Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-18
CHAPTER CCCLXXIX
Copyright, 1919, King Feature Syn
dicatc, Inc.

| dicatc, Inc.
There on the threshold of the
! room in which my strange interview
with Uncle Ned had just taken
place stood Lane. With new
! tightening of the throat / wondered
/ what he'd heard, what he'd maze
/ of it.
/ Then sudden impression oil
/ Lane himself overcame my pertur-
! baton. The big brown bear looked
! dingy and pale. In the momehts
! since I'd seen him he seemed TO
: have shrunK into the beginnings or
age. Something told me he WASH |
thinking about anything we'd said.
He stumbled into the room and
! huddled down on the big couch in
front of the fire of hickory logs.
| After "a minute he started talking
without any preamble.
You cana't see her, Ned. My
poor little girl is completely done
up, 1t was a bad fall. Might have
been worse. though" he rumbled
along, half to the hickory logs, half
to us. Thank the kind Fates 1t
wasn't-worse. The nurse just got
back. She's giving my poor little
girl u sleeping powder. She put me
out. So you Gang see her, Ned
Then, as if he were opening II
book at given place and showing
an illustrator scene he wanted pic
tured, he flung this straight at
Uncle Ned.
My little girl wants to get away
at once. I'm going to take her in
the morning. If she stays here
she'll never get her IseTTC3 under
control. ! want you to go right up
to the city, Ned. and book us through
to the old place. A private car, OF
course. And have Mollie find a
nnrse, We won't take this one
along. She's too much of a tie
with--the present"
'Lanae, you aren't going back to
the old ranch.' exclaimed Uncle Ned
in "a tone that was both warning
and command. His keen eyes
searched Lanes face. and these
. cropped away as If sparing it.
That's where my poor little. girl
wants to CO." replied Lane. And |
felt there was a volume of hidden
he kept designating Val.
rs that wise % warned Uncle Ned.
She wants to Co." Lane replied
simply. .t
But she mustn't so there, of all
places. The memories. People"
Uncle Ned blurted out his words,
popping them at Lane. as if they
were blank cartridges. a warning
but not menace.
It's what she wants MY poor
little girl. All she could say over
and over again was if I'd only take
her home she'd get we'll and make
it all up to me. She wants to go.
10 night it out there with the peo-
NIL hn in
of staying here and
Lane didn't finish. | wondered il
there had been Il parallel in his
mind. But now Uncle Ned engaged
my attention.
You're going to take her back
to the ranch" he said in q tone
which suggested that he was quietly
weighing all the values and decid-
ing something then and there for all
time. You're going to take her
back home. Well, it's home to us,
too. And home would always some
how seem where you two were
camping. That goes for my bride
and me. So We'll go with YOU"
No protests. No exclamations.
Lane got to his feet with some of
the gray gone out OF his face, and
then before my blurred eyes the two
men stood eye to eye in a long,
sturdy hand clasp. That was all.
After minute, Uncle New turned
to me.
"Good-by, little girl" he said. II
think you're all right. | think
some day I'll know the chat we Just
indulged in went a long ways TO
prove it. Shake that young fellow
of yours by the hand for me, ana
tell hun that Mollie and her beau
will be looking Tor a visit from you
inside of the year. We got attached
TO YOU. Cbildless old folks. like us
love feeling related to young-uns
like you
! held his strong, gnarled old
hand in mine, and / wondered If ]
was going to burst out crying like
the idiot | didn't see much advant-
age in prov ng myself TO be.
You're the most wonderful, loyal
friend in all the world" / STAN
mered
It's nice to hear you say that,
little. Anne" replied Uncle Ned,
tightening his firm clasp on my
hand. And don't forget my bride
ain't whit less fond of you than
l am"
II wish l could see her again.
I'd come to the city to see her Off
no matter how early you started"
l fegan.
Vaguely then heard Lane stir,
clear his throat, and l hastily cor
rected myself:
I'D come to say goodby to Aunt
Mollie if 1T weren't for the fact that