Evening star., 1920-11-21

o railroad touched the village. It
was one of those little COM
munities so common In the
New England hills: cluster
of white houses, store or two. church
whose white spire rose serenely above
the trees. There was a mindam just
above the bridge: and the mill itself
sQuatted in a litter of piled lumber,
barrel heads and slaves. soft edgings,
slabs and Sawdust. In the brook that
meandered through the meadow above
the dam you might discover deep little
pools and take from them trout of a
surprising length and girth and SAVIOR
A clean, well painted, frugal, happy
little village-worth knowing. Its
name dated it it was called Fraternity
Village, thus to be distinguished from
North Fraternity. and East Fraternity.
and Centre Fraternity. and other fra
ternities. for all ! know. Its neighbor
towns included Liberty. and Equality,
and Union. and Freedom. All cut from
the same pattern their villages each as
like as Like. Some with six houses,
some with dozen. some with a score
each with its white church and white
spire rising in a certain peaceful glory
rounding hills and look down upon such
a village was to take a deep. full breath
and be thankful for the land in which
you dweit
No railroad touched the town. This
has been said before. but bears repeat
ing for it is a fact Of some significance,
as though you said of man: HE has
never been in a city" In default OF the
railroad there was a stage. The stage
was an automobile just two squeaks
and a rattle ahead OF total disso. ution-
1t came up from Union each late after
noon or early evening. fetching the mail.
and sometimes passenger or SO. Inc
mail. limp gray sack. was deposited at
the post Ohlce the stage ratti.d on.
The post Office was IN Will Bisself s
store. viii Bisseli store was unre-
markable: as like a thousand counter
pare as Fraternity was like thousand
other villages. 1t was little corner
grocery. a little country. store, and moth
ing more than that.
rhis estimate of Wills store, however.
was not at all in accord with the ideas
of Andy Wattles
Andy waitles was viii Bisselrs clerk
"a tall. thin. gangiing youth with an
unfinished look about him. He may
Ia We been nineteen or twenty OF twenty
one, but whatever he was he looked
less. One felt that life had not had long
enough to work upon him His eyes and
MS ITOnt teelH dIlu LIE <A0Ai1 . oPpiC
all stuck out distressingly. as though
they needed to be ground down. and his
feet and hands were too large. He
would have to grow to mt them. Also,
there was a fraf. brittle look about
Andy You might have expected him
to break as easily as a pfpestem: but
he had, in spite of this appearance. the
stringy strength of country boy who
has used all his muscles all hts life.
Andy pottered about Wills store, day
by day, with a happy, incoming ex-
preston in his pale eyes There was
never grown up. All boys pass through
the stage where they want to be store
keepers. Andy had never passed out
of that stage. He was living the full
fillment of his boys dreams; and Will
Bisselrs store was his sweetheart and
his love.
Fraternity folk made fun Of Apdy.s
devotion to the store; but, you may say
what you will, there was q charm about
the place. On the right of the front
door honeycomb section of glass
fronted boxes served as post ONCE
Now and then you would see letter
in one Of the boxes. but for the most
part people got their mail promptly
and did not let it lie. The boxes usual
ly displayed only little cards marked:
and a letter slot There is something
magic and mysterious about q post Of
fice: threads Of SO many lives pass
through II, to and fro. II 1t lose or
mislay but single letter. 4 nation
may shake, . king totter on his throne.
his love. The post once fascinated
Andy. but the rest Of the store had his
heart. Dusty cigars. brown-oozing
plugs. weary candles, fndeStructfble
chewing gum He knew the place of
each. In the counter along the wall.
Across the store hung heavy wooden
socks and Pontiacs and packs and boots
and Mackinaws-all the winter garb
of the people of Fraternity. Beyond a
partition. on tables and shelves out
spread. were china. toys. ginghams.
cartridges, buttons. scythes, calicoeS.
sxes, overalls. nails. sugar-cured hams,
ak heives. strips OF bacon. iron wedges
and perfumery. Down in the cellar.
sack piled on sack. enough grain and
feed were stored away to supply man
and beast Of Fraternity through a six
months siege. and there were the rich
brown barrels. sticky with molasses.
or smelling pungently of vinegar. or
dripping cider that would be vinegar
some day.
Cellar and store were as full of
treasures as robbers cave There
was not a thing in the world that
Andy's imagination could desire which
he could not discover in some recess
OF the store. And he loved to 60
about. during the long days when GUS
toners were few, handling the wares
that stocked the shelves, taking them
down and putting them back. dusting
{ Them. rearranging them. gloatine over
Them ike miser He loved the store
loved all that was in IL, with the
fercely passionate love of boy. .
.'ean Bubier found that out one day
--Bubier. the fat little Frenchman n
who lived at the head of the pond.
He had come in to buy rubber shoes
for the winter: and Andy DRAGGED
them out for him from the drawer in
inc farther corner of the store. Bubier
had sardonic tongue: he was in i'll
rood He told Andy the shoes were
no good. NO more good than paper"
he said. II can. il ! like. tear them
Andy lurched toward him awkward
j.. Don't you.'' he cried Don't
YOU And he stretched out one
Ind TO take the shoes from Bubier
The little. Frenchman laughed and
threw them on the floor and kicked at
Them. Andy caught up the first thing
IhFt came to hand-it happened to be
CTnninsly across the head that the
Frenchman wore three of Dr. Frost's
STITCHES for week thereafter In his
scalp.
co. although Andy was made a tar
get for rude jests when the men
gathered to wait for the mail in the
evenings. the people Of the village
did not joke with him upon the sub
3ect of the store. They found that
Andy had no sense Of humor in the
matter. He was no fighter. but neith-
er had he any scruples as to weapons,
and he had an awkward fashion of
doing damage when he was aroused.
In other matters. however Andy