Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-08-12

late Harmon chinned in as Malone
left the ON The McManus smiled
genially.
THAT fixes Kelly on that" he
grunted. "And I'll put Patsy in
charge of the Corner"
Greenbough Farm consisted of a
fair acreage of rocky uneven land
upon which a roomy comfortable old
house was sinking into gradual de-
cay.
Carpenters from the city, working
under direction of Pug Malone, con
verified the barn into a practical gy-
mnasium. A farmer and his wife
and son were engaged to run the
place, milk the cows, tend the garden
and the chickens, and cook the
meals.
The farmhouse itself was given
thorough cleaning. The wall paper
was stripped from the place, the plas-
ter sized and coated with washable
tint. Floors were painted, and bed
rooms were prepared on a model of
Spartan simplicity. Canvas cots and
stools, without backs, were placed
near the windows and a small rag
rug was added by way of luxury.
Three pegs were driven in the door,
for the hanging up of clothes, and
all closets were locked and nailed.
There were no lights, no mirrors, NO
shelves, ne pictures. There was alb
solutely nothing to distract from the
business of sleeping for which the
room were designed.
Pug also fitted the windows with
cleats which prevented them from
closing by a foot at the top and bot
tom, and of course there were nc
shades.
There's nothin' de luxe about
this place." Pug remarked to John
when the work had been completed,
a labor in which both John and the
trainer shared with enthusiasm. The
green country was a refreshment to
John Breen. In those brief moments,
before he dropped off to slumber,
he seemed to see a fading city, a vast
pile of tenements flashing with
lights and the jumbled voices and
cries of millions, as if he had alight-
ed in the midst of it suddenly, as he
had, and as if he were then standing
on the rear platform at a train,
whirling him away. The quick rum
Bile of the wheels of his ideas lulled
him to sleep.
And on Saturday Gilbert Van Horn
| Judge Marvin Hart and the great
insurance magnate, E, K. Souther-
land, came under the strict regimen
and spartan simplicity of Pug NAL
ones training farm.
Van Horn and Johnny Breen were
thrown together and unconsciously,
became strongly attracted to each
other.
Two weeks after the arrival of
the trio the bags with their elaborate
provision for comfort, their toilet
sets, silk pajamas, and fancy knick-
ers, the country forgery of city folk,
were again on the verandah. The
three men, strangely sober, tough
and clear-eyed, marched up, took
their traps down to the waiting
blackboard and then, of a sudden
they rushed back yelling like Ind
ians. They grabbed the trainer,
hoisted him on their shoulders, car
ried him down the field and tossed
him on a hay stack.
'Boys, your better'n | expected
Pug shouted, waving at them as they
ran for the blackboard, calling good
by" to John Breen and Pug, while
the grin on the face Of Charlie and
the frantic apron waving from the
kitchen doorway, and the expansive
face of the driver, told of extraordi-
nary largess by the departing guests,
Pug Malone became sole owner OF
the farm, for Judge Kelly, impul,
sive and liberal, sounded the full
measure of his worth, and besides
advertising it, he made easy terms
for the trainer. Van Horn became
a frequent visitor, and brought many
of his friends; he seemed even more
interested in John Breen than II
the farm. E. K. Southerand said
nothing, but sent Malone a check
that almost took his breath away.
John was approaching twenty. Ht
was an indefatigable reader, his
room, on the top floor of Green,
Dough, was Uttered with books, and
while the rigid rules turned lights
out at nine, Johns blazed far into
the night as he continued his e1-
plorations.
While John was making haphazard
progress in learning, the great city