Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-01-11

was only grave and kindly when he
began to speak.
"You-you look a trif1e tired, young
man." he said then. "Are you-going
far?"
The boy touched his lips delicately
with the point of his tongue. His
gravity more than matched that of his
questioner.
"Air-air thet the-city"
The words were soft of accent and
a little drawing. There was an ac
companying gesture Of one thumb
thrown backward over a thin Shout
der. But Caleb had to smile a little
at the breathless note in the query.
"The city," he echoed, a little puz-
zled. 1.-THE city! Well, now, r. And
he chuckled a bit.
The boy caught him up swiftly, al
most sharply.
'"Thet's- amt tibet Morrison?' he de-
manded.
And then Caleb had a glimmer of
comprehension. He nodded.
YES" he answered quietly, that's
the city. That's Morrison down there"
81 thought it war;" he murmured
and thread of awe wove through the
words. II thought it est nachelly he'd
to be. Haow-haow many houses
would you reckon they might be daown
-daown in tibet there h0ller"
The owner of the white columned
house gave the question its need Of
reflection.
"Wen, I'D say quite a few hun
dred at least
The odd little figure bobbed his
head.
"Thet's what Old Tom always sod,"
he muttereG moe to himself than to
his nearer. "An'-an' ! guess / amt
never rightly believed hiui till naow."
And then. Isis New York. any big
ger:' he asked.
The man at the picket fence smiled
again, but the smile was without Of
Tense.
"Well, yes" he answered: Eyes, con
siderably bigger, l Should judge-tWice
as large at least, and maybe more than
that"
The boy did not answer. He just
faced about to stare once more. And
then the miracle came to pass Around
a far bend in Dexter AllisOn's single
spur track there came careening an
asthmatic switch engine with a half
dozen empty flats in tow. With Il
brave putting and blowing of leaky
cylinder heads, it ratified across an
open space between piles Of timber in
the mill yard and disappeared with a
shrill foot of warning for unseen work
men upon the tracks ahead. The boy
froZe to granite-like immObility as it
flashed into view. Long after it had
passed from sight he stood like a bit
Of a fantastic figure cut from stone
Then a tremor shook him from head
to foot, and when it came slowly about
Caleb saw that his small face was
even whittier than it had been before be-
meath it's coat Of tan and powdery
dust.
He swallowed hard and tried to
speak and had to swallow again be-
fore the words would come.
ooh, I-may-die." he broke out fall
teringly then. ''There goes a milne!
A steam injine, want it,"
Long afterward, when he had realized
that the boys life was to bring again
and again repetition Of that sublime
moment Of realization-a moment OF
fulfillment unsDoiled by surfeit or SO
phistication or a blunted capacity to
marvel, which Caleb had seen grow old
and stale even in the children he knew
he wondered and wished that he
might have known it himself, once at
least. Years Of waiting, starved years
of authorization, he felt after all must
have been very little price to pay fOT
that great, binding, gasping moment
But at the time, amazed at the boys
white face, amazed at the hushed fer
vor i'll the words he forgot, he spoke
before he thought.
But haven't you ever seen an engine
before?" he asked.
AS soon as the question had left his
lips he would have given much to have
had it back again. But at that it fail
ed to have the effect which he feared
too late to check Instead of cOlOrin2
with hurt and shame, instead OF
subterfuge Or evasion, the boy sim
ply lifted his eyes levelly to Caleb'>
face.
~ amt never seed nuthin'," be stat
ed patiently. ~ amt never seed
more'n three houses together in 2
clearin' before. II amt never been
outen the timber-till today. But
aim to see more naow-before I git
doner'
'"The view is excellent from my
veranda," said Caleb as he waved q
hand behind him. "And-you look a
little warm and tired. If your bust
ness is not Of too pressing q nature
have you''-he broke off, amazed at hi
helpless Formally in the matter-'hayf
you come far?'
And he wondered Immediately how