The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-12-14


When he awoke and continued his
hegira a frosty sparkle in the air had
succeeded the drowsy warmth of the
day, and as this portent of a chilly
night translated itself to the brain of
Sir Peregrine he heightened his stride
and bethought him of shelter.
A distant clatter In the rear quickly
developed into the swift beat of horses |
hoofs. Turning his head, he saw ap-
preaching fine team of stylish grays
drawing a double surrey. A stout
man with white mustache occupied
the front seat, giving all his attention
to the rigid lines in his hands. Behind
him sat placid, middle-aged lady and
a brilliant-looking girl, hardly arrived
at young ladyhood. The lap robe had
slipped partly from the knees of the
gentleman driving, and Whistling Dick
saw two stout canvas bags between his
feet-bags such as, while loafing in
cities, he had seen warily transferred
between express wagons and bank
doors. The remaining space in the
vehicle was filed with parcels Of yari-
Gus sizes and shapes.
AS the surrey swept even with the
side-tracked tramp, the bright-eyed
girl, seized by some merry, madcap i'm
pulse, leaned out toward him with a
sweet, dazzling smile and cried, ''Mer-
~ Christmas !" in a shrill, plaintiye
treble
Such thing had not often happened
to Whistling Dick, and he felt handi-
capped in devising the correct re
Spouse. But, lacking time for reflection,
he let his instinct decide, and snatch
ing of his battered hat he rapidly ex-
tended it at arms length and drew it
back with continuous motion and
shouted a loud, but ceremonious "Ah,
there !"
The sudden movement of the girl
had caused one of the parcels to be-
come unwrapped, and something limp
and black fell from it into the road.
The tramp picked it up and found it
to be a new black silk stocking, long
and fine and slender.
''Ther bloomin' little skeezicks II
said Whistling Dick, with broad grin
/ Va
yer think of dat, now? Merry Christ
mus! Sounded like a cuckoo clock,
OATS what she did. Dem guys Is swells,
too, bet yer life, an der oil un stacks
dem sacks of dough down under his
trotters like dey was common as dried
apples. Been shoppin' fer Christmas,
and de kids lost one of her new socks
w'ot she was goin' to hold up Sanity
wild"
Whistling Dick folded the stocking
carefully and stuffed it into his pocket.
1t was nearly two hours later when
he came upon signs of habitation. The
buildings of an extensive plantation
came into view.
The road was inciosed on each side
by fence, and presently as Whistling
Dick drew nearer the houses he sud
denly stopped and shifted the air.
IF dere amt a hobo stew coOkin'
somewhere in dis immediate precinct, y
he said to himself, me nose has quit
tellin' de trut."
Without hesitation he climbed the
fence to windWard. He found himself
piles of old bricks were stacked and
rejected, decaying lumber. In corner
he saw the faint glow Of fire that
had become little more than a bed Of
. living Goals, and he thought he could
see some dim human forms sitting OF
lying about it. He drew nearer, anC
by the light Of little blaze that sud
denly fiared up he saw plainly the ia
| figure of a ragged man in an old brown
sweater and cap.
dat man." said Whistling Dick t
himself softly, sis a dead ringer TO
Boston Harry. III try him wit d
! high sign"
He visited one or two bars of rag
: time melody, and the air was imme
iiately taken up and then quickly end
ed with peculiar run. The first whis
, tier walked confidently up to the fire
!. The fat man locked up and spake in
loud, asthmatic wheeze:
/ gents, the unexpected but WELDON
= addition to our circle is Mr.. Whistlin
J Dick, an old friend Of mine for whoI
III fully vouches. The waiter viii la
another cover at once. Mr.. W. D. wi
join US at supper, during which fun,
= ton he will enlighten US in regard
!, the circumstances that give US Ii
! pleasure of his company"
% For the next ten minutes the gar
& of roadsters, six in all, paid their und
# vided attention to the supper. In a
IS old fve-gallon kerosene can they ha
cooked stew of potatoes, meat an
v onions, which they partook of fro
il smaller cans.
r. Whlsting Dick had known BostC
80 Harry of old and knew him to be OF
"a Of the shrewdest and most successf
IN of his brotherhood. He looked like
rs prosperous stock drover or a solid me
chant from some country village. Z
Is was stout and hale, with rudy, s
v ways smoothly shaved face. The fol
he other men were fair specimens of Il
le. Sinking, ill-clad, noisOme genus.
us After the bottom of the large c,