Show n ya J fir HEAR 8 i K w YR E Ei ti m i Joseph McCord mU Service CHAPTER CHArTER XV Continued XV Continued 16 16 I thought possibly you had gone over later continued Kelsey I 1 took it up with Washington but never got anywhere Every time I had a chance to get to Middleton I Idid Idid Idid did for Mrs Camerons Cameron's sake On my last trip I found I had missed you You found her dying and you ou took the boy away with you Farwell nodded helplessly He did not trust himself to speak I 1 see It all now Mrs Cameron was not able to tell you what had happened The neighbors did did- They explained how I had come therewith there therewith therewith with Elaine and Dale That was enough for them them and and you I 1 never dreamed p Kelsey's voice trailed away There was silence In the room a silence broken by the slam of a distant door Farwell seized the arms arms' of his chair in hi his two hands He pulled himself erect There was wasa a 61 stern quality In his deep voice Is that the truth Wade Kelsey You know that it Is was the quiet answer I always wanted to find you I think I told myself that I would some day That after all you had the right to know that Elaine's last thought had been of you I didn't know where you were I lead a busy life and a lonely one Then Dale walked into into the tOe room where I sat talking to John Payne It was like looking Into Elaine's eyes again Everything came back I had no rest until I came here I Ionly Ionly Ionly only wish I had been In time to spare Dale We must think of him now Farwell lurched forward sudden sudden- ly He covered his face lace with his bis hands Elaine Ela Elaine ine Kelsey relaxed in his chair He found his own eyes suddenly wet After a moment he crossed over and laid a hand on the other mans man's bowed shoulders Weve both been hurt Jonathan Its It's over now Its It's up to us to help that boy Hell He'll come back when he gets over the shock And now you'll be able to tell him its it's all right Im I'm going down lm to the hoteL Ill I'll stay for a little If you need me Ill I'll be waiting There was another ringing of the parsonage bell in the early after alter noon A second and hesitating push of the button brought Jonathan Farwel Farwell Farwell Far- Far well wel to the door He walked with a steady step displaying his usual comp composure sure His voice betrayed no surprise as he greeted the caller Good afternoon Miss Brady Will you walk in Good afternoon Doctor Farell Farwell Far- Far well ell Lee colored faintly under the steady scrutiny of the ministers minister's dark e eyes es She gathered herself herse together quickly speaking in a voice that matched the mans man's for evenness I III would like to speak to Mr l if he is here I am afraid d Pinckney is out at present was the grave reply Is Ills there anything I can do for you Perhaps you will come in Just for a moment then And when the door had closed behind her I r wanted to know If if ti-if If Pink had found Dale He said he would I didn't hear anything Lees Lee's voice trembled a little in spite of her effort to c control it I 1 couldn't bear it any longer Her brown eyes looked up appealingly into Farwells Farwells Farwells Far- Far wells I Isee see Please sit down Lee shook her head waited When was this Miss Brady Last night after dinner Last night The minister repeated the words with an effort Then he must have told you He did Where Is Dale Hasn't he come back back- at all Not yet Pinckney must be searching Something tells me he will bring D Dale le with him I 1 am waiting Oh If we only knew where be he was If It he was all right Lees Lee's small hands clenched helplessly It wasn't v his fault fauk Im I'm so afraid he thinks he mustn't love me any more He may even think that I dont don't love him now And I do I do Farwell took a step nearer One of his hands came out to rest on her shoulder As much as 35 that my child Of or course she told him lookIng look look- Ing bravely into his e eyes es I III Ivill will vill always love him I believe you Lee His oice voice quivered a little as he said I never ne have known of a greater love Save one My dear you will not be putto putto put putto to the test Either of you Oh what 7 I have learned the truth today It might have been too late But now I know that tha t God will bring my myson son back to us Will you wait for lor a 61 little here Wait Walt with me It ill y ill ilI not be long Oh yes Please let me st stay y Along the wooded slope of a 61 high highhill highhill highhill hill some five miles from Locust Hill Hilla a small figure was clawing its way doggedly through h the heavy undergrowth undergrowth undergrowth under under- growth engaged In a D zigzag zig-zag as as- cent It was Pinckney Queer how the kid ever found round that trail he muttered It must be around here somewhere He squinted thoughtfully at the summit revealed through an opening among the trees Must be he repeated After a brief progress his searching search ing jug eyes were rewarded by a faint path leading in the desired tion With an exclamation of relief relief relief re re- re- re lief he followed i it Within a n quarter quarter quarter ter of an hour he be found himself nearing the final sheer ascent a abald abald abald bald face of rock that rose almost perpendicularly T The h e explorer moved warily now making as little noise as possible From a thicket he peeped cautiously sly across a small clearing There propped against a boulder in the sunshine was DaleHI DaleHi Dale HI Mr s said id casually and stepped into the open Dale looked at him without speaking speaking speaking speak speak- ing or stirring I was out taking a stroll Pink anticipated Thought Id I'd drop around this way Nice little place you got here His survey included a shallow cavern In the face of the rock and a 61 small spring outside the Guess you'll have to I didn't pass no cabs comin up Ill I'll cut you a stick and help you Theres There's else Id I'd better tell you maybe Pink stood with his feet apar apart slashing the branches branch s from a substantial length of scrub oak Before I 1 give you this stick What Its about the girl friend I 1 seen i her last night She's Made I me promise Id I'd fetch you back i You mean Sure I told her And kid I want to take back any knockin I ever done about dames That's all The Journey back to Locust Hill was slow Dale his face set grimly grim grim- ly limped over the thc uneven ground with the aid of his cane and Pinks Pink's willing shoulder Frequent halts for forrest forrest forrest rest were made To add to Pinks Pink's uneasiness the sun had disappeared Clouds were gathering thickly