The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1920-06-19
NEAR TO
NATURE
By CENEvIEvE ULMAR


with Bella Vance. Both bad caught his
eye as he was passing along busy
city street and paused to gaze Into the
show window of taxidermist. II was
dismal and dust-infested. as are most
windows given to the exhibition OF In
animate nature in the shape of stuffed
and preserved entities, but next to
dilapidated eagle with one glass eye
bullying and an articulated ape minus
foot there was a fair specimen Of
tailor bird, neat and foppish Of plum
age as in its native woods.
The pretty songster, mute JUST now
touched chord Of memory In the
mind of Worden that was pleasing.
Where he had passed his life In the
Ozarks bird life was at its most entic-
ing and interesting stage. His father
had lived and died among them, had
given his years to their study, had
written two books on their history and
habits and both had become standard
I'm the scientific libraries of the world.
In the window lay one of these vol
umes. 1t showed usage, but was evil
IDENTIFY placed there to attract a pur-
chaser.
The sign over the place, old and
faded, read: Robert Vance" The
young man opened the door of the
stuffy, feebly lighted shop. and bell
attached to its other side tinkled. Be-
hind the counter was young girl.
wearing long apron. busy sewing to-
gather a rent in the web foot of a
rare species of Labrador duck. She
was fresh and charming as to face
and wore a radiant smile of youth and
innocence.
"NIr. Vance is not In. supp0se?"
suggested Worden.
my uncle is gone for the after
noon," replied Bella Vance, "but may
be able to serve you If it is anything
in stock"
"No," dissented Werden. "a mere
within to see Mr.. Vance," and then
Worden told of how the familiar tailor
bird had made him think of home, and
of his pleasure at coming across the
book his father had written. The
girls eyes glowed as he spoke Of the
paradise of greenery her young eyes
had never seen, and she said:
my uncle will welcome you, indeed,
for he holds in reverence the work of
man which has become his own fa-
vorite textbook. Tell me more about
your fathers wonderful home and
work, will you not?" she asked In
spirit of genuine interest.
Worden was nothing loath to expati-
ate on the rare old family maRsion.
with its quaint, pretty hooks and cor
ners, but his auditor had attention
most for ''the house In the tree"
Titan of the forest, where John Wor-
den had built an aerial home for him.
self and his favorites. 1t was roomy,
secure, reached by a rope ladder, and
1t had open apartments where the
birds could nest and feed and battle.
while the view beyond 1t spread out
paradise of shade and color.
Worden was due to get back to Ha-
zelwood within a week and superin-
tend the development of some coal
land discovered on the estate, but he
fingered two, then three. And then
he could not terminate his always
pleasant visits to uncle and niece, for
he had learned to love the latter.
Robert Vance was about to remove
to another city to corbine his business
with a like one, conducted by an old
time friend. Bella was an orphan. II
was an eyentful and happy evening In
the life of Dale WOrden. upon
which he asked her to marry him and
gained her consent.
There was a tender, loving parting
from Robert Vance. Then the honey.
moon began. Artless, inexperienced
Bella was ecstatic as a child released
from school to travel with loved CON-
panion half across the continent and
for the first time In her life view real
nature. Mountains, woods, the laugh
ing waters were joyous revelation to
her. When they turned their faces
homeward she could talk of little else
but the bird house and the grand
views, and the sweet solitudes sur:
rounding it. The grand old mansion
and its roomy comfort had no attrac-
ton for her. The house in the tree
seemed to be surrounded In her
thoughts with a rare idyllic fascina.
ton.
1t was well that this was so. A VAST
surprise greeted Dale Worden when
they motored up to the home of his
youth. 1t was In ashes, and the hired
man explained that it had burned
down week previous.
"And Mrs. Evans, the housekeeper
inquired Worden. :.
She Is installed in the tree house.
SIR"
ooh, let US go there" and an hour
later the bride of week was singing
with the birds, at home with them. and
so happy and eontented that Dale Wor.
den realized what a peerless creature