Evening star., 1921-05-22

had been in the FlaGg family through
reign of father and son. for half a
century. he knew that he had no busi
ness lurking around the kitchen at
that hour. an unholy one in haying-
time for a hired man who was sup
posed to be sound asleep in his sane
tum in the shed chamber.
Mr.. Follansbee was spurred by a de-
termination to test out his latest ia
vcntion. The cat. Eureka Archim edes. |
was needed in the way of collabora-
tion.
Mr. Follansbee ag"in inspected a /
contrivance on the kitchen window.
Dne of the lower panes of glass was
hinged at the bottom and was at.
sill. beveled so that it would tip
inward when pressure was put on IT.
the pressure first rele isinS catch
that held the pane locked.
A moment later, when Mr.. FolianS-
bee had resumed his vigil on hard
chair, there were outside demonstra-
tions which indicated that Eureka had
suddenly remembered responsibility
as an inventors aid
He was coming:- His hrst vows
were distant and faint. The rapidly
increasing volume of sound signaled
the celebrity of his approach. Further
thud of running feet. most emphat
ically non-catlike. A dark figure
hurtied to the window ledge outside.
The shrek of shrill "Yee-ouw. an
nounced feline perturbation and
house-doE rushed from his resting
place beside the wood-box. barking
furiously. and stood on his hind legs
at the window; he put his paws on
the beveled wood. There was a click.
The pane opened inward. Through the
aperture came thrusting furry
figure. with horrent hair and a tail that /
was distended to the size of small |
balloon causing it to appear twice
too big for the hole. 1t bounced tooi
the floor, ran to Mr.. Follansbee and
clawed it's frantic way up his leg to !
when the dog came down on all
fours, the window-pane snapped back !
into place.
by gumminy" calculated Mr.. Fol- i
lansbee. That's what 1 call per- !.
fick success" !
He paid no attention to the thud- !,
ding feet without; for that matter. !
the sound of them soon died away IN |
the distance.
Mr.. FIagg arrived in the kitchen
with a lighted lamp and without much
AIRS FLAGG. concealing her disha-
Nl billie in the shadows. was ex-
pressing her opinions shrilly. "ln
spite of all I've been able to say to
him, Meshic, he has been up to some
kind of tormented tinkering on that
winder. and now we're getting the
results Of it,"
The flush of an inventors success
was in Mr.. Follansbee. He hared out
of his usual meekness in a way that
astonished his employers. I'll admit
that there have been some ketches TO
other things that l have invented. but
now that l have got up pernck sue
cess I'm going to stand behind It..
It's cats nature to roam in the
night and then come home and yowl
to be let in. It's a dogs nature to go
to the winder and stand up and peek
out when he hears cat. l nave COM
bined the two natures into sell
acting proposition, and if it's the home
tifier." IL
DO you think I'm going to stand
here and listen to a stump speech at
this time of the night. right in the
middle of the hazine season. and scant
time for sleep. as it is?" Mr.. F1agg,
routed from sound slumber, was dis
tinctly infuriated. You get to bed.
Because 1 have always bumped up
my back and took orders amt no sign
I'm always going to do it. / warn
We" shouted Mr.. Follansbee.
In that crisis Mr.. Flagg was glad
that there was further demonstration
without. Racing hoofs came down the
highway and halted.
Halo. Meshic: Have you seen
'em?"
seen who~ demanded the master
of the household after he had set
down the light and had opened the
kitchen door.
Robbers. They have blowed up the
safe in the post office over to the
Center. They've gained four thou
md dollars that LODGED over.
night in the safe by the man that's
down here to pay the strawberry
rz isers." ]
Thunder. Is that so: Heard some-
body running"
That's them. Well ketch 'em." A
whip cracked and the horse was of.
Next morning Mr.. Follansbee's'!
wooden face did not reveal whether
that warning or his own deep resent
ment accounted for his taciturnity:
'sooped" his coffee and took no part !.
in the conversation regarding the
stirring event at Carmel Center; nor
did he show a bit Of interest. He
:rudged OF alone to his job in the
lower field. where only a scythe would
Mr.. F1agg was attending to the upper
held with his moving machine.
II was particularly warm forenoon.
When the sun was near the meridian
trips to a bubblins spring walled up
with mossy stones. Under the alder ]
bush that sheltered the spring he found !!
a sort Of Erasshopper Of a little man
whom he had never seen before. The
little man blinked his sharp eyes and |
remarked amiably that it was "a gee
hefferously hot day"
Mr.. Follansbee agreed and reached
down into the spring and pulled up a
across his elbow: he drank long and |
gustfully from the nozzle. and then. as /
an afterthought. offered the jug to the |
stranger.
This is m'lasses and ginger and wa
ter"
Then the man drank and was CRATE
full: Being on the go all the time. :
when ] see it, He did not seem to be !.
at all discomposed by Mr.. Follansbees |
sour demeanor. This looks to be a |
nice farm you own. mister"
Don't you go none too strong on |
looks. And l don't own this farm"
Been here for some time
"I come onto this farm for old Ira |
F1aEg when was sixteen. and I've been |
here more'n fifty years"
"Going to leave? Speaking for myself !
as 4 roamer who knows what a gay life |
1t is to see the world. ! should think :
you'd be hankering to take a little swing !
around" prompted the other
well. I don't knows want fiy-by- !
nighter that never saw before advising
me about Kallivanting away from a I,
rome that has been mine as long as this
one has been" returned Mr.. Follansbee |
tartly.
sSNfY name is-is-Nickelberry."
~