Evening star., 1924-07-06

ing up slim and sweet, with heavy,
shaded eyes which were colored even
in girlhood with the softly tired, ma
ternal patience which denotes the
God-made mother, had confided all her
secrets to Rumly, pulling down his
long, freckled ears to whisper INTO
them-all her secrets except the one
that she was going to marry Fred
Susong. And in his wisdom Enos
Rumly knew why she had not told
him that.
The Susongs were not a popular
family in the county.
They were the richest family, and
the richest family Is often the least
popular, particularly when it's wealth
is not the result of progressive
achievement. but of tight -fisted
boarding and sharp-eyed turning of
bargains. The Susongs were stock
buyers and traders: the Susong barns
were we'll rooted because dampness
ruins hay, which costs money; the
Susong horses were always insolent-
ly sleek; the Susong men were we'll
fed and full-blooded, riding to town
on horseback every day-to save
wear and tear on steel tires.
X X 4 X
DUMLY had stayed away from the
= church when Luella Ives married
Fred Susong. He had stayed away
from the neighborhood above Thun-
derbolt-which was not hard to do
since the Susongs preferred the
Parrotsville physicians who traded
out a quarter of beef every year. He
knew the sort Of life Luella must
have, INJURED in that old brick house,
which F,red's grandfather had left to
him. He knew the glad gentleness.
the bright faith in humanity which
belonged to Luella-and even though
he had sawed bones and lanced feions
for thirty odd years, Rumly did not
like to see things die-not things like
the light in Luella's eyes.
Fred Susong sat close to the base
burner in the front room. He was a
red-faced young man, with stiff, curly
blond hair, pale, calculating eyes; his
clothes a little tight for him. He
jumped up.
You ready, Doc?"
edn, i III IeduSt III 6oAhe 49, -
my hoss 1 amt taking chances on
the creeks in the flivver.
"AlI right, I'll ride with you. Can
stand my car in your barn? Might
burn the coils out in this rain. It's
my. kid, Doc. He's got something the
matter with his throat-seems to
choke UP and can't get his breath
You been letting Minnie Owens
wash for you this week."
Il reckon she did. She washes for
us regular-mammy and all of US"
washes out her rent, don't she? /
sent Sim Thames by to tell Luella
last week that Minnie's kid were sick
not to have her in the house. Didn't
she tell your
she did say something about it.
But those folks are sick all the time
i never paid much attention"
Anybody there with Luella?
Rumly hoisted his long frame into
the buggy and took his bag from the
hands of Ella Joe.
NANNY came over about dark.
They were fixing turpentine when
left. Mammy's right smart hand
doctoring."
"Uh-huh. Listen here, Ella Joe.
You telephone up to Parks, up to
Parrotsville-get his house because
the store'll be shut-tell him to send
me down a dozen shots of diphtheria
antitoxin first thing in the morning.
Hear? Tell him to send 'em on the
first train, and then you go down to
the post office if I amt back and get
EN-
Old Doxie, slanting her wise old
head to the rain, found the driest part
of the road and struck into a tireleSs,
iong-legged gait that sent the black,
wet trees and the low. rain beaten
houses streaRing rapidly to the rear.
Rumly sat, sagged forward, his knees
parted, his great hands holding the
reins hanging down between them.
Fred Susong sat silent upon the seat.
RumIy regarded him sidelong.
The wind lashed at the buggy top
as they turned to the right into the
road to Thunderbolt. Doxie tapped
her tail irritably, but kept to the
middle of the road. To the right they
could hear the hollow shout of Tur-
key Creek as it tumbled off the rocks
behind Furman's sawmill.
"Old Turkeys atearing." remarked
Rumly as the wheels grated down on
the gravel of the ford. cit in, Dox-
wet your fetlocks, Better pick up
your feet, Fred; might wash over :he
sills"
DOXIE stepped in undismayed by
II the dark writhe Of the creek. The
buggy sagged into a washed hole
tilted back for an instant, and then
righted. Doggedly the old horse tough,
for footing, jerking the wheels over
the slippery stones.
Maybe some day this county'll
wake up and vote the bridge bonds,
Rumley said as they lurched UP the
muddy ascent on the other side.
Bridges cost money" returned
Fred Susong. Cheapest kind OF {
dollars. Take sight of taxes to pay
for even one-and taxes are too higf
| now
Reckon So" unused Rumly. Reckon
you voted against the bonds?"
I'll keep on'voting against 'em. A
! mans better off now, in this country
| if he don't own a thing. The land
owner gets gouged every way HI
turns. It's roads and schools for {
lot Of skinnies that never did a thint
for the county and never will"
Guess that's so. Sending the skin
nies to school may help some, o
course. Getting good roads SO pro
gressive people'll move in might help
too
We've got too many progressive
] people now" argued. Fred. "Al
| these loud shouters that have go
| WAYS figured out to spend othe