Show LYDIA OF THE TH PINES By I HONORS HONRE WILLSIE U l 0 p j by Fre Frederick A A Stolen Stokes Co The Th novels no ot or lion Honore ore Isle Vl otter a tremendous appeal to tomen tomen mon men and nd women alike All wom- wom women tn en n love her novels while men also aleo l o have como come to know that whatever she the writes will be of prIme Interest She puts put real men Into her men books book men who are not movie mannequins Greek Greel gods or paragons of or virtue And her heroines are arc the tho sort of gIrls that men rather ranc fancy One would look Jook n a long lone way through Amer Amer- American American ican fiction of or the present day dllY to rind find a more mor charming heroine than the Lydia of ot this story Yet she he Is drawn without an any of ot the thee ex e x c e SA a a e s of sentimentality Throughout Lydia of the Pines there runs a vein eln of mysticism that turns turn even the th murmuring of the pines Into meaningful whis whis- whisperIngs whisperings whisperings as ns though the vanishing trees and tho the dying Indians IndianA corn com companions com companions In their days das of strength find and freedom were now fulfilling together tos a fateful tragic trl des des- destiny destiny des destiny tiny You will like this latest Honore Wl story tory If It only for Its optimism and romance as re- re reflected reflected re by the th honest ambItion and affectionate loyalty of ot Its heroIne Lydia Ldla From childhood she Is beset with a seemingly b hopeless tangle tancle of difficult sur- sur surroundings surroundings tur How she blazes her own way through It to a 1 splendid splendid did plen-did did womanhood Is the substance of this story tory CHAPTER I IThe 1 The Toy Balloon There Is a state in the north Mis MIs- Mississippi valley unexcelled for its quiet beauty To the casual cas traveler there may be a certain monotony In the un- un unending unending un unending ending miles mites of rolling green hills stretching on and on Into distant pale ski skies 8 But the native e of the state knows that the monotony Is only seeming He lIe knows that the gre green n hills shel shel- shelter shelter ter In their gentle valleys valley's s 's many man placid lakes Some of them shallow and bordered with wild rice Some are aree couched deep In the hollow of curving bluffs Some are carefully secreted In virgin pine woods From Irom the train these pines are little Fire and the ax ax have long lung since destroyed any truce trace of or theIr growth gro In summer the whole great state Is Isa Isa Isa a wonderland of or color Wide wheat at lands of a delicate yellowish green sweep mile on mile till brought to pause by the black green of the woods An old state as we measure things thing out of ot New Kew England settled by New Englanders during the first great end emi emigration gration after aCler the War of 1812 It Its capital Lake CIt City lays las claim to al- al almost al almost most a century of ot existence J Lying ln among the lie hills In the northern part ot of the state it contains both the state capitol and the state university or Of orIts Its thirty thousand Inhabitants five thousand are students and nd another five fi thousand pre are state legislators and state emp employees o ees A quiet town Lake Lalee City with an I atmosphere that might well WE'll belong bel n to New England beauty England beauty culture leisure are Its hallmarks Fifteen years ears ago halt half a mile Inland from the lake lakly lak was an empt empty block that once had laad been a farm pasture Three fine old oaks stood with tops together In the of the Hie block blode The grass was still firm and green and thick In the ancient pasture ex- ex except except ex except for narrow trails worn U by chil chil- children's children's drens dren's feet et To the Initiated each trail told Its own stor story There was a 8 hollow square that formed the base base- baseball baseball baseball ball diamond There was a straight ht short cut that led to 10 the little cress cress- grown cress grown spring Th There re were the parallel lines for Come Come Come Pull full A Away way and there were numerous hall bald spots the center of little radiating trails where In the fall full each group of 0 chill chil children dren ren had hall Its complicated roasting oven ovenIn ovenin ovenIn In which potatoes and weenies were cooked On one August afternoon the pas las pasture pasture ture seemed dl deserted It was circus day and d dlug the children of ot the 1 surround surround- surrounding ing lug blocks had all by one method or another won admission to the big tent tenton tenton tenton on the hill hili east of the town Yet not quite nil all the children For under one of the oak trees was n a baby carriage In which n a little girl of two lay fast asleep And far above her tiler perched lightly but hut firmly In III a n swayS sway swaying In ing fork tork of ot the oak was a long lon long girl of twelve She Slie sat where she could peer easily down on her small sleeping sister yet et high enough to be completely hidden from flom casual view She was tas a n thin youngster with short curling hair of ot a n dust dusty yellow ellow The curl curly did not hide hille the fine me square head a R noble head for so snail a u girl f set et well ell on the little square c II net