| Show The House o of the fe Three Ganders By Irving Bacheller Copyright by Irving Bacheller Service I SYNOPSIS Exhausted ragged ed and starving a n Boy of about exteen Is la found In the tho woods and nod befriended by a camping party Ho has h fled from bi hie hI brutal father Bat flat Bat comes after him but hl his hla new friends conceal him Fed and in clean clothes tho tha boy who gives ves his hb name 0 as Shad Sheridan SherId ID is 15 sent on his way Y to Canton with a letter to Colonel Blake Shad cloverly clover clover- ly eludes his father Colonel Blake his Ws wife and their young daughter Ruth are arc Impressed ed by tho the boys boy's manner The Th colonel colonel colonel colo colo- nel secures him a situation in to the tho village of Amity Dam Ho becomes friendly with witha a youth of his age Bony and Bumpy Brown Drown tinker considered by the str straitlaced straitlaced strait strait- t- t laced beed people of Amity Dam a drunkard be beca because because be- be cause ca cause re of his periodic lapses from rom strict sobriety CHAPTER II Continued II-Continued 3 3 Bump Bumpy's s assessment of Doolittle did not agree with the sentiment of the countryside While people thou thought ht DoolIttle a showy man not O of work who was deeply Indebted to the bounty of his bis father father- law In-law with whom he lived every every- f. f p- p body ody dr respected him or seemed to body but Bumpy Brown and the boy Bony Squares However Bony Dony was nobody H He Became a came from no no- where Moreover Moreo be be was down lown on the whole village Mr Doolittle was the friend of every great man manIn manin In the county He was a supporter of the church He spoke at it pt political poUt poUt- ical leal meetings That e evening Shad was probably the happiest boy In the county The mail had brought him a letter from Ruth Blake Three times times' he had read It and then had put the treasure treasure treasure treas treas- ure very carefully In his pocket Often he touched It with his fingers and her mother and father had Invited him to their home He felt like a person of Importance Looking at the letter bad had brought back to him the singular elation which had come from looking Into her lier e eyes es from the feel of her bel hand band Shad was getting along He Be had better mann manners rs oBe He had studied the grammar and dictionary He had shaken oft off his rude dialect He had bad not yet learned how difficult It t was to shake oft off the thing called back background round History Is often like liken a n wolf on the trail of a n stag stab Shad and Bony were alone In the store stor that evening Suddenly the thedoor thedoor thedoor door opened Shads Shad's heart sank him when he saw his father father fa fa- fa- fa ther tiler Bat and the village constable approaching him You d d-d d d runaway I l At last Ive I've sound found you I l said Bat What ore are you you doing here 1 Working Shad answered Youre going to come with me Ive I've got work enough for you at home Is he your father the constable eon con on- on stable asked Yes sir Then I expect you'll have to go with him I ITil I Ill Til get my coat cont and hat said Shad as as be he hurried Into the rear I room Bat Brit started after his son Bony halted him with the pitchfork sayIng saying saying say- say Ing If ou go a n step further Ill I'll turn you ou I Into to hay bay CHAPTER III A Day at the Fun Shop FROM ROM I the rear room of the store Shad ran r-Jn downstairs to the cellar and out of Its open hatchway He lIe went directly to the Smithers' Smithers house house- The merchant now familIar familiar familiar famil famil- with the history of Shad was at home l me Learning the truth he saId sold to the boy Yon You disappear until the colonel comes Ill I'll telephone him I dont don't want to know where you are He hurried to the store Shad went to the loft In the barn and spread a n blanket et on the haymow and lay down py Mr Smithers found the C clo plean ean an Bat Dat swearing mad Shads Shad's father and the tile constable were In the store The latter Introduced Mr Smithers Where Is that boy I All dont don't know Youre a d d dl d l liar Har I 1 dont don't allow swearing In this store said Mr Smithers In that gentle tone which he be used In sellIng selling selling sell sell- ing ribbons to a lady If It you'll sit down Ill I'll consult my attorney on the telephone and ask him what ought t to be done lIe He called Colonel Blake who said suld Tell the man Inan that Ill I'll meet him at your your store tomorrow at nt eleven I Tb The interview nest next morning was er very brief son I know all about you said said the colonel You ought to be In Jail I shall see that you yon are put Jut there and tried for tor brutality to YOur If you do not get out of this country today and stay out of It Dont Don't Irritate me by talk tull or tarr tarrying I want you to start now nov Bat started He Be had heard of e district attorney of ot St. St Law- Law ace nce county the terror of all tho the lawbreakers of ot the north country He lie would make no words with him The colonel set set out for home bome t I At last Shad was free tree He celebrated celebrated celebrated cele cele- his emancipation with a n socIal social social so so- cial adventure It marks the thebe beginning beginning be- be ginning of the second