The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-03-18
CHAPTER III
A Day at the Fun Shop.

From the rear room of the store
Shad ran downstairs to the cellar and
out Of it's open hatchway. He went
directly to the Smithers' house. The
merchant, now familiar with the his
tory of Shad, was at home. Learning
the truth, he said to the boy:
"You disappear until the colonel
comes. I'll telephone him. / don't
want to know where you are"
He hurried to the store. Shad went
to the loft in the barn and spread
blanket ON the haymow and lay down.
Mr.. Smithers found the Cyclopean
Bat swearing mad. Shad's father and
the constable were in the store. The
latter introduced Mr.. Smithers.
where is that boy?" Bat asked.
II don't know"
you're a id liar"
II don't allow swearing In this
store" said Mr.. Smithers in that gen.
tie tone which he used in selling rib
bons to a lady. IF you'll sit down,
I'll consult my attorney ON the tele-
phone and ask him what ought to be
DONE"
He called Colonel Blake, who said,
"Tell the man that I'll meet him at
your store tomorrow at eleven o'clock"
The interview next morning was
very brief.
"Morryson, know all about you,"
said the colonel. "You ought to be in
Jail. / shall see that you are put
there and tried for brutality to your
children if you do not get out Of this
country today and stay out Of it.
Don't irritate me by talk or tarrying.
want you to start now"
Bat started. He had heard of the
district attorney of st. Lawrence coun-
ty, the terror of all the lawbreakers
Of the north country. He would make
no words with him. The colonel set
out for his home
At last Shad was free. He cele-
brated his emancipation with social
adventure. It marks the beginning of
the second act of this drama of coun-
try life. He and Bony went down to
Browns cove on the river for visit
with Bumpy Brown.
eth be Sunday tomorrow-lord,
how dread i'll" said Bony. "The
bells an the yells an the stiffness an
the sleepiness an helpin' Miss Spen-
low pick flowers an then the walk in
the cemetery to the graves of her
cruel ancestors. Let's break away an
pike off to Bumpy Browns. I'll paddle
down today an tell him we're COMM"
Now, Mrs. Smithers was a worker
In the church. Shad had sat In the
Smithers pew every Sunday with her
and her husband. His compliance with
their wishes had pleased them. The
long prayers and sermons, the sing
ing and incomprehensible shouting had
generally given him pain in the
head. Shad's sense Of rectitude was
being slowly undermined by this or
deal. Soon he would be willing to lie
to escape it.
That Sunday morning he told Mrs.
Smithers that he was going for walk
to see the country and to think up
things to write in a letter. He would
not come home for dinner.
"I'll pray for you" said the good
woman.
At the store he met Bony.
II suppose that Sister Smithers
wanted you to go to the Sob WOrks?"
said Bony.
1.-The Sob Works!"
1.-THE meetin' house," Bony explained.
Always he called it 1.-THE Sob Works"
"She's good to me-" said Shad, re-
Numbering her kindness.
"Well, you're good to them. You
do all their dirty work for 'em."
They walked down the river road
together. .'What does Bumpy Brown
do?" Shad asked.
"Kind of tinker-mends umbrellas
an clocks an tin pans an most any
thing. He's got funny bird that
talks"
BY and by they left the road and
took a well-trod path that led into
thicket of evergreens. Beyond this
on the high bank of the river was the
curious little home of old Bunny
Brown. 1t was built of small logs
stranded in his cove when the high
water of the spring went down. A few
shapely cedar trees stood around il.
Bumpy used to say of his acre on the
river shore that 1t was Goods Fair