Gunnison news-champion., 1918-12-27
BOOK ONE
Which Is the Story Of the Candle
and the Compass.
The Melon Harvest
CHApT Err l.

Once upon time ! owned water
melon. | say once hecnuSc | never did
nEdIn. when ! got through owning
hat melon ! never wanted another.
the time was 1881: ! was bog OF
,eycn nud the melon was the first Of
Ill my haryrsts.
didn't know much about myself
hose duys except the fact that my
lame was Bart Bnyn"s and, further.
hat was an orphan who owned
watermelon and little spotted hen
md lived on Kattl"road ln IA nclghbor-
lood called LIckltyspltt. | lived with
ny Aunt D"rI and my Uncle Peabody
saync, on farm. They were brother
iud SISTER he nhoUt thirty eight and
The n llttlc beyond the far-dIstHnt goal
II forty.
Ny father and mother died In a
lCourg" OF diphthcrla that swept the
,eighhOrhood when l was boy Of
i've.
A few days after I arrived in the
loInc OF my aunt and uncle I slyly en-
cred the parIor and climbed the what
lOt to examine some whit" flowers on
It's top shelf and tipped III" whole
thing over. scattering It's burden OF
albums. wax flowers and scuShells
,n the floor. My aunt came running
IN her tlptocs and exclaimed; Mercy
Come right out o. here this minute
TuU pest"
tool some rather long steps going
out. wlirh were due TO the TACT that
Aunt De'I had hold Of my hand. While
sat weeping she went back into the
pGrlOr and began TO pick up things.
my wreath! my wreath! !" heard
her moanhy.
How well | remember that little as
SOM Sgc OF flower ghosts In wax!
They had no more right to associate
18th human beings than the ghosts Of
Lbls- Un,.e Peabody used to call
en- the ''tIncryy flowers" because
ey were "A present from his Aunt
Minerva. When Aunt Dcel returned
to the Kitchen where | sat--a sorrow
Ing litu" refugee hunchcI up In cor
ner-shr said: "IlI have to tell your
tncl" p"abody-ayes! !"
"Oh pleas" don't tell my Uncle Pea
body" | walled.
ayes, I'll have to tell him." she
answered firmly.
For the first time I looked for him
with dread at the window and when
he came | hid In closet and heard
that solemn and penetrating note In
her voice as she said:
II guess you'll have to take that boy
away-ayes
What nowf" he asked.
my stars he snr. ked into the par
lor and tipped over the what-not and
smashed that beautiful wax wreath"
Jerusalem four corners !" he ex.
claimed. "I'll have to
He stopped as he was wont to do on
the threshold Of strong opinions and
momentous resolutions.
The rest OF the conversation was
drowned In my own cries and Uncle
Peabody came and lifted me tenderly
and carried me upstairs
He sat down with me on his lap and
hushed my cries. Then he said very
gently:
"Now, Bub, you and me have got to
be careful. What-nots and albums
and wax flowers and haircloth sofys
are the most dangerous critters In st.
Lawrence county. They're purity saw
age. Keep your eye peeled. You can't
tell what minute they'll jump on ye.
More boys have been dragged away
and tore to pieces by 'em than by all
the bears and panthers in the woods.
Keep out O. that old parlor. Ye might
rs well go into a cage O. wolves. How
be goin' to make ye remember itT
II don't know" l whimpered and be-
gan to cry out In fearful anticipation.
He set me In n chair. picked up one
Of his old carpet-slippers and began to
thump the bed with 1t. He belabored
the bed with tremendous vigor. Mean
while he looked at me and exclaimed:
You dreadful child"
l knew that my sins were RESPONSE
Die for this violence. 1t frightened me
and my cries increased.
The door at the bottom Of the stairs
opened suddenly.
Aunt Deel called:
Don't lose your temper, Peabody. I
shink you've gone fur 'nough-ayesr
Uncle Peabody stopped and blew -
q he were very tired and then I caught
I look In his face that reassured me.
He called back to her: II wouldn't
n cared 30 much II It hadn't a been
the what-not and them Minefvy low
era. When boy tips over . whataoe
hes .EolH It putty strong.