act of this drama dramn of country life Ufe be Sunday tomorrow tomorrow lord lord how I dread It I said Bony Dony The bells bens nn an the yells an on the stillness an the sleepiness an helpin Miss pick fl n on Oi then the thew w walk In the cemetery to the graves of her cruel ancestors Lets Let's break away nn nu pike off orr to Bumpy Browns Ill I'll paddle down today an tell him were we're comin Now Mrs Smithers was n a worker In the church Shad had sat sot In Inthe Inthe inthe the Smithers pew every Sunday with her and her husband His compliance compliance com com- with their wishes bad pleased them The long prayers and sermons the singing and Incomprehensible Incomprehensible Incomprehensible shouting had generally given Iven him a pain In t e head Shads Shad's sense of ot rectitude was being slowly slowly slow slow- ly undermined by this ordeal Soon he would be bo willing to lie He to escape escape es es- es- es cape It That Sunday morning he told Mrs Smithers that he was going for fora forn a n walk to see the country and to think up things to write In a letter He would not come home for din din- ner Ill Til pr pray y for tor you said the good woman At the store he met BonyI Bony I suppose se that Sister Smithers i N Nd d t 4 t tl IL l I d i If You Go a Step Further Ill I'll Turn You Into Hay wanted you to go to the Sob Works said Bony The Sob Works s I IThe IThe The house Bony ex ex- ex- ex Always he called It The Sob Works good to me said Shad remembering re re- re- re her kindness Well youre you're good to them You do all nil their dirty work for em They walked milled down the tile river road together What does Bumpy Brown do Shad asked Kind of a n tinker tinker mends mends umbrellas umbrellas um um- um-I um an on clocks an nn tin pans an most anything Hes He's got a n funny I bird that talks I By and by by they left the road and took a n well trod path that le lei led I Into a n thicket of evergreens Beyond Beyond Be Be- I Be-I yond this on the high bank of the river was the curious little home of ot old Bumpy Brown It was built of small logs stranded d In n his cove when the high water of the spring went down A few shapely cedar trees stood around It Bumpy used to tosny say of his acre on the river shore I 1 that It was Gods Fair Ground A Aman Aman Aman man of Imagination going to the lonely little house on a n clear June morning would have called It the capital of Fairyland and chiefly because because because be be- cause of the many voices In the reedy marsh and the tIle woods and the strewn flower-strewn grasses near It Bumpy was wont to call the birds his chickens He fed them with crumbs from his table With his own hands he had completed completed completed com com- the little house It was snuggled Into the river bank Its curving roof had a n wide over over- hang Its windows were almost flush with the ground toward the trail Its floor was somewhat below below below be be- low the level of the ground on three sides Its south side toward the river had a n door and two windows opening on a flat rock ledge Beyond Beyond Beyond Be Be- yond them was a fine stretch of still water The roof root was partly covered with overlapping cedar strips from froman an abandoned launch a patch of shingles a n patch of ot rusty tin and anda a patch of tar paper The windows and doors differed In shape and size They ha had come from abandoned mills and houses bouses The snug ann ana shapely structure about sixteen feet teet square gave ga one the Impression that It had grown out of the ground Though delightful delight delight- ful In form If was a thing of shreds and patches Bumpy Brown was cutting wood back of ot the house Hello Ion Bony l I l he shouted Im ready to start up the fun tun works Its hIts a n sight to see you said suld Bony Pony Soy Say by I When Ive I've swung an ox ax n a while I 1 git n a grudge agIn Adam fer eating that apple Bony Introduced his young friend Say bo boys s. what be you e ex- ex pectin The bo boys s 's did not quite understand understand understand under under- stand his query and were silent Well Wen have hae a good visit an an a dinner Come down downto to the spring a tl minute I want to show yc ye e calculated to improve Improve Im im- im prove the condition o 0 the poor They descended from the high ground to n a wooded ravine A covered covered covered cov cov- ered dIshpan was sunk In Its cold spring It held a small dressed turkey tur tur- key My l friend Mug Muggins brought that thatto tb to me knowIn I expected company Bumpy c. c explained It makes him feel teel bad to see young turkeys out o In a tree these frosty nights They aint table He Ho puts pats em cm out o o 0 their misery The old man laughed as its he added There aint a a to be no here If I can help It He walked with a knotty crooked stick cut In the woods His artificial leg squeaked at every step Be He limped a little but he could travel at nt a good pac pace As they entered the house a strange gentle voice olce called out Hello Bello pard I 1 Are you happy Yes Did Bumpy answered Praise the Lord 1 the voice ex ex- claimed It came from a n yellow headed parrot parrot par par- rot In a cage that rested among some potted potted- potted ferns ferns on a windowsill The Tile floor was well ell swept The whole Interior of the little house was