The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-02-27

/ dhN Inc S4SIE OF A1F. Gr1mS1&H anu OF
his threats and upbraIdings-
Did he say that In Bart's hearingT'
asked the Senator.
| ayes right out plain"
''Too badI I'm going to tell you
frankly. Baynes, that the best thing
know about you is your conduct to-
ward this boy. I like It. The next
best thing is the fact that you signed
| the note. It was bad business but
1t was good Christian conduct to help
your friend. Don't regret It. You
were poor and Of an age when the
boys FRANKS were troublesome to both
OF you, but you took him In. I'll
lend you the interest and try to get
| another holder for the mortgage on
| one condition. You must let me at
tend TO BaFt's schooling. I want to
be boss about that. We have a great
schHolmaster In Canton and when Bart
is little older I want him to go
there to school. I'll try to find him
! a place where he can work for his
board
wen miss Bart but we'll be tickled
to death-tnere's no two ways about
The Senator tested my arithmetic
and grammar and geography as we
rode along in the darkness and said
by and by:
You'll have to work hard, Bart.
You'll have to take your book into
the field as I did After every row
of corn I learned a rule Of syntax or
arithmetic or fact in geography while
L rested, and my thought and memory
took hold of it as 1 piled the hoe. l
don't want you to stop the reading,
but from now on you must spend half
OF every evening on your lessons
AS l was going to bed the Senator
called me to him and said:
81 shall be gone when you are up
in the morning. It may be long
time before 1 see you; shall leave
something for you in a sealed envel
Ope with your name on 1t. You are
not to open the envelope until you
go away to school. / know how you
will feel that first day. When night
falls yCu will think Of your aunt and
uncle and be very lonely. When you
go to your room for the night I want
open the envelope and read what I
shall write. They will be. think, the
most impressive words you ever read
You will think them over but you
will not understand them for a long
time. Ask every wise man you meet
to explain them to you, for all your
happiness will depend upon your IN
derstanding of those few words in the
envelope"
In the morning Aunt Deel put it
in my hands.
81 wonder what in the world he
wrote there-ayeS ~ said She 1--WE
must keep it careful-ayes I'M put
it in my trunk an give it to We when
We go to Canton to school"
HAS Mr.. Wright gone?" 1 asked
rather sadly.
ayes: Land o. mercy! He went
away long before daylight with a lot
O. jerked meat in a pack basket
ayes! Yer uncle is goin' down to the
village to see bout the mortgage this
afternoon, ayes -
It was a Saturday and I spent its
hours cording wood in the shed, paus-
ing now and then for a look into
my grammar.
What q day it was the first of
many like it. I never think OF those
days without saying to myself: what
a Gods blessing q man like Silas
Wright can be in the community in
which his heart and soul are as an
open bOokI
AS the evening came on I took a
long look at my cords. The shed was
nearly half full of them. -Four rules
of syntax, also, had been carefully
stored away in my brain. I said
them over as hurried down into the
pasture with old Shep and brought In
the COWS. I got through milking just
as Uncle Peabody came. 1 saw with
joy that his face was cheerful.
"Yip!'' he shouted as he stopped his
team at the barn door, where Aunt
Deel and were standing. 1--WE amt
got much to worry about now. I've
got the interest money right here in
my pocket"
We unhitched and went in to sup
per. was hoping that Aunt Deel
would speak of my work but she
seemed not to think of it,
1 went out on the porch and stood
looking down with sad countenance.
Aunt Deel followed me.
"W'y, Bart" she exclaimed, you're
too tired to eat-ayes! Be ye sick?"
1 shook my head.
peabody" she called, 'this boy has
worked like a beaver every minute
since you left-ayes he has! 1 never
see anything to beat ft-neyer! I
want you to come right out into the
woOd-shed an see what he's done
this minute-ayeS ~
1 followed them into the shed.
"W'y Of all things!' my uncle ex-
claimed. Hes worked like a mailer,
amt he?"
There were tears in his eyes when