Evening star., 1932-03-27

as If to ride down the boy Judd went round
the pump to put it between himself and the
horseman. Like all giants he was slow TO anger.
Take this horse, you nut" and the doctor
swung from his saddle.
''Chipmunks eat nuts they're cute Gus
sers chipmunks is when they're
crossed cute cussers. like you an I
amt crossed We yit."
You're impudent," and the doctor advanced
with raised riding crop With an amazingly
quick movement for one of his size Judd took a
stride to meet him, wrested the whip from him
with one dexterous twist and broke it across
his knee.
"Chipmunks thinks they own everthin'
the eartn an the trees an the FENCES
hssen oncet hssen If y git q
chipmunk down oncet you've got i'm
I knows chipmunks kin handle EN-
.. an amt crossed We yit."
Judd went back to his water buckets. Turn
ing, he said again:
''Tend yer hoss yeself" Turning his back to
the infuriated man he went on pumping water.
The curious thing was the doctor looked after
his horse and said nothing to Lefty or Rainey
about the encounter. The hired man spoke to
nobody about it.
THE following day, while washing dishes after
supper, Judd confided to his mistress:
Looks like q sad preacher tn chip
munk man . preachers is allus sad
sad frum tn Of country killed peodier
there killed peddler an stole
his pack"
VINO looks like a preacher2" asked the puz-
zed Lefty.
.'The cute cusser like a chipnunk
comes on a hoSs"
1t was the first realization Lefty had that
Judd did not like her complimentary friend,
the doctor.
why Judd, he's an old friend"
..C,,xses like a chipuunk amt cuSSed
I'm yet"
The wood pile had vanished and by this time
Judd was cutting trees close to where the bride
path led through the woods. Deft with an AK
used TO the job, he toppled and trimmed with
o tireless persistency. And yet he took time
of for his own queer inclinations. One Of these
fancies was O great hole in the ground, which
he excavated at leisure. He bottomed and lined
it with small branches from the trees he felled
so easily. It was to be his larder, filled with
apples cabbage, potatoes and other necessities
which might be required in times Of stress dur
ing hard Winter. Undoubtedly 1t was the
squirrels boarding idea transmitted from In
stinct into intelligence goaded by times OF need
in the past. Judd never had home he could
remember Now he was comfortable for the
first time in his life and yet-there was fear
that things would not always go so smoothly.
They never had in the past and he was getting
ready, slowly but surely. He would have
larder If everything else failed.
they did not have. but they shared their pitt
full allowances. Missy" Judd called Lefty,
always gave him plenty and he adored her Tor
this. Both she and Rainey were kind TO him,
a tolerence he had never known and that
touched him so deeply 1t was beyond expression
for him. He could only show 1t. The occa-
sion had not arisen when he could prove what
struggled in his mind gratitude. But 1t
was there, however deeply covered Judd had
no thought of theft he prepared to fill his
IA
with him. It would be merely by his foresight
the hoard was buried. 1t was great pit he
dug beside the edge Of the wood where he
chopped the trees.
Lefty had other things to take her attention
so that the evident hostility between the hired
man and the friend of the family did not dwell
long In her mind. On the market page Of a
newspaper was an item telling of q shortage
of eggs in the city and Rainey and she were
in the wholesale egg business. She was mis-
tress OF a real chicken farm. Down river hens
had failed In their duty and prices were soar
ing. She advised Rainey to get in communica-
ton with some one in the pOpulous center and
sell direct Raineys pet extravaganza, since
their marriage, was fine car and this would
be rare chance to take trip to the city.
Lefty would stay home as she liked to do and
look after things while he was away. He could
start the next morning. DR.. Graber was pres
ent while this was being discussed and told
his friend Rainey it would be a real business
StrO..e
The doctor also saw, with satisfaction, a
chance to put in stroke for himself. He got
few chances to talk alone with Lefty and he
was always maneuvering for a chance Rainey
was never far away for long The trip Of the
farmer would give him a clear field to press
his suit. He felt compunction in laying
plans to steal the wife of his friend. He was
Of the type whose interest wanes once possess
sion is gained Neither Lefty nor Rainey had
nf in ne
mace Of the doctors mind when they said
good night to him that evening, he mounted
to ride home.
A Rainey motored TO the distant town DR.