Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-03-29


swell, what?" the widow asked as
Miss Prue's lips closed like steel
trap. "Oh, nothin'-much," said that
lady, "Only I've got telephone and
the sheriff's office has done promised
me already to come running when /
call it."
The Barton house, clean, rambling
and comfortable, had an absolute mon
arch. by name Roy Evers. He was five
years old. golden as to hair, blue-eyed,
chubby. and dimpled as Cupid. The
young woman who came internationally
in the red car Rugged him throughout
the most of her visits and left him
always with streaming tears. She
surely looked too young to be his
mother, yet he called her my man.
N.Y." and they were very much alike.
Roy liked the men who came and went
with Mammy-especially the tail one
with grazing hair, whom Nanny ad-
dressed as Big Injun. Big Injun had
a way that made you mind in spite of
yourself. Johnny, the other man,
showed that even palmer than Roy
himself. AS for Nanny, all of them ap-
peared to think the earth ought to
turn around for her lightest within. She
being ROy's bond-slave, his kingship
followed inevitably, with her as first
subject and Anne his nurse for prime
minister.
While Miss Prue was expounding
her beliefs to the widow, Nanny sat
smuggling Roy. and smiling wOebe-
gonely at Big Injun. He had just said:
Make much of today, daughter; 1t
won't be safe to come again before
Christmas. Try as We may to blind
our trail. that detective hound, Feugle.
has picked 1t up. Fact-never mind
how know 1t. So be brave, girl, and
say gOOd-by to the little man for
while. l shan't be easy in my mind un-
til we have him across the big water"
Nanny Rugged so hard she hurt the
tender little body. Roy began to whim-
per. There came a rap at the door.
Mrs. Barton opened it cautiously, but
seeing a slOuching figure with a hat
pulled low over the eyes, and a creel
Of saucy pullets upon one arm, said
severely: Don't you know enough to
go round back? Air them the chickens
Miss Jones said she'd femme haveT
For answer the man dropped the
creel, darted past her into the big
south room where the strangers were
assembled-grabbed the whimpering
child, lifted him high on his shoulder,
saying hOarsely to Nanny: II can't
take you forcibly. May, no matter how
much want y0u-but will have our
child"
Nanny crumpled in a sobbing heap.
Big Injun got gray-faced-Johnny
sprang at the newcomer, but was
pulled back BY the other man. crying:
Remember the childv'
II say thatI Why don't ye remember
himl All Of ye!" Nurse Anne cried.
darting to the side of the intruder.
saint he got no rights. the angel?
Rights to father, mother. home! I tell
We. Master" to Big Injun unwinking-
ly: there's been packs and stacks Of
lies told-as I found out-never you
mind how. Roy's pappy was lied to.
same AZ his Mammy-by two that had
thar own game to win-you know how
hard that Pascal girl tried to get Mr..
Haughton tangled In her net-and her
cousin Peter wanted Miss May and
her fortune Jest a. bad. When found
out thar gamI wrote Mr.. Haugh-
ton-that's how he comes here now.
Not for his own sake nor Miss Mays
they're big enough to know better. But
/ won't stand 1t no longer-havin' Roy
ask me after he says his prayers:
why don't God send me back my
daddyr"
Nurse Anne stopped short, swallow.
Ing hard. Through the hush. they
heard Roy cooling. his hands locked
tight in the strangers hair: my
daddy! My daddy! love my daddy"
May" young Haughton said low and
entreatingly. She lifted her eyes. her
arms; with q quick spring she was
beside him, held against his heaving
heart, close to her boy. So the sheriff
found them, when, answering Miss
Prue's summons. he descended upon
the homestead. Explanations fol-
lowed-here were no malefactors, only
actors in q domestic drama that had
verged on tragedy, but was ending
happily. as all dreams should. The
handful turned out to have been q
practical joke played on Miss Drue-
perhaps by some one who had suffered
from her inQuisitions. 1t was fifteen
years old at least and undated-its
mention Of q woman and child had
perhaps melted the joker to fit 1t to
the folks at Barton's. Fate. which is
called Chance. had done the rest. And
Miss Prue took q lot Of credit for the
happy outcome-hadn't her chickens
really served Haughton as a card of
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