The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-07-31
TIL BELMORE ENDICOTT

/ lufHtu lIOul MI NNubk as nt Huu UtNh
determined to ignore her presence.
| Carolyn May was shaking and help
less. Not so Prince. He repeated his
challenging growl and then sprang
at the vibrating head. Miss Amanda
uttered stihed scream and jumped
up from the log. whlrling to see what
was happening behind her.
| Joseph Stagg dropped Carolyn Mays
hand and leaped forward with his
walking stick raised to strike. But
the mongrel dog was there first. He
wisely caught the blacksnake behind
the head. his strong. sharp teeth sew.
erlng its vertebrae.
Good dog" shouted Mr.. Stagg ex.
citedly. "Fine dog"
"Oh. Miss Amanda!" shrieked Caro-
lyn May. IL thought he was going
to sting you'll didi"
She ran to the startled woman and
clung to her hand. Prince nosed the
dead snake. Mr.. Stagg looked exceed
ingly foolish. Miss Amanda recovered
her color and her voice simultaneously.
"what brave dog yours is, little
GIRL" she said to Carolyn May. "And
do so despise snakesr' Then she
looked directly at Mr.. Stagg and
bowed gravely. " thank you," she
said, but so coldly, SO Carolyn May
thought. that her voice might have
come "just Off an iceberg"
"Oh, / didn't do anything-really I
didn't" stammered the man. at was
the dog"
Both looked very uncomfortable.
Joseph Stagg began to pick up the
scattered chestnuts from the over.
turned basket. The lady stopped and
whispered to Carolyn May:
"Come to see me, my dear. want
to know you better"
Then she kissed Carolyn May and
: slipped quietly away from the brook,
disappearing quickly IN the under
growth.
Joseph Stagg and the little girl
went on across the stepping stones.
while Prince splashed through the
: water. Carolyn May was thinking
: about Miss Amanda Parlow and ahe
believed her Uncle Joe was, too.
'"Uncle joe" she said. "would that
bad old snake have stung Miss
Amandaw
'Huh? No; reckon not" admitted
Mr.. Stagg absent-mindedly. ''Black-
snakes don't bite. A big one like that
can squeeze some"
"But you were scared Of it-like me
and Prince. And for Miss Amanda" "
said Carolyn May very much In ear.
nest.
II guess most everybody Is scared
by the sight of a snake. Car'lyn May"
"But you were scared for Miss
Amanda's sake-just the same as
was" repeated the little girl decidedly
"WellT" he growled. looking away
! troubled by her insistence.
"Then you don't hate her, do your
the child pursued. "I'm glad Of that
Uncle Joe, for like her very much
I think she's a beautiful lady"
To this Uncle Joe said nothing.
II guess" thought Carolyn MAJ
wisely, shat when two folks love eacf
I other and get angry the loves thers
just the same. Getting mad doesnr
kill II; II only makes 'em feel worse
"Poor Uncle Joe! Poor Miss Aman
\ dai Maybe II they'd just try to lool
up and look for brighter things they't
get over being mad and be happ,
again."
a When Uncle Joe and Carolyn MAJ
returned from this adventurous wall
Mr.. Stagg went heavily into his owl
Il room. closed the door and even locked
r 1t. lie went over to the old-fashionet
n walnut bureau that stood against tn,
Z wall between the two windows an,
stood before It for some moments II
4. an attitude Of deep reflection. Finally
e he drew his bunch Of keys from hi
e pocket and opened one of the tw,
a. small drawers in the heavy piece O
II furniture-the only locked drawe
e there was. He drew forth fintyp,
& picture, faded now. but clear enougl
h to show him the features of the tw,
n individuals printed on the sensitixet
It plate.
Is His own eyes looked out of the pho
tograph proudly. They were n,ucl
Is younger eyes than they were now.
And the girl beside him in the pic
N ture! Sweet as a wild rose. Mand.
II Pariow's lovely. calm countenanc,
g. promised all the beauty and dignit,
N her inatured womanhood had achieved
ID "Mandyl Mandyw he murmure,
over and over again. "Oh, Mandy
Z Why? Why7"
IS He held the tintype for long, lonI
" time In his hand. gazing on 1t witt
le eyes that saw the vanished year
h. rather than the portraits themselves
Finally he hid the picture away again
'. closed and locked the drawer with {
0. sigh and with slow steps left II,
10 room.
Carolyn learns from simple