noticeably no no- clean clean- cleanA A crayon portrait of a plain looking woman hung on the wall her my h her r-my r my wife said sald the theold theold theold old man proudly as he lie stood l lookIng looking look look- okIng ok- ok Ing at nt the p portrait Just as as ns can be and be-and and Is made from a at me me the the best woman that ever lived lIve Died ten years ago this comin fall September fall September seventeenth at four tour ten In the mornin He wiped his eyes with a faded bandanna handkerchief and went to the He began to whittle whittle whit whit- tle 0 kindling for the stove sto He Be stopped and looked up at nt the boys and added I said she died but she's still here here- here speaks to me when I come home an an we talk tall things over same as we used to He hurried out of Always hustles around like that after hes he's spoke his piece about her said Bony with a n smile Bumpy returned with nn an armful of wood He Be turned to Bony and said sold Say listen to me 01 Bumpy Bump Brown Drown has quite drinkin No more whisky fer him not him not never no more morel 1 By I me mean n It The las las' time I come near IllY my good leg an on then my wife an I had a talk about It She argued It out plain An then I had a dream an anI I heard her voice She screamed to tome tome tome me an on she said Look out Bill look ou out l' l I was I Bumpy shook his forefinger at Bony with this solemn declaration If It you ever er see me drunk ngIn agn you can take off my wooden leg an split It up fer I gue guess s that d n d n thing would burn well The he parrot broke Into laughter 1 and then said in a gentle gentIe voice God Is love Iove My wife taught him that said Bumpy Bumpy Hes good company compan Dear me Suz Gue Guess s Id I'd a caved In long ago without him It would seem that the bird per performed performed per per- formed an Important service In that little home It was like Uke the spirit of the dead Nobody ever eyer see y you you u drInk drinking In said Bony 61 1 suppose you get drunk o 0 Cy Doolittle an nn the scenery Well Its It's all over an I Just as ns soon tell teU you bo boys s If you'll keep It a secret Its It's very private ate The boys Indicated their respect for his Ills confidence with unusual em em- Bumpy winked and sat down and pulled up his right trousers trousers trousers trous trous- ers leg to the knee exposing most of his wooden member On one side was a little shelf with a hole In It and a n cork In the h hole leYe le Ye see all nil I had to do was buy buya a bottle o o 0 whisky an fill up my leg with It That ol of leg holds bolds enough to see snakes with When I wanted a drink Id I'd lift my pants leg an stick a straw In the hole an shift a part o o 0 the load a little higher up I call It my happy New Year leg The boys laughed Yes sir my ol oi leg an nn me me- meIs Is goin to behave He took down a fiddle hanging on the wall and said Heres the main shaft o 0 the fun tun works He tuned Its strings and played Money Musk and The Sailors Sailor's Hornpipe The he bird sang Joyously and Bony danced a Jig as Bumpy played He lie hung Bung up the fiddle and said to Bony I If you'll run down an on bring up that turkey an on the butter Ill I'll start the The boy ran and fetched them The bird Indulged In a weird chortle Bumpy smiled and said Well Dick youve you've never learnt how to make a n fool tool o 0 as I have Ive I've got a maggot maggot In my brain Dick whistled n a bar of the old bugle bule call for tor assembly Bumpy picked up a broom shouldered shouldered de dered ed It and marched briskly across the room room as If obe obeying the call Returning to his task he said We have great times that times that bird birdan birdan an nn me When I go a I 1 take him with me carry him on a astick astick stick sUck behind me fastened to my pack He amuses the while I work Eer Everybody body l loves ves him Bumpy had a Jolly way of bullyIng bully bully- Ing lag the boys Go un an wash yer reI hands an nn comb yer hair hall he salt said By I Anybody would think that you was settin down with common folks folies to toa toa toa a plain dinner If It any o 0 my rich friends should come I want ye to look right Bony had a nervous habit of wink- wink In Ing and wrinkling his brow when amused Stop up yer face that wa way Bumpy would command Lord I Seems so the devil de had stepped on yer big toe It makes ye look like Mrs Smelts Who Is Mrs Smelts Bony asked Well sir I reckon she's the hum- hum lIest woman In the world Lives Ilves In PIt Pitcairn Shed She'd wilt ye down Smelts Is dead He lIe must a n died looking lookin at her So the time went until the turkey turkey tur- tur ke key well browned and baked potatoes potatoes potatoes po po- po- po I and fried fish were on the table all smoking hot Then Thea Bumpy brought to the banquet a pot of ot delicious delicious delicious de de- licious coffee and a n Jug of cider with a little edge on it it The feast began Bumpy kept kept- the boys laughing with a an account of the singular adventures adventures adventures ad ad- ventures of Dick and himself on the road In telling these stories he was wont to use nse the first person plural Even when speaking of his own thoughts he said we as If out of respect respert for his comrade It was different different different dif dif- ferent when he told of PIcketts |
