The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-12-15


under the trees.
When he awOke and continued his
hegira frosty sparkle in the air had
succeeded the drOwsy warmth of the
day. and as this portent of Il 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 bent of horses
hOofs. Turning his head, he saw mp
preaching fine team of stylish grays
drawing double. surrey. A stout
the front seat. giving all his attention
to the rigid lines In his hands. Behind
him sat placid. mddle-aged lady and
II brillIant-l0oking 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 ioaflng In
cities, he had seen warily transferred
between express wagons and bank
doors. The remaining space in the
vehicle was filed with parcels Of vari-
Gus sizes and shapes.
AS the surrey swept even with the
side-tracked tramp. the brlght-eyed
girl. seized by some merry. madcap i'm
pulse, leaned out toward him with a
sweet, dazzling smile and cried. "Mer-
ry Christmas" in shrill, plaintive
treble.
Such n thing had not often happened
to Whistling Dick. and he felt handi-
capped In devlsing the correct re-
Spouse. But. lacking time for reflection,
Ing off his battered hat he rapidly ex-
tended II Mt arms length and drew 1t
back with continuous motion and
shouted 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 II into the road.
The tramp picked ii up and found 1t
to be new black silk stocking, long
and fine and slender.
Ether bloomn' little skeezicks 7"
said Whistling Dick, with broad grin
bisecting his freckled face "W'ot d.
yer think Of dat. now? Merry Christ
mus! Sounded like Il 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 shoppln' fer Christmas,
and de kids lost one of her new socks
w'Ot she was goin' to hold up Sanity
Wild"
Whlstling Dick folded the stocking
carefully and stuffed II into his pocket.
1t was nearly two hours later when
he came upon siH1s of habitation. The
buildings Of an extensive plantation
came into view.
The road was inclosed on each side
by fence, and presently as Whlstling
Dick drew nearer the houses he sud-
denly stopped and )sniffed the air.
''If dere amt hobo stew cookin'
somewhere In dis immediate precinct"
he said to himself, 'me nose has quit
tellin' de trut."
Without hesitation he climbed the
fence to wlndward. He found himself
In IN apparently disused lot, where
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 bed Of
living Goals, and he thought he could
see some dim human forms sitting or
lying about 1t. He drew nearer, and
by the light Of a little blaze that sud-
denly flared up he saw plainly the fat
figure of ragged man In an old brown
sweater and cap.
dat man." said WhistlIng Dick to
himself softly, els dead ringer for
Boston Harry. I'll try him wit de
high sign"
He visited one or two bars of a rag
time melody, and the air was imme-
dlately taken up and then quickly end
ed with peculiar run. The first whls-
tier walked confidently up to the fire.
The fat man looked up and spake In q
loud, asthmatic wheeze:
Scents, the unexpected but welcome
addition to our circle Is Mr.. Whistling
Dick, an old friend of mine for whom
l fully vouches. The waiter will lay
another cover at once. Mr.. w. ID. will
Join us at supper, during which func-
ton he will enlighten us In regard to
the circumstances that give US the
pleasure Of his company"
For the next ten minutes the gang
of roadsters. six In all, paid their undi
vided attention to the supper. In an
old five-gallon kerosene can they had
cooked stew Of potatoes, meat and
onions. which they partook Of from
smaller cans.
Whisting Dick had known Boston
Harry Of old and knew him to be one
Of the shrewdest and most successful
Of his brotherhood. He looked like a
prosperous stock drover or a solid mer-
chant from some country village. He
was stout and hale, with ruddy. al
ways smoothly shaved face. The four
other men were fair specimens Of the
Sinking, ill-clad. noisome genus.
After the bottom of the large can
had been scraped and pipes lit at the
cOala tw0 0f tho mon raIIad Roafon