The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-04-03
The
Admirable
ScarecroW
By EDWARD LEVINE

otOOu udpplHS III every WIN
Tor several years. Just a pole, with
a mans old suit about it, and a mans
ola nat nailed to the head, the wooden
head of It. An admirable scarecrow.
1t Kept the birds away. 1t was a work
of genius.
But it frightened Farmer ellis
young wife. She couldn't bear TO go
near it. She asked ellis to take it
down, and he laughed at her.
For the matter of that, many things
frightened Bessie ellis about the lone
ly farm. She had been used to city
life, gentler ways than her husbands
uncouth ones. And he had forced her
to marry him. Some hypnotic power,
perhaps. She never ceased to be
afraid of him. Frightened to death,
she admitted to herself. Even the lone
ly nights when ellis was away seemed
preferable to the nights when he was
there with her.
That was why she welcomed it when
he took a man to help and live in the
h~ouse-young Summers-a city boy,
like herself. Told that he must get
out on a farm if he was to regain his
health. He worked all right-Farmer
ellis saw to that.
He'll be company for you, Bessie"
ellis said, with a grim smile, and
then she was more afraid than yer of
her husband. For weeks she hardly
dared speak to young Summers.
Whats the matter? Don't you like
him?' asked ellis, with his rough
laugh. ri brought him for company for
you, seeing as you took a turn against
me-"
Il love you" lied Bessie.
ellis laughed long and loud at that.
He seemed to take a diabolical pleas
ure in throwing the two together. He
would drive into town in the evenings
more than he used to, and when he
was gone young Summers and Bessie
ellis would seize the opportunity to
talk to each other.
What things they found to say! Is
it to be wondered at that love stole in
between them? They refused to adj
NIT it for a long time-until the eve
ming when they found themselves in
each others arms.
And they swore never to kiss again;
and that night when ellis came home
he looked into their faces and laughed
and laughed.
The man was a devil. He seemed to
divine everything. At last he drove
them to the point of desperation. They
agreed to go away together. 1t was
less their love hat was driving them
than ellis laugh.
They fixed IN evening when ellis
would be in town, the evening of mar
ket day. They had two hundred dol
lars-Summers' earnings. Bessie
would take nothing but what she had
brought with her. All the preceding
day they were looking forward to the
farmers departure. They did not sleep
that night.
And the next morning ellis, with
his laugh, announced that he meant
to take young Summers into market
with him.
you'll larn how to sell and how to
he told him, laughing. Guess
kin spare him for the day, Bes-
The two drove off together in the
buggy on the nine miles to town. 1t
would be dark when they got back.
Bessie and Summers had had a few
words together. They agreed
o wait till the farmer went into town
lext time. A love like theirs could
Wait.
And all that day Bessie waited in an
agony that grew and grew, and terrific
'o~rebodings. And every time she
ooked out of the door her eyes seemed
O fix themselves upon the Tapping
But how she hated it!
1t grew dark, and at last she heard
he sound of the returning buggy.
thankful that the long suspense was
,ver, she went into the kitchen and r
Iegan bringing u the dinner. In the I
of it the door opened.
ellis stood alone on the threshold, {
nd laughed. She %shuddered. (
where's Summers?" she almost
creamed.
Him? Oh, he's gone away"
Gone away" Suddenly she saw e
pots of blood on ellis coat And she
an to him frantically. :
"Where is be?" she cried.
The farmers eyes contracted to
Sits Of light. He gripped her t
rm. 0
you 90 look at the %scarecrOw, Bes- o
iel" he said, with awful m~alevolence.
And it was Bessie who began to P
tugh-yet not Bessie, but only a thing
nat rocked and rocked upon the chair
wild abandonment of mirth. B