The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-03-04
lookIn' for some breakfast" the man

You can let go Of it as soon as nave
put out these cattle. I'm hungry my
self" n CTS s'-f
I'm awful hungry" said the boy.
"Iye got money to pay for what /
eat" 'b
Look here, did you see that cannon
in my yard?"
ayes, SIR" q " ~
swell, l shoot 1t at every man that
offers me money for victuals after he's
warned. If you've got more money
than you want, you can throw some of
it into my WE'LL"
The cattle began streaming through
an open barway into the pasture.
When all. were entered and the bars
put up the man turned to the boy and
said: se
"Now follow me. Wen tend to Col
0nel Blake later"
The sun was up. clear, beautiful
summer day had begun. They washed
with soap and cold water dipped from
a rain barrel at stand outside the
door, and went into the house and sat
down at the breakfast table.
They ate in silence, the hired girl
bringing their food from stove.
"Look here, pard,' said the man.
"I'll tell you my name If you'll tell me
yours. Names are not important. but
in high society they're help.
my name is Shad Morryson," said
the boy. III
Its quite mouthfuL My name Ia
Alison Blake"
"Be you Colonel BlakeT
Eyes. That's what they call me-"
Here's a letter for you"
Shad drew the letter from his pocket
and put it in the colonel's hands. The
latter opened and read it.
"Conversel He knows a good thing
when he sees it, and guess he'd
know good boy"
Blake's wife and daughter entered
the. room with CHEEKY greeting, and
sat down at the table.
Here's a boy come up the road this
mornin'," the colonel said to his wife.
II hope he's as fond of ladies as he
Is of flapjacks."'
Mrs. Blake was kindly comely
woman about forty years of age. The
blond, blue-eyed girl was dressed for
school.
"This girl Ruth is our Professor Of
Fun" said the man.
Shad was blushing. He and the girl
had taken a quick survey of each
other and come to conclusions. The
young have special gift for that.
Shad thought that next to a spotted
fawn she was the most beautiful crea-
ture he had ever seen. When he
looked at her 1t was to discover that
she was looking at him. The same
was true Of the girl. Colonel Blake
saw it all and smiled.
In q moment he said to the boy:
"We'll go down to the office. I'll give
YOU a letter to a friend of mine over
at Amity Dam who told me that he
wanted boy to work in his store"
The colonel and the lad went out-of-
doors. 1t was the tender-hearted, inn
questionable Mrs. Blake who made
all this part of our history. She
called to her husband. He returned
to the house.
''Who is that beautiful boy and
where did he come from?"' the woman
asked. .,.,..
Hes runaway-a kind Of a fugi-
tive slave"
''What a shame! His smiling hand
some face has won my heart. Let's
keep him here day or two and give
him a chance to rest"
''We'll ask him. l rather guess he'd
like it."
So it came about that the boy tar
ried a day and night at the red
farmhouse. A new experience had
come to Shad. Women had been most
ly hateful to him. They had been hard
to get along with. He had had poor
opinion Of them. He felt something
UNNECESSARILY grateful and wonderful
in the motherly, gentle manner Of Mrs.
Blake and in the beauty and gracs
of her daughter.
Ruth did not go to school that day.
She entertained the boy with the photo
graph album and with croquet and
throwing and catching ball. They
were pleased with all this, but their
Joy came from different source; per-
haps from looking into each others
eyes and from a singular emotion
quite new to them.
At last they sat down very tired In
the swing under the big maple tree.
"where is Colonel Baker the boy
asked.
ooh, he's gone to town. He's q
lawyer. He's the district attorney"
the girl answered proudly. "He goes
away every morning. Are you going
with him tomorrow"
eyes. must get to work."
"AIen are so hateful. They're always
going to work"