The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-03-11

store an laugh an cuss Cy till the
cows come home. When he thinks
he's ruined Cy enough he'll limp off
down the road. He can walk as fast
as anybody"
The boys laughed.
That day Shad received a package
of books from Colonel Blake: school
books and some tales by Oliver Optic.
The kindly Mrs. Smithers began to
help him evenings with his grammar
and arithmetic. He wrote many let
tiers to Ruth Blake. They did not sat.
isfy him. They violated hidden grow.
ing sense of artistic propriety. He
studied and burned them
On a September afternoon Shad got
leave to go with Bony to the fair in
Ashfield. There Shad came face to
face with the sister Of his stepmother
"a young French woman Of the name
Of Ba'tiste. Shad treated her to lem
onade and she promised not to tell
anyone that she had seen him.
One day Bumpy Brown came out
and sat in his accustomed place on
the corner at Amity Dam. Shad went
out Of the store for look at him.
Old Bumpy was in an advanced stage
of inebriation. He was muttering,
RASCAL" "Dirty sneak!" and like
words Of bitter scorn. AS Shad APP
preached the old man looked at him
and nodded with smile. He was
about sixty years of age.
"Hello, boy!" he said.
Bumpy Brown was not often drunk
Three or four times in summer he
went on spree and when that hap
pened he came always to Amity Dam.
He was then so harmless and quiet
that no one interfered with his pleas
ure.
Shad was deeply interested in the
curious man. He had to hurry back
to the store. AS he left, the drunkard
called out laughingly: "And there
lay round upon the ground great heaps
of so'gers."
Bumpy's assessment of Doolittle did
not agree with the sentiment of the
COuAtl JOldCs w u1lC PCOplO tAOuSAL
Doolittle snowy man, not overload
of work, who was deeply indebted to
the bounty of his father-in-law, with
whom he lived, everybody respected
him or seemed to, everybody but
Bumpy Brown and the boy Bony
Squares. However, Bony was nobody.
He came from nowhere. Moreover, he
was down on the whole village. Mr.. .
Doolittle was the friend of every great
man in the county. He was a sup
porter Of the church. He spoke at
political meetings.
That evening Shad was probably the
happiest boy in the county. The mail
had brought him letter from Ruth
Blake. Three times he had read it and
then had put the treasure very care
fully in his pocket. Often he touched
it with his fingers. Ruth and her
mother and father had invited him to
their home. He felt like person of
Importance. Looking at the letter had
brought back to him the singular ella
ton which had come from looking
into her eyes, from the feel of her
hand. Shad was getting along. He
had better manners. He had studied
the grammar and dictionary. He had
shaken off his rude dialect. He had
not yet learned how difficult it is to
shake off the thing called background.
History is often like wolf on the
trail of stag.
Shad and Bony were alone in the
store that evening. Suddenly the door
opened. Shad's heart sank within
him when he saw his father, Bat Nor
tyson, and the village constable ap-
preaching him.
"You id runaway At last I've
found you'll" said Bat. what are you
doing here?"
Working" Shad answered.
you're going to come with me, I've
got work enough for you at home"
SIS he your father?" the constable
asked.
"Yes, SIR"
"Then 1 expect you'll have to 60
with him."
Bony picked up pitchfork from a
stack of tools.
an get my coat and hat" said Shad
as he hurried into the rear room.
Bat started after his son. Bony
halted him with the pitchfork saying,
"If you 60 step further, I'll turn you
into hay"
(To BE CoNTINJED.)