| Show the return BY FRANK 11 II SWEET copyright VS by dally daily stary story pub co all through the hot july forenoon A movers In overs had dragged slowly along the rea is aun hardened unhardened road when it reached the top of a long hill it swerved in under the shadow of rome trees and halted A tall broad shouldered man clambered down from the wagon and was presently followed by a young woman in a sunbonnet ai 8 an old buatt who peered eagerly from bide side to aldi the mules were and jai 6 i ind two auant travel wary weary cows untied from behind the wagon and turned loose to graze then the man took a fishing polo pole and started leisurely toward a g cen line of bushes which could bo seen wind ing along in the distance the woman vent went into the woods to gather fuel the old man watched them depart with evident uneas unea lne sine he ile loitered about undecidedly and ut la last qt walked slowly down the road A big brindle dog roee rose lazily and followed him the wagon agon was concealed from below by an abrupt bend in the road A along long this were drooping moraes t f chine apin bushes bashes the old man paused near them and gazed wistfully into tae valley every building held field and orchard passed successfully under hta his gaze and hia his dim old eyes grow misty with loung loing recognition presently ho he saw a horseman in the distance 4 he looked at him curiously after bis his curiosity changed to in errest and then to apprehension As the horseman camo came slowly up the hill be trembled violently and at last turned and hurried bonard tow ard the wagon As A lie did so the dog forward with loud barks of suspicion and defiance r suddenly there wao wan a sharp report and a thin cloud of smoke rose bazly hazily into the air As it floated out over the hushes bushes the horseman came into view there was a 96 smile of amusement on his face which in disappeared as he glanced to ward the wagon underneath it and lying in the shada was the form of a man apparently asleep with a startled exclamation the hurseman hu reeman threat himself from his sad die dle and hurried toward the recumbent figure at tho the same moment the yoman emerged from the wood woods ihn tho inetter sho she demanded fler fiercely cely hao hane you shot himl him AN no I 1 reckon not the man rose ros k a it 2 e its turned and hurried toward the wagon and ad stood aside as she bent solicitous ajr ar fsr the figure he ile seems to breathe reathe all right and I 1 can find no trace of f a bullet he ile a moment bui but M she did not answer added deprecate ecat angly you see I 1 only intended to 0 o frighten the dog and fired high the old man groaned and threw 0 out ut his arms as though to ward off something tho the woman stroked hta his head softly 1 I low hes all right she said hoa hea been thie this way latela latel coming back to hie his old homo home has nade aade him sorter ild fied I 1 reckon hits lilts the first time hes been round hero here la in moren thirty 11 did be he live in this neighborhood 1 I reckon so pap aint been muen of a hand to tell about his old home most we know krow la Is what we picked up from words now and then and froin from his hl actions ac tlona do you expect to settle here pie no I 1 young bomin diu did not seem to 41 I 1 V 1 A A za oh john john I 1 I 1 thought I 1 had killed youl you think the p iston impertinent tho stranger et ranger t fc I 1 and und of commanding figure fl fiure anu aio asse evidently believed him to be a person of consequence in the tho neighborhood be owned tho very land on which they were co camped raped we all aint settled about that yet she un simply we like round byer hyer and will stay it if my husband can get work id like to on account ho ila aint never been satisfied up in calana Ca llna not that ho he over ever spoke of coming back copt lu in hia his sleep she added bas hastily tily tap rap at aint a t been a complaining man wo all bad had a timo time in getting him started ho ila seemed troubled about som epin and wo we had to persuade and persuade fora fore hed gl gh e in here the old man opened his eya and stared around questioningly As his buzo rested upon the tho stranger be convulsively raised himself to a sitting posture at first he seemed inclined to run away then by a powerful effort ho he controlled himself tie ie I e been ou for thirty years ears he said in a quavering vole vote which gradually became firm youra colonel parkerson Par korson yes ive allers been sorry I 1 run away the old man continued as he rose slowly and bowed hig his head like a nan awaiting sentence son but bit hit all camo came on me we so sudden I 1 loed your son john like as an ho he was a brother and and tho the killiad was accidental the stranger gazed at him for a moment in amazed silence then ho he grasped the unresisting hand are you phil turner lin naked eagerly then with disappointment in his wice of course noil you aro are an old old man and phil would be fifty two just my age aint you colonel tom parkerson there WAS fierce florce energy in the old mins voice 1 I am john parkerson my father died many years ago why for tho the old man was groveling on the ground caressing his feet 1 I nm am an old old man he quavered but im turner and im only fifty two ob oh john john I 1 thought I 1 bal killed youl you I 1 the youns young woman had been watch wate tf mauu as ng th chy john parkerson to her with ayes your father was foreman on our plantation he said softly he ile and I 1 were young men together and were liko like brothers he shot me accident illy while out hunting poor phil he raised the old man to hia his feet and added cheerfully you must ne never ver leao leae ua us again phil the old burke place la Is for sale very cheap thirty acres and house under a fine group of 0 live oaks I 1 advise you to buy IV it 1 I aint prospered enough to buy land he saad sal deprecatingly john parkerson laughed you remember we owed you a tera wages when you left phil ho he said that two hundred dollars hao been accumulating interest for thirty years it will be bough donough nough to buy the burke pi ice 11 |
