Show I I WESTERN BEES IN A SOUTHERN HIVE BY A FARNSWORTH DREW k CHAPTER V Saturday came at last and they were regathered within the hospitable folds l of the rambling old house on the mountain Katy was Intently watching watch-ing some repairs that were being made In the fireplace When the work was all finished she got on her knees and peered anxlouely up tho wide chimney for It wus down this one that Santa Claus always came Is ouI ure muzzer bird she asked dat dcy didnt shut It Up too tight for Santa Claus nor could sho be quite icassurtd until Jo had brought In the loss and the lire was blazing and roaring roar-ing up the chimney Mrs Astor seated herself In the rocking chair the girls sat on the rugs at hoi feet and gloated In the luxury lux-ury of the generous blaze while the wind outside whistled a frosty song Now girls sold Mrs Astor tell me all about the week at school Betty felt as though she must burst t or tell the burdening secret but a pinch from Bonnie recalled her It didnt seem no hard this week replied Bonnie but I wish I could understand un-derstand what one could do and whatnot what-not and why If they would only like us a little It would be easier Bonnies lips trembled pathetically Dear girls I like you a great deal and I am sure It will all conic right with a little patience So dose I mornetonsuecantell I The hug that accompanied Katys remark re-mark loft no doubt of Its sincerity I I 1 Why cant one climb trees or call from the window and all the other things It Isnt wicked said Betty I and when we do one would think we j had broken the Ten Commandments by the fuss they make about Il I Mi you were up here In the woods I with mo I think that yet a little while I would I let you climb trees and things I out suppose all the girls In the school did likewise there would not be trees I enough on the place Mrs Astor mulled at the thought of fifty as energetic I ener-getic girls as these busy Bs gathered under one roof Nevertheless In her I great heart she thought these two more Interesting and moro lovable than the I remaining fortyeight together But they dont and dont want to I so whats the use of bothering My child you are being fitted not to I r live In the wild woods hut In a crowded city Tho more nearly you conform It I n all the small formalities of life to th < habits of other people the more freedom free-dom you will have to work out sour < big problems Mrs Astor gathered them to nor ant they cuddled closely feeling more Incentive In-centive In her loving hold to he llk e other people or more explicitly to belike be-like her than they would Jn all the lectures l lec-tures In the world TheJ Colonel mIng m-ing In found them huddled together before be-fore the lire with Katy almost a flee ron r-on her grandmothers lisp Como come Katydid you are getting get-ting too big for the motherbird you will crush her soon It Is high time we began to take cure of her Run and get the footstool Katy ran for tho footstool Now grandpas slippers I But Kuty replied No I not dcyf darkles to wait on menThe men-The Colonel laughed until Che tar came but the moth < rhtld was grave Come dear she said hHat gnind pas slippers The motherbird was sweet and gentle but was obeyed The darkles were starling on the possum hunt so the Bs and Katy ran to the door to watch them depart We going get dat possum sho dl s time I Miss Katy said Jo as Ite IIgh ted t-ed the pine knot that served as a torch Then the other negroes with their tort hes and dog came around the corner cor-ner of the house Hinging an unlntclll of Yrncyrre rirwMrnt I r a a = k s 1 L 4 r or h ell 1 1 i r f J r Ir t 4 Lr rr l 4 IIi Ltz t w s crR I I I I i In the Sand Was the Same Elusive Flicker She had Seen in tho Stalactite glble cong about coons possums and I doves and loves all mixed and Intertwined Inter-twined into a musical If not a Htcrary harmony The girls watched them until un-til the torches became dancing fireflies fire-flies in tL distance and thon went back to the warmth and glow within Sound was the sleep under the great canopy that night and first thought in the morning was of the possible goldmine gold-mine In the gorge They wore too rest Iless i l to do Justice to Venuss yellow corn bread and steaming coffee too I restless to lake a proper l Interest in the possum with which Jo appeared Jo had cut a split In a branch and In the split was securely fastened the tall of Mr Possum He mighty goot eatln explained Jo The little prisoner blinked at them so beseechingly that the Bs declared that they wouldnt for the world eat a morsel Calling Rover the three friends started start-ed up the mountain While Betty romped with Katy and Rover Bonnie descended Into the gorge She turned over pebble after pebble She broke with a hammer brought hidden In a I black chopping bag piece after piece from the surrounding rocks At last she scooped up from the bottom of the fissure close to the water a heap of black sand and filled the bag In the racks and pebbles could be found not a trace of the precious metal but In the sand was the same elusive flicker she had seen In the stalactite and her hopes were high For do Lors sake said Venus as they reappeared at the house what you got In dat bag honey Simmons I reckon and dat Jo Glared dey want a nlmmon on the mountain I No they aint persimmons replied I Bonnie hurrying up to their room to put the bag away In the grip before more questions could be asked Well said Venus looking disgustedly disgus-tedly after her she mighty captlpus this morning Katy soon appeased her wrath and Venus produced the goodies saved for I themthree tiny sweet potato pies I made after the famous old recipe of a goodly quantity of eggs nnd milk and Just a suggestion of potato After dinner din-ner they made n round of visits among the cabins and were greeted with a warmth that went straight to their hearts In each cabin was some little titbit saved against Miss Katys Sunday Sun-day homecoming Jo had notwithstanding notwith-standing the assertion of Venus found the persimmons and Aunt Mary had a whole lapful of chinkapins Katy l beamed upon them all und trudged buck to the motherbird well loaded The spoils were packed In the carriage Now girlies said Mrs Astor bidding bid-ding them goodbye remember that If your father does not come I shall expect ex-pect you next Saturday If he does come you must be generous and divide your Saturdayc between us To be Continued t |