Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1919-03-25


saw it.
1t was coiled right at Miss Amanda's
back. She did not see 1t, for she was
quite as intent upon keeping her face
turned from Mr.. Stagg as he had been
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 stified scream and jumped
up from the log whirling to see what
was happening behind her.
Joseph Stage 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
ering it's vertebrae.
"Good dogl" shouted Mr.. Stage ex.
citedly. "Fine dogw
"Oh, Miss Amanda !" shrieked Caro-
Ign May. IL thought he was going
to sting you'll did"
She ran to the startled woman and
chung to her hand. Prince nosed the
dead snake. Mr.. Stagg looked exceed
ingly foolish. Miss Amanda recovered
her color and her voice simultaneously.
"What a brave dog yours is, little
girl" she said to Carolyn May. "And
do so despise snakes !" Then she
looked directly at Mr.. Stage and
bowed gravely. 81 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
didn't" stammered the man. "It 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. I 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 gir
went on across the stepping stones
while Prince splashed through the
water. Carolyn May was thinking
about Miss Amanda Parlow and she
believed her Uncle Joe was, too.
"Uncle Joe" she said, would that
bad old snake have stung Miss
Amanda?"
"Huh? No; reckon not" admitted
Mr.. Stagg absent-mindedly. 'rBlack.
snakes don't bite. A big one like that
can squeeze some"
But you We're scared of it-like me
and Prince. And for Miss Amanda
said Carolyn May very much in ear
nest.
81 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
"Well?" he growled. looking away
troubled by her insistence.
"Then you don't hate her, do your
the child pursued. "rm glad of that
Uncle Joe, for / like her very much
think she's beautiful lady"
To this Uncle Joe said nothing.
81 guess" thought Carolyn May
wisely, that when two folks love each
other and get angry the loves there
just the same. Getting mad doesn't
kill 1t; 1t only makes 'em feel worse
| ''Poor Uncle joe Poor Miss Aman
dal Maybe if they'd just try to looh
up and look for brighter things they'd
get over being mad and be happy
again"
When Uncle Joe and Carolyn May
returned from this adventurous wall
Mr.. Stage went heavily into his OWL
room, closed the door and even locked
1t. He went over to the Old-fashionec
walnut bureau that stood against the
wall between the two windows anc
stood before 1t for some moments III
an attitude Of deep reflection. Finally
he drew his bunch of keys from his
pocket and opened one of the two
small drawers in the heavy piece OF
furniture-the only locked drawer
there was. He drew forth a tintype
picture, faded now, but clear enough
to show him the features of the two
individuals printed on the sensitized
plate.
His own eyes looked out Of the pho.
tograph proudly. They were much
younger eyes than they were now.
And the girl beside him in the pic
ture! Sweet as a wild rose, Mandy
Parlow's lovely, calm countenance
promised all the beauty and dignity
her matured womanhood had achieved.
Mandy Mandy % he murmured
over and over again. "Oh, Mandy /
Why? Why?"
He held the tintype for long. long
time in his hand, gazing on it with
eyes that saw the vanished years
rather than the portraits themselves
Finally he hid the picture away again,
closed and locked the drawer with a
sigh and with slow steps left the
room.
II Carolyn learns from sinnJe