Her eyes eres were blue and black lashed her nose nondescript her mouth lurge her chin square and ond her tier little Jaw jaw- line long IonS and pronounced She wore a soiled suit stilt of blue lilue In the crotch of ot two opposite branches was va wn a n doll almost as large as the sleeping child below helow It was wasn wasa wasH old fashioned doll with 11 n a queer er huge china head hall that thaI displayed bril brilliant pant black binck hair and eyes vs e es as blue ns as those of her little mistress The doll suit stilt or of wore n 0 clumsily made sailor which evidently had been blue calico II co Ironed It ItIs Its Its crashed recently but hilI not the doll properly meet Is s necessary necessary- to Ua for tor she die was an and Important miter r of the Iho little girls girl's family Her tier name VII was wim Florence Dombe A battered red book lay In Florence Dombe Dombey's s lap It was called With Calve e In India It was written by br brO byG O 0 A Bent and told of the marvelous and hairbreadth alln adventures of ot an English lad In an Indian campaign Florence Dombey attention how how- however however ever r was not on the book It was riv riveted riv riveted eted etlI hectically on her mistress who with her tongue caught between her 1115 was deW deftly whittling a n cigar box cigar cover er Into doll furniture of a scale so till tiny that even en had Florence Flornce Donl- Donl Dom Dom-bey bey hind a doll of her own It could not have hopes hoped to use the furniture The little furniture maker suddenly closed the knife sharply Darn It Ive I've cut myself she said She he dropped the knife down dom the neck ot of other her hI blouse oUSt and he began nn to suck her finger Here let me have hae Henty Florence Dombey Dont Don't tr try to pig It all alt the time these You know Inow I dont don't get bet hardly any time to read rend The furniture and the remains ot of the cigar cl cigar box box cover er followed the knife Into her lier blouse and she opened the book But before she slie had begun to read there was a sleepy little call from bel below 0 Yes baby called d the child Heres Lydia up In the tree I Watch me dearie 1 I See Se me come down Here comes Florence Dombey first first With some difficulty the book fol- fol follow followed fol followed low lowed the knife and ond the furniture Into the blouse Florence Dombey being hastily Inverted showed a length ot of light marlin cord wrapped about her cotton legs Here she comes baby I Catch no now for L Lydia dla The baby below a tiny plump replica replica ca of Lydia sat up with a gurgle or of delight and held up her arms as Flor Flor- Florence Florence ence Dombey dangling unhappily up up- upside upside upside side down on the end of the marlin cord corll was lowered carefully Into the perambulator And here I come Watch me baby With a n swing light and agile lle as n a ayoung ayoung youn young monkey L Lydia let herself down landing with a spring of which an might have hn boasted beside the peram perambulator bula lor There sweetness kissing sweetness kissing the bah first first first well we'll fix Florence Dom Dom- Dombe Dom Dom- Dombey Dombey be bey then well we'll start for home Florence home baby Yes Its It's getting near supper time J Lydia dia tucked the still star star- starIng staring staring ing doll doIl In n beside her small sister turned the perambulator around and ran It along one of ot the little paths to the Ille sidewalk At the crossing she met a small girl of ot her hr own tn age who carried carrle u a uto atoy atoy to toy balloon and a n popcorn ball hall B Hello II 0 Lydia 1 I she cried It was vas wasa wasa a perfectly perfectly- lovely circus I 1 Was It cried L Lydia lIla with an In- In Indifferent indifferent In Indifferent different voice olce that something In her blue eyes denied Well I had to take care of little Patience I Huh Hull I shrilled the lie little girl old Lizzie would have ha done that I think your fathers father's mean not to give gl you ou the money Lydias Lydia's red cheeks checks went still redder My fathers father's got plenty of money she began fiercely Here the bab baby In Interrupted Baby Daby love Baby ab love love- love slie she held out two beseeching dimpled hands toward the red balloon Patience you cant can't have ho It crIed Lydia It'll It It It'll make your tummy ache Ill I'll bu buy you ou one when youre you're old ol old old- The eyed black-eyed child holding tile the red balloon suddenly kissed little Ia Pa who was the pet of ot all the children in ill the neighborhood an and put the string of her balloon Into Inlo the dimpled hand liand I had the circus circus- circus you ou can ha lease lia e the balloon f she he said Lydia Lyllia Jerked the Hie string awa away away- and held It out to the owner Were no charities Marg Marg- Margery she slie said Ill get Patience a balloon Youre an awful liar and a cruel beast Lydia I 1 cried Margery She snatched the lie string on and tied It about the baby's wrist You know you ou cant can't buy Imy her lier one and told you OU know shell she'll cr cry herself herselt sick for otie olle now she's seen mine and I le g guess s I love her lier as aa much muchas muchas fiS as you ou do L Lydia dla looked from the cherub In the perambulator crowing ecstatically over o the red bubble Unit that tugged