White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-01-09

| amaZement and down to meet them,
If ever a man bore an affinity to an
oak, with its cheer and strength and
rugged growth, that man was Hepsibah
Adams, the Indian trader. He was
not as tall as Henri by half head,
nor did he have his leanness. His
shoulders were wide and his body
thick, and his face was as round as
an apple and almost as red, with
marks and mars of stress and battle
set upon it, but in such way that its
vivacity and the good humor of it's
twinkling eyes were enhanced rather
than spoiled by the vicissitudes Of
fortune. 4 s,sss
When the excitement of first greet
ings were over, Catherine stood back
from her jolly rogue Of brother and
viewed him with a pair Of eyes bright
with affection, but which glowed at
the same time with an appraising and
speculative questioning which her lips
at once put into words.
"Hepsibah, / am so happy to see
you that it makes my heart choke, and
yet observe that you have not kept
your promise to stop fighting, for one
Of your ears is nicked and your nose
is crooked and there is a mark over
your eye which was not there when
say you two years ago!"
Hepsibah's weather-stained face
broke into q smile.
II can't say as much for your nose,
Catherine, for it grows prettier each
year." he said. "But if Dutchman's
ham should happen to come against it,
as one hit mine in little joust in Al
bany, town, why, I'll say there would
be bend in it, or no nose at all.
And as for the ear with a nick in it,
what can you expect from French-
man-excepting your sweet-tempered
husband here-when he gets a chance
to use his teeth instead of the hands
which God gave him to fight with?
The slit in the face is only a crease
left by an Oneida's knife when he
misled himself with the thought that
I had got the best of bargain, which
1 never do get, or I'm sinnerI But
is that all? Do you keep no better
account Of me than that? am bit
ashamed of you, Catherine, for you
have missed the important thing!"
"What is that?"
"My stomach" declared Hepsibah,
holding his ample paunch with both
knotted hands. ut is sunk and
shrunken, as you may clearly observe.
1t is dwarfed, shortened, circumscribed,
and reduced-fairly warped and stran-
gled from lack Of food! And If do
not eat very soon"
The rest was smothered in Cath
crimes arms and laughter.
"Dear old Heppy !-Hungry-al-
ways hungry, and you never will be
any other way. So we shall have sup
per almost as soon as smoke can be
made to come out of the chimney. I
am so happy you have comet"
sand L. added Henri, getting in a
word at last.
his rowing vagabond Of an uncle, who
was his greatest hero in all the world,
and dragged him back to get his gun.
AS they went, the happiness in Cath
crimes face was clouded for an instant.
"Best keep good eyes on our Jeems
for time, Henri" she warned. "Hep-
sibah, you know very well, is singu-
larly improvident and thoughtless
man, overfilled with foolish tricks and
contrivances most alluring to boyish
minds, and of which, because Of Jeems,
am a bit afraid"
But Henri only chuckled, for the
thought was in his mind that 1t was
fattening Of ones good fortune to be-
taught tricks. by man like Hepsibah
Adams. ga a
Then Catherine saw that film Of
smoke was rising from the top Of the
big stone chimney.
"Hepsibah has already started a
fire." she said. M
1t was the aliveness Of this fireplace
which had drawn the expression Of
surprise and pleasure from Catherine
that and the aroma Of cooking things
which greeted them. Since GATHERINGS
earliest memories, her brother had
boosted of his excellence as cook,
and most assuredly he had been busy
since his unexpected arrival. Half
dozen chains were dropped from their
bolts in the thick oak lug-bar of the
fireplace seven feet above the fire, and
from the pothooks at the end of these
chains were suspended as many pots
and kettles, steaming and boiling and
giving forth cheerful sound Of dane
ing pewter lids against which the bub-
bling water was playing an animated
and pleasing melody. But to Henri,
who always loved the sound of these
busy pots with their lively cheer and
promise of supper, a still more delect-
able thing was the great roast of veni-
son which Hepsibah had hung before
the fire.
(To BE coNT1NUED.)
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