your blessed family have done sc
| much" and he dubbed over with
gratitude and commentator in the
story he told Of an Independent neph
ew seeking to find his fortune in the
cold outside world and failing utterly
"And I was away from home ant
didn't get Gerald's letter until yester
day." explained the old man. "Ah
he has had a hard experience-and
too, for was sort of domineering witt
the boy. Well both be better for Il
ALL"
"This is the road where you cleaned
the snow last winter" reminded
Rhoda, six months later, as her nov
frequent visitor, Gerald Wayne, ant
she strolled toward the schoolhouse
"You were very hungry those days
weren't you, Mr.. Wayne?"
II have been hungry ever since" de
clared Gerald.
+ She regarded him wonderingly.
"Hungry for your Lowell" he ex
planned, and a new sweet delight wa
singing in the happy heart Of his fai
companion.