Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-03


it in words that would show
her what she had thrown away, but
he followed the others in the wake Of
the Swedish lady named Anna, and as
they stood in the cavernous hollow Of
the great barn he found his condition
suddenly improved.
Miss Pratt turned to him unexpect-
eddy, and placed Flopit in his arms
keep peshus Flopit cozy," she whis-
pered. "Flopit love ole friends best"
Williams heart leaped, while JOY
Gus warmth spread all over him, and,
though the execrable lummOX immedi-
ately propelled Miss Pratt forward, by
her elbow, to hear the descriptive re-
marks of the Swedish lady named
Anna, Williams soul remained uplift-
ed and entranced. She had not said
"like;" she had said, ''Flopit love ole
friends bestv' William pressed for
ward variantly and placed himself as
close as possible upon the right Of Miss
Pratt, the lummox being upon her left.
When the party came out of the
barn William beheld Miss Pratt, not
walking at his side, but, on the con-
trary, sitting too cozily with George
Crooper upon fallen tree at the edge
Of a peach orchard just beyond the
barnyard. 1t was Miss Parcher who
had been walking beside him, for the
truant couple had made their escape
early In the Swedish lady's discourse
regarding the farm and the various an
imals.
In vain William murmured to him
self, "Flopit love ole friends best"
Purple. and black again descended upon
his soul, for he could not disguise from
himself the damnatory fact that George
had fitted with the lady while he,
wretched William, had been permitted
to take care of the dog! He strobe to
the barnyard fence and dropped Flopit
rather brusQuely at his mistress feet
Then, without a word, even without a
look, William walked haughtily away.
In the shade Of great walnut tree
he gave way, not to tears certainly, but
to faint murmurings and little heav-
ings under impulses as ancient as
young love itself. Alas, he considered
his sufferings a new invention in the
world.
Williams final mood was one of
beautiful resignation with kick in It
that is, he nobly gave her up to
George and added 1rresistibly that
George was big, fat lummox. VIII
liam saw himself sad, gentle old
bachelor at the family flreside, some.
times making the sacrifice of his repu-
tation so that she and the children
might never know the truth about
George, and he gave himself the solace
Of q fierce scene or two with George
Remember, it is for them, not you
you thing"
After this human little reaction he
passed to a higher field Of romance.
BE would die for George, and then she
would bring the little boy she had
named William to the lonely head
stone. Suddenly William saw himself
In his true and fitting character-Syd-
ney Carton! He had lately read "A
Tale of Two Cities" Immediately re-
reading until, as he would have said.
he knew 1t by heart" And even at
the time he had seen resemblances be-
tween himself and the appealing figure
Of Carton. Now that the sympathy
between them was perfected by Miss
Pratt's preference for another, William
decided to mount the scaffold in place
Of George Crooper. +.
The scene became actual to him, and,
setting one foot upon q tin milk pail
which some one had carelessly left be-
side the smokehouse. he lifted his eyes
to the pitiless blue sky and uncon-
sciously assumed the familiar attitude
Of Carton on the steps Of the guillo-
tine. He spoke aloud those great last
words:
1T is a far. far better thing that I
do than have ever done. 1t Is Tar.
far better rest that go -
A whiskered head o. .e end Of
long, corrugated red heck protruded
from the .smokehouSc door.
what say?" it inquired huskily.
"Nun-nothing! stammered William.
Eyes above whiskers became fierce.
"You take your feet of that milk buck
1t! Say, this here's sanitary farm
William abruptly departed. He found
The party noisily established in the
farmhouse at two long tables piled
with bucolic viands. Johnnie Watson
had kept chair beside himself vacant
for william. Johnnie was in no frame
of mind to sit beside any "chattering
GIRL" and he had protected himself by
Joe Bullitt upon his right and the
empty seat upon his left. William
took 1t.
He began to eat; he continued to eat;
hs did we'll. So did his two comrades.
They ate chicken, both white meat and
dark, and livers; they ate corn on the
cob and fried potatoes and green peas
and string beans; they ate peach pre-
serves and apricot preserves; they ate
biscuits with grape jelly and biscuits
with crabapple Jelly; they ate apple
sauce and apple butter and apple pie;
they ate pickles, both cucumber pickles
and picked tomatoes, also picked pep
pery and picked onions; they ate lem