The Lamar register., 1920-09-01
A WILLING
HEI - Tp
Il LALA IN
By ALDEN CHAPMAN


open kiirheu duuiN.Iy. ITS running
and haven't hni~ueu baking yet
res ma oui. ci,ue lie reply from
man s.aud.ug Oh tie rear porch.
lie was alired Ike tramp. He
wis not John HARDY, farm hand. as
Ellie had supposed, but an utter
stranger to her. although her hustle
and hurry had prevented her from OBJ
serving Otherwise Ills face was clean
shaNen. his hands well formed his
eyes clear and steady. bur the clothes
he wore were worse than shabby.
I'm hungry enough 10 rake pay Tor
the unusual mission, tool" he ha'i
chuckled as he sni1pf The aroma ni
templin. bread, cake and pies. lie
went 10 The wood shed. lOnded up
generous urmful ur fuel aud crossed
the Kitchen threshold.
"Where will you have il, mammF
he inquired.
Elle gave "a stare, sturt and near
iy uttered scream. As ii was, she
dropped the hOur sitter in cOnsterna-
lion.
why 1t is not John" she voiced
III VII FAAu1t me- NAA'
added, for something in the face Of
the stranger in strong contrast wiur
his forlorn attire enforced courtesy
and respect. "Plense put the wood in
the box behind the stone. And
aud won't you sit down and have a
piece OF pier
THANK you bowed Marston with
the grace OF finished courtier.
Efiie's busy little head was bubbllng
over with strange ldeas. To all out
ward semblancc the strnnger was pro-
nouncediy of the genius tramp accord
ing 10 all the earmarks of apparel
There was that IN his manner and
the quiet smile on his face. however,
that mystIiied Ellie. II was enforced
by a glow II supreme satisfaction a.
he finished his reward for bringing
In the wood Then he propOunded II
startling inquiry.
Have you telephone In the house,
Miss WoodsT'
why. yes" uttered Ellie m further
wondernieLt. you know our name. II
seemsT"
Il have passed the house once or
twice and was told IT," came the re-
ply "under somewhat different cir
cumstancss. though. Il was In my
auto then. and the chauffeur spoke
of your father as an Old resident herr,
Of yourself and your brothers as peo-
pie II was pleasant to know. He
missed on one point" and the bright
eyes % this remarkably self assured
F,.
daeiously admirine glance. II wish
my mother could participate with me
In view OF this tempting layout Of
cookery. She doies On II. and OH
such pie"
"You, mother'--stainmere Efiie.
why. yes. We are neighhors. OF
TO be such" declared Marston. The
old Buryoyne place. you know. came
down from the ciss to superlntend the
decora.ions OH rhe telephone. Can
| uss u for n momentf"
"why. certainly" assented Efiie. and
her thnughts were more bubbllng than
ever. Everybody IN the neighborhOod
had heard of the Marstons who were
70 settle down In their midst, a fam
fly Of some means and two sons. II
was on account Of one Of them, said
recovering from a wild career. that
they had sought -ecluslon Could this
one be that Nhensible subject. Ef-
fe wondered. Then she marveled
afresh. for the call on the phone was
for the sheriff st wyndham. five miles
distant
81 am Elwood Marston." went over
the wire TOOK a stroll this morn
ing and a plunge in the. river. When
came out my clothes were gone and
those left Of frowsy tramp. who
abandoned his own and made of with
mine don't care for the clothes,
would hardly want to wear them
again. but there were some papers In
the pockets Of great Importance for
me. Take a description of thief and
clothes and get after him. will your
Ten minutes Inter Efie's father
came into the house. BY that time
Elwood Marston had Informed Effie In
detail of his adventure and its sue
ceedlnF dlleuma Mr. Woods was alsp
apprized Of these facts and In his
neighborly way invited Eiwood TO stay
to supper and he would drive him
home afterwards.
Early the next morning Eflie was
gathering up eggs In the barn hay
NOV when she uttered half sup
pressed scream. She had very nearly
stumbled over man lying sound