The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1919-01-02
TRUE BLUE
yiuIIIIIIInIIIIInIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT
BY WARREN Lee BARTON.


iii Observation-Disclosures ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
iii hOopfrisht' i'is' Western Newspaper union)
How you feeling now, Rogerr
"Snug ms n bug In rugl"
"Mebbe we'd better forget digging
gold and dig back for home. heyT
Everybody would laugh at Us. No,
III be all right In day or two and
well strike n fresh trail, see3"
Thus spoke Roger Small, rich mans
son OF Chcstcrton, fifty miles distant. TO
his fdcs Achates. Zeb Walls. They
were In an old barn and, lying on
heap ~ hay and covered 10 the chin
with ragged horse blanket. Roger.
with notified face. watched his chum
and nurse hustle about
The latter had set up light house
keeping. lie had small one.burner
Kerosene stove, skillet and few
other kitchen accessories. n package of
cereal. bottle Of milk and an old ten
pot. This was constantly slmmcring
on the little oil burner and gave out
an aromatic steam.
you see, you've got the measles"
said Zeb, "and all you can do for II Il
10 lie stu and keep warm. 50 Dor.
rowed the blanket without asking. and
as TO the warm drinks you've got to
have there's loads of pennyroyal In
the fields and that's the tea you're
getting. found letter with regu.
lar and a special delivery stamp na II
and cut them on and sold them for ten
cents and bought the cereal"
"Oh. Zcb The letter was intended Ter
some one"
Course II was. It's addressed 20
womnn and some one dropped II be-.
fore II was mailed. I'll hunt her w
and deliver &c."
You're true blue one. amt your
voiced Roger In grateful admiration.
II try to be. You would run away
from home and. having none myself.
was glad To join you. Now you're
sick. think III drop your"
Just then there ~, e. sounds Of Jolly
Juvenile voices on .dc. Half dozen
boys pccrcd In cutiuu ,'v. Its the two
fellcr~ We heard about running away
from hons" spoke their leader.
Keep out! This Is hospital just
now" warned Zeb.
"What do you mcanl" was inquired.
Just what / say My chum's down
with the measles yuI I'm nursing
him." and Deb went outside with the
group.
Hunt" muttefed one Of them. Hes
lucky. Don't have 10 so 20 school.
Wlsh't | had his sickness"
A"You dor" challenged zcb. his eye
ghtenlng. Look here. amy OF you
u lows anxious To- catch the measles
r4Ayou .pnt have tn 20 10 school can
~ aecsSlmOdate AT Ten cents per. All
$3.50 got TO do Is 10 pay dime, come
Ia sit by my chum for an hour or
~ and afore day or 80 you'll break
- sbt most beautifully"
Zeb laughed al bis own concelt. but
the boys went ungr thoughtful. At
noon two OF tho. D. GIl..I u with an
air Of mystery and twenty cents be-
tween them.
SAY" observed one Of them. sheep
ishly. "we'll take twenty cents worth
OF your measles between u.s.
That's business" said Zeb. and saw
them seated beside his patient and pro-
ceeded down town 20 buy some dellca-
cies for his invalid chum.
However infection did not occur
opportunity OF an anticipated vacation.
but the story got out Miss Ina Blair
schoolteacher. learned OF the incident
II never heard Of such cold-blooded
diabolisml" she told an assistant
'Srhls Zeb Walls must be n horrible
wretch. shall see that he and his
chum leave town ut once"
She was pretty as h picture and gen
tie as dove. but for day or two had
been laboring under disappointment
and chagrin. -Four days previous a
certain shy, but adoring young man
had whispered to her nj a tennis party
that he intended sending her u very
Important letter next day, and II had
not come.
Zeb, making a fresh infusion OF pen
nyroyal tea, was challenged from out
side the barn by young lady waving
her parnsol at him.
"Come here, you young reprobate"
she called Are you the wretch who
has been trying 20 scatter an epidemic
OF disease through the town."
Nom" dlssented Zeb. 1--WE just
been trying 10 keep my chum, Roger
Small, comfortable"
swell. you must move ON and leave
here, or III have the authorities after
you. ! am Miss Blair, the schoolteach-
er, and ! must protect my charges"
"Oh, say" abruptly calculated Zeb,
i've got something for you" and he
hauled out the letter from which he
had clipped the stamps. Miss Blair
examined II with trembling fingers.
b She read the Enclosure
"You dear boyl' she cried. almost
hugging him. Tell me where You got
IT,"
II found IT," explained Zeb. "Was