The Snowflake herald., 1921-09-23


A brain that has treated its owner as
shameful as mine has treated me
should be compelled to do its own
thinkin' er die I've invented some
things that may sell. I've been hop
in my luck would turn"
It'll turn when you turn it," Sam
son assured him.
Brimstead leaned close to Samson's
ear and said In q tone scarcely aud
ible:
MY brother Robert has his own
idiot asylum. It's real handsome
one an he has made 1t pay, but /
wouldn't swap with him."
Samson smiled, remembering that
Robert had liquor store. Look here.
Henry Brimstead, we're hungry" he
said. IF We furnish the water, we'l
skirmish around for bread and give
We as good dinner as We ever had
In yer life."
Henry took the horses to his barn
and watered and fed them. Then he
brought two pals of water from the
spring. Meanwhile Samson started a
fire in a grove of small poplars by
the roadside and began broiling veni-
son, and Sarah got out the bread
board and the flour and the rolling-pin
and the teapot. AS she waited for
| the water she called the three strange
children to her side The oldest was
girl of ten, with face uncommonly
refined and attractive. In spite of
her threadbare clothes, she had a
neat and cleanly look and gentle man.
ners. The youngest was a boy of
four. They were a pathetic trio.
where's your motherY Sarah
asked Of the ten-year-old girl
Dead. Died when my little brother
was born"
"Who takes care of your"
Father and-God. Father says
God does most of it."
"Oh deari" Sarah exclaimed, with
look Of pity.
They had q geod dinner Of fresh
biscuits and honey and venison and
eggs and tea. While they were eating
Samson told BrimStead of the land Of
plenty.
After dinner, while Brimstead was
bringing the team, one of his chill
dren, the. blonde, pale. tattered little
| girl of six, climbed into the wagon
seat and sat holding small rag doll,
which Sarah had given her. When
they were ready to go she stubbornly
refused to get down.
"Pm goin' away" she said. "Pm
goin' aw-a-ay off to find my mother.
don't like this place. There amt
no Santa Claus here. I'm goin' away"
She chung to the wagon seat and
cried loudly when her father took
her down.
"Ain't that enough to break a mans
hearth he said with a sorrowful look.
Then Samson turned to Brimstead
and asked:
Look here, Henry Brimstead, are
you a drinking man? Honor bright
now"
Never drink a thing but water and
tea.''
do you know anybody who'll give
ye anything for what you own here7'
There's man In the next town
who offered me three hundred and
fifty dollars for my interest"
Come along with us and get the
money IL you can. I'll help We fit
up and go where We can earn a liv-
| ing"
I'D like to- but my horse is lame
and l can't leave the children"
Put 'em right in this wagon and
come on. If there's livery in the
place. I'll send We home"
| So the children rode In the wagon
and Samson and Brimstead walked,
while Sarah drove the team to the
next village. There the good woman
Brimstead family and Brimstead sold
his interest in the sand plains and
bought a good pair of horses, with
harness and some cloth for a wagon
cover, and had fifty dollars In his
pocket and new look In his face.
He put his children on the backs Of
the horses and led them to his old
home, with sack of provisions on
his shoulder. He was to take the
track of the Traylors next day and
begin his journey to the shores of
the Sangamon.
They got into a bad swale that
afternoon and Samson had to cut
some corduroy to make a footing for
team and wagon and do much prying
with the end Of heavy pole under
the front axle. BY and by the horses
pulled them out.
"When Of Colonel bends his neck
things have to move. even IL he is
up to his belly In the mud" said
Samson.
AS the day waned they came to
river In the deep woods. 1t was an
exquisite bit of forest with the bells
of a hermit thrush ringing In one
of its towers. Their call and the
low song of the river were the only
sounds In the silence. The glow of
the setting sun which lighted the