The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-08-23
A Recluse and
Queer
y
By B, HAcKLEY
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Copyright, 1919. by tn Mcclure Ne"S
paper Synd!cate.)

paper Syhu.eaIe''
"How would it do to invite Nathe
Craft over to see Miss Roberta. Ma
mie?" jim Leverance, in the saddle
looked inquiringly at his wife, VINO
had just left her newly arrived guest
Mercy, jim! Bert would marry
him right out of hand. Doras enter
tanning her at II o'clock lunch tomor-
row, and she doesn't want him to drop
in and meet Bert and the other girls
she's invited. Can't you get him OH
to G,wn tomorrow afternoon on some
preteXt?"
81 guess | can get him to drive in
and get that piece Of freight we or
dered together; but, say, Name don
you think you girls are exceeding your
rightS|
"Oh, hush, Jimmy boy!" Mamie cried
lightly. I'VE are safeguarding little
Nathe's interests"
Jim's snort was not complimentary
TO their sense of justice. They, his
wife and all his wifes people-Since
Dora, the youngest Hunter girl, had
married Burrell Craft, the younger or
the two bachelor brothers, who, togeth-
err owned a thousand acres OF the
richest land In the Blue Grass. and
raised bl0oded horses and cattle for
the market-seemed obsessed With
the fear of Nathans marrying.
When the Hunters, newcomers, dis
covered the two bashful bachelors,
pretty Dora had annexed buren,
skilfully. There had been no other
daughter for Nathan, and after the
advent of Dora's little boy, the family,
seeing a possibility of the childs be-
ing some time heir to his uncle's share
of the farm, had determined nobody
else's daughter should capture" Ma
than.
When Burrell married, Nathan very
sensibIy took his cases of insects ana
moved into a big, comfortable log
house on the back Of the farm and
gave the big red brick home up to his
new sister-in-law-a most pleasing ar
rangement to the Hunter family. Ma
than, living alone in his own house. a
bit isolated, could be kept from meet
ing their unmarried women guests.
"Mamie's a dear, and Dora's good
to Burrell," Leverance unused as he
rode off. II call it rotten they don't
want to see old Nathe, the most atfec-
tiGnate fellow in the world, happy with
woman, too! They have even filled
Burrs head with the ACCESSIBILITY of
keeping Nathe single. That-thats
getting within mans rights! Well, |
promised to send him off ten miles to-
morrow, but darn it, l feel mean"
The next day Nathan Craft, at the
station, stepped into the danger zone
Jim, wished him to enter. An erect
elderly lady with very white hair and
very black eyes spoke to him. Did he
know of a small cottage in the coun-
try and somewhat isolated from the
road she could rent until September?
Her daughter, Miss Hagar Mcknight,
teacher, had been Ill, and was or.
dered to the country.
When she introduced the daughter,
graceful girl with particularly beau
tiful black eyes, Nathan felt that fate
could hold nothing better in store for
him than to allow him to take this
winsome creature in hts arms and
carry her through life!
Yes, he knew of such place, O
small stone cottage on the river cliff
Nobody was living in it, but It was In
good repair. This house (Which fact
he did not mention) was on the five
miles distant cliff on which he spent
every Sunday afternoon In summer
with his butterfly net, A man had
committed suicide there some years
before, but Nathan withheld this fact
also. If they knew nothing of the un
happy story the cliff would be an idea
resting place.
Three days after, on Sunday after
noon, Nathan took his butterfly net
) and set out for Reads cliff. Under
. the seat of his runabout he Slipped
while Shadrach, his negro cook, was
not looking, peck basket of yellow
meated, pink-cheeked peaches. AT the
foot of the cliff Nathan secured his
horse. and with a strangely beating
heart, climbed the rugged path.
;. Back of the cluster of cedars tha
stood between the path and the cot
tage he paused uncertainty. Then h,
heard voices.
; ooh, mother, isn't 1t beautiful here
That nice man that sent us here
don't you love him, mother dear7"
+ This came clear through the cedars
Nathan's foot struck stone noisily
He could only go on.
"Good afternoon he stammered. :"
was passing by and I remembered
there was no fruit here-I hav,
brought you a few peaches"
: And the cliff was covered with ripen
ing blackberries!
: They greeted him with gentle friend
= illness and after while walked witt
!. him down the river path where tn