a threat of more rain In the air It wouldn't do the kid any good to get wet wet- When they got nearer town hed he'd figure out outa a short cut that would bring them In J t l r I a- a I r T L Everything is all an right now entrance All set for housekeep housekeep- ing What's the matter with that ankle Turned It on a rock What do you want Shut up until I 1 fix you He knelt down and untied the soiled handkerchief handkerchief hand band kerchief Dale had bound about his bare ankle Wait Walt Pink reached for his coat and tugged a parcel from from one of its pockets Brought myse myself a a sandwich but I aint hungry You eat it I dont don't care for it Thanks Eat it a anyway Pink moved over to the spring and dipped the handkerchief in the icy water Maybe that'll make her feel better better bet bet- ter kid You didn't have it tight enough H He applied the bandage with practiced fingers Its no good Pink Dale remarked remarked remarked re re- re- re marked wearily Why did you come all the way up here I want to be alone for a while What made you look for me here That Saturday afternoon you took me You said if you ever was a hermit you'd come here I figured It out Pink his bis ministrations ministrations ministrations minis minis- finished settled back on his I heels Now you and mes me's goin to have a talk No were we're not Theres There's nothing to talk about Lissen kid Youre You're goin to hear what I 1 got to say because I got good news for you Its It's Its Ev Everything's Everything's Every Every- ry- ry things thing's all right What do you mean The dominie he be had It all wrong kid Pink Do you mean it He no He-no no he couldn't be wrong But he was Im I'm tellin you It aint so easy to wise a guy but but but- oh hell Hes He's your dad That's what Im I'm try in to say He ahva always s 's was That bird Kelsey squared every every- thing He showed up this mornin Right after breakfast Kelsey Is here Dale said it unbelievingly strange Sure He beat it down here right after alter you Id I'd have bave got here soon sooner r but I wanted to hear what he had to say I was sort of scared to leave him bim and the dominie together er everything considered So I hung around to make sure they weren't goin to mix things I clamped my ear right to the door When I was sure everything was on the up and up I beat It It Tell me mel No s sir r. r I done my part You want to hear that from your dad And say kid when you and him get together go easy Hes He's been hit longer and harder than you ou And It wasn't his fault Id I'd have done the same thing I reckon So would you But you can take It U from me its it's all right now Next things thing's to get you ou home I can walk behind the burial ground No use giving the villagers a treat The first big drops of rain were falling when Pink assisted his charge up the steps of the back porch He flung open the door with witha a sigh of relief A swift swit little rush across the floor of the half dark kitchen Dale D Dale le Youve You've come comeback comeback back Oh Lady Lee Leel Pink made hasty exit Into the dinIng dinIng dining din- din Ing room Lee was close In Dales Dale's arms her face buried against his shoulder I waited and waited Dale darling darling dar dar- ling I I 1 couldn't have stood It much longer Are you all allright allright allright right Everything Is all right now he whispered his hIs' cheek check against her curls I know And it would have been all right No matter what happened Dont Don't you know it Didn't you know I III wasn't sure I am now now They clung to each other In si silence silence si si- lence after alter that clung until Lee released released released re re- re- re leased herself gently and lifted her wet tear eyes to Dales Dale's She tried to fia flash h him her time old-time smile Were forgetting dear Your fa fa fa- ther I talked to him this after after- noon You You Dale please be kind Pink was descending the front stairs when Dale started his slow ascent Say Kid Hes He's in your room Dale paused outside the closed I door of his room for a moment He drew a long breath turned the latch softly Entered He pau paused ed with a slight gasp leaning heavily on his stick The I Iba ba barren ren little apartment was lighted by an unfamiliar glow Both candles candles can can- dIes of the shrine were burning For Forthe Forthe Forthe the first time Jonathan Farwell his rugged face gleaming strangely In the soft illumination illumination sat in a a. a chair he had had drawn directly before the shelf shell A book lay on his knee one finger marking the page where he might have been reading Dales Dale's glance shifted Involuntarily His mothers mother's photograph lay between the candles Father Farwells Farwell's head turned slowly His black eyes seemed to be staring from a great distance A man in ina a dream With apparent difficulty he rose to his feet still holding bolding to his book Dale His lips moved stiffly to shape another word Son Ive come back father Neither man moved from his place Farwells Farwell's tall form slightly The flickering lights laid his shadow on the wall Huge gro gro- tesque Do liDo you know my son Dales Dale's oak stick clattered to the floor His hands reached outI outI out I know everything now Dad THE END Sam Houston Spent Years Among Cherokee Indians Sam Houston famed for his role in early T Texas history was frequently frequently free fre fre- fre a champion of the Red Man As a boy in Tennessee Houston upon his fathers father's death became friendly with the Cherokee Indians and spent several years with them themas as an adopted son of Chief teka Later when he was governor of at Tennessee Houston resigned his office office of of- fice flee and returned t to live with his bis Indian friends writes es Leslie Hartley in the Washington Star In 1830 and again in 1832 when he visited the capital to expose frauds practiced upon the Cherokees by government agents Houstons Houston's six two six two ot-two figure in Indian clothes attracted a great deal of attention I It was shortly after the latter visit i to Washington that President Jackson Jackson Jackson Jack Jack- son commissioned him to negotiate ire treaties ties with the Indian tribes In Texas Having decided to remain there Houston was chosen commander commander commander com com- mander in chief of the Texas army after the outbreak of the war for I Texan Independence After the raw troops he led had routed Santa Annas Anna's force Houston was elected President of the liberated liberated lib lib lib- state and later when Texas was annexed to the United States served first as senator and then as governor |