Show howkins LUCK by GEORGE ELMER COBB ilk boorin bogonil 1 there hani hammered out upon W ideria hently ly calr st air the measured beat of a big fr 0 drum stalwart free armed jed bruns 3 stood at his taek as resolute B a maestro at the baton stand lb beare as fore him propped in a low tree 7 if rotch was vias a home bome mado made sheet ot alts Is sparse notes big as ab a eggs V his was his score k H over the beig neighboring fence old seth bakion BB Kion protruded his broad tanned 4 set all in a capacious grin Z face doln je jed da he ib abat what ye think yer pounded poun deu B practicing practising was the terse serious reply 4 0 ika you ca call 11 that music I 1 derided it hi drown twill be when it mixes in with 0 to rest ot of tho the band 41 f what band B the village band ive joined it UK theres just as much system to a drum so there Is to a flute natures Nature 8 music 14 adt all bird song theres frog B croak ings too 5 seth drown went on hla his way chuck acne bg the lonesome boo bookings of the big drum were dismal besides lie be bad a poor opinion of jed hawking in III the first place his bis pretty daughter I 1 nellie liked jed in the next place J she be had bad her pick ot of several richer I 1 K swains af ril ill admit jed to Is ruminated rumina ted m the practical old man but hes slow 14 if ud and poky well it will take him so eo R long kd tosane enough to got get married 0 on n that nellie will get tired waiting and narry marry some one else slow but sure was the way nellie put it to herself dear fellow ho iotes me and enough and ill watt wait fifty years for him it I 1 have to A little extra money everything counts reflected patient honest jed the rhe band gets four dollars a head an evening tor for playing at dances next winter it will be three times a week boom boom boom boom boom 1 and jed proceeded industriously to beat out the notes ot of his score well dear challenged him arid and he be turned to face his hie loyal sweetheart aft t I 1 stood at hit baak resolutely bright faced and cheery as usual al how are you getting on 1 I can play the whacks where marked to come in explained jed 1 I reckon I 1 can fill the bill nellie had been to the post office she carried the weekly town newspaper in her hand this she opened and held beld it before the face ot of her lover j her dainty forefinger indicating a great black type advertisement look dear she directed and jed read it in his slow accurate way A thousand dollars reward he said id find the child for nothing it I 1 could poor little tot no clue eh no replied nellie the paper says that ida strong has been and probably carried to a distance her parents are frantic they only h hope ope that once they get safely in hiding those who stole her will offer her for ransom rich enough to pay a big one me remarked jed how well I 1 recall the little one only a week ago I 1 gave her a pretty red apple and rode her on my sp shoulder down the square when ta Is your first band playing asked nellie changing the subject saturday night it a very select dance or id ask you to go its over aver at jungs corners a rough lot around there you know their shindigs generally break up in a row take care of yourself dear wont you said nellie softly and the four dollars yes indeed the first nest egg for a home give rae a kiss on it nellie she gave him a dozen and was proud of the artless but earnest young tellow ellow who fairly worshiped the gro ground und ahe he trod on A great clumsy carryall carry all conveyed the rural band over to jungs corners on saturday evening jed had bad not exaggerated ag Ig the conditions prevalent with that community of lawless roy and rude river men th there ore were ten members ot of the band they placed their instruments in a small boom back of at the dance hall ball and sat abound until the crowd arrived then when t alj j mat last number was played off 0 ff the program they again stored their instruments and accepted tho the invitation to supper from the proprietor of the place jed noticed halt half a dozen gluts in progress as he was the firs first t of the party to go after its his instrument when ho he got into the poorly lighted store room he rolled his bulky drum near to the door it was quite heavy and he usually asked somo some ono one to help him when it had to be carried just then ho he paused and bent his ear sharply A thin piping wall proceeded d from beyond a door in one corner of the room it was bolted jed the bolt gracious me he ejaculated and we well ll 11 he might in a wretched adjoining apartment a little child lay sobbing ou on a pallet ida strong gasped jed and then he advanced towards the child the light from the dancing hall permeated the room dont you know roe me ida oh yes sure I 1 dot dol palpitated the I 1 ittle one putting up her thin wavering hands handa oh mr air Haw hawkiner kinel please pleasa take me away from here ive been locked up for a week and I 1 heard beard them say they were going to take me further from home tomorrow do just as I 1 tell you whispered jed an exciting thought coming into his mind then there were some strange and rapid movements in the room and then as the cornet player appeared and took up hla his instrument jed sang gang out help me get this clumsy old baggage of 0 mine to the wagon will you say I 1 its pretty heavy it propounded the roan man as aa he be took hold 0 oc f one side of the drum rather bulky yes nodded jed go easy it and ho he ga gave ve a great breath of relief as the big drum was hoisted aboard the carryall carry all lie he sat well back in tho wagon near to hla his precious drum when they got started on their homeward route jed was nervous for ho he bent his ear many a time anxiously as if seeking for signs of pursuit there were none and as ae the horses hor sea reached the top of the last hill over looking look lne the home bamo town he be pulled the drum towards him he unstrung its ita great moonfaced moon faced top all right little onet one he hailed hatle dand and th the a child he had bad secreted in the big roomy drum put out her arms and climbed into his lap his companions in the carryall carry all stared at child and man in openmouthed wonder their eyes goggled as he told or of hla his unique plan to rescue her you see some of that lawless gang down at the corners had her hidden away in jungs place explained jed and you get a thousand dollars shouted the leader of the band yes the reward Is yours chorused halt half a dozen voices not so slow and poky after all commented farmer brown when he came to know that jed hawkins had fairly won the price of a home for bis big pretty daughter nellie copyright 1311 1914 by W 0 chadman Cha oman man |