tUI nt at ather ather her wrist to the defiant Margery Ill let her have It Margery Marler she said old reluctantly Ill make mako you YU n a adoll's dolls doll's hIgh chair All rl right ht said Margery nonchalantly nonchalantly lace Face to tag So Su long I Lydia run nin the along I the board walk The street was wa nine mac macadamized and anel bordered with willi thrifty nUL pie trees Hack Duck of the maple Irel trees trees S were ere frame frume houses of cheap cheal find and stu- stu stupid stu sl stupid pid construction Ion Before one of ot these e Lydia paused It was a 8 dingy brown house of or the lie type known us as story and nd a 5 half Lydia Illia opt opened the gate In the picket fence tence and tugged the perambulator through and oud up to the porch There baby mine shall Lydia L take I you ou In for your supper Supper cooed little Patience lift lift- liftIng lifting lu ing g her arms armst Lydia lifted tier her to 10 the porch with surprising a ease e The little year two old twi old should have been no light weight rl for the little mother of or twelve She stood on the porch watching L Lydia dla a arrange II ge Florence Dombey In her place In the llio perambulator he red balloon tugging lit at t III her r wrist tier her soiled white dress blowing In hl the summer breeze she finally grew glew Im Impatient patient of ot attentions to Flor Flor- Florence Florence ence Hub eat cut now sin she cried with n a stump stamp of her small mull foot a aLydia Lydia d laughed She Slie ran mil up the steps Iel's took the baby's bahs hand humid and led lell her hel through the entry Into a square little room evidently the parlor of the home h It was dust dusty mud mill disorderly 1 Lydia disgorged the contents of or her blouse upon lure lie desk then lien followed followell little Patience Into the lie next room This was larger than the lie first firt and was evl the dining room room and sitting A short hort stout old nid woman was set set- settin setting set setting tin ting the the- table She Slie had Iron Ir gray grayhair hair Her lIr face tace was a broad wreath of ot r t a Florence Home Baby wrinkles s surrounding bespectacled black e eyes es and a n thin mouth t never quite conceal concealed ell a very ery white and handsome set of false teeth See Seel I Liz I See Seel I cried little Pa- Pa Patience Patience Pa Patience tience pattering paltering up to the he old woman toman the tugging balloon Aint that grand r nd 1 said LIzzie you ou git the mone money Lydia Bab Baby's s milks milk's In the tin cupon cup on the kitchen table Your fathers father's home You'd better tr the steak sleak He Ile fry com com- complains com com- complains complains plains so about It when I do It toI Lydia left the baby clinging to I Lizzle's skirts and went on Into the kitchen Her IIer father futher was washing his hands at ot the sink Ink Hello dad dadi l I she said The child had a peculiar thren thread of richness In tier her voice when she spoke to little Patience and It was apparent again os as she greeted the man at the sink lIe turned toward her Well young woman Its It's about time you got home he said Baby all right L Lydia nodded and turned turned- toward the litter of dishes and paper parcels I on the kitchen table Amos Dedic ut at tills this time was about forty years a old-a a thin man mon of medium weight his brown hair already gray at th the temples Lydia evidently got from from hint him tune the blue of her e eyes es and aull the white of her teeth He lIe began to peel off a pair of ot brown overalls for supper upper he lie asked Hound hood steak teak said 1 Lydia For heavens heaven's salve sal dont don't let Liz LIT touch It I wont won't said paid ald the child piling up dIshes deftly deWy Im going to give baby lien lier cupful of milk ml and then Ill I'll fix It In Dl my pat patent I II cut ent t way Amos nodded tl Youre a a- a natural cook like your mother lie He paused one Il leg of Ills Ids overalls off ort disclosing his shiny black trousers 1 Lydia llla car carried ried the lie cupful of oC milk polk toward the he dining room From From where he lie sat at he h could see sec IIer kneel before little Pa Patience thence tience and hold the lie cup while while- the baby drank thirstily Little LillIe motes moles of the sunset light danced on the two curly golden bends He lie look looked ll from from the children toward the lie dusty kitchen I table tobie What hat a h I h 1 of ot a mess Liz does docs keep going he muttered Patience would break her h heart heart art If she knew Oh I Patience Patience Patience- Patience Lydia came back with the empty cup Clip Now Nov for the steak she slie ex- ex exclaimed exclaimed ex exclaimed claimed Gosh what n a fire fire- fire She Slie attacked the greasy stove with enthusiasm and In a short time a savory sa- sa savory sa savory vory smell of or steak filled the house Amos went Into the dining room an and sat In a n rocking chair with little Pa- Pa Patience Pa Patience tience thence and the balloon In his lap balloon she slie get et the tho asked Amos as I Lydia dla brought In the platter of meat Margery gave it to her answered the child Suppers rend ready I I Got It at the tile circus suppose wish I could a let you fop go Lydia lint hut at a dollar and a n half a n day tiny I swan 1 I I didn't want 1 |