Show THE WAYS OF LOVE by FRANK 11 SWEET 1002 by DA STO BY publishing 0 compart COMP AxT A stray chicken wandered aimlessly about a small 11 clearing now bo he stopped to peck at a bright pebble then hopped forward to examine a bunch of tussock grass then a v grasshopper attracted his attention and all the time he was getting farther away from hosse hoe at last he paused on the bank of a dark creek and looked about curiously it was a new now world to him near by a ions long black object lay haaf embedded in the sand after watching it a few moments ho be hopped nearer then camo came a quick flash and a V 3 snapping napping of teeth the chickens short drama was over and the alligators tall slid back into the sand and hla half closed eyes resumed their air of sleepy unconsciousness overhead magnolias and live oaks mingled their branches while here and there rose the stately trunks of at royal palms beyond the creek and stretching away for a hundred miles tc to the south and west were the ever males in the distance gleamed the blue waters of lake okeechobee to the east was a wilderness to the borth almost twenty miles of almost impenetrable jungle and in the midst the little clearing lonely and wild mid and ugly for except where the log cabin stood near the center the trees bad had been merely girdled and now rose white and ghostly their gray skeleton arms creaking and groaning with every passing breeze among them were long ridges of sweet potato vines and nearer the cabin a few clumps of gumbo and banana 13 stalks talk the cabin had but two windows window small openings which were closed with boards when 1 U rained near one of these a young girl was preparing comp compile tle in tho the stove behind her was the inevitable kettle of hominy As she worked the girl ocr ilo nally broke into snatches of negro melody or old fashioned hymns her fresh young voice floating out into the forest and bringing cick s from the mocking birds and warblers warb lers two men were working their way through tho the thick masses of palmetto suddenly they paused to listen what a To voice icell one of them exclaimed A backwoods nightingale it must be old daughter said the other 1 I was hero here five live years ago and she was then the wildest mr gawryl Law buo sua cried her eyes sparkling with pleasure and little thing I 1 ever ew a beautiful child with a wonderful voice again the clear notes boated out to them As they died away the first speaker drow drew a long breah what an acquisition bhe would be to my chorus le said hia his companion laughed there you go again never a fine voice but you must be covetous the penalty of being a theater man nger I 1 suppose A few roomers s later they ther emerged from the palmetto aa As they crossed the clearing the young girl lett left the window and appeared in the do doorway orwar AX for an instant she merely looked curious then a glow of 0 recognition camo to her face before they had hal time to speak she sprang down the steps with outstretched hands mr lowry tor for all the she cried her eyes sparkling with plea ure I 1 hits mighty pleasant to seo you roun again be glad ano an I 1 shall be glad to see hi bi n said mr lowery heartily we hava have hav a had some rare hunts together but t 4 hits too late now how you huto grown you were only a little girl when I 1 left then nodding toward his companion he said ive brought my friend mr danielson down to try alligator hunting I 1 tell him bim your father Is probably the best vator prator guide in south florida that girls face ace clouded paws in right pore shape she said he was lost in the everglades an got the shakes bad I 1 low ho he cant do no more guldin tor for right emart smart the men looked at each other in perplexity seeing which the girl hastened to add cleb can guide you all battern bet tern anybody capt paw he aint but twelve but paw saya says what he dont know bout gators aint worth lessons on but mr air lowery looked doubtful 1 I remember cleb he said but it strikes mo me that be he would be a rather small chap in case of emergency paw says cleb can get away with most anything very well oll try him of at couise course it Is thirty miles to the nearest settlement ont where a guide could ba found now suppose we go in and bare have a talk with your father an hour later cleb camo came in a email small freckle faced boy with quick sharp eyes which seemed to tako taku in everything soon afterward appeared mr man with the camp elul ago age 1 I 1 suppose we wo can have the old camp site by the creek mr lorey bowory inquired butting Sut tIng ar responded mr dobson heartily har tily you u ull act att jest like you was to home an bdie yourselves theres rafts 0 of garden sass an mclona melons before night the camp was ready and late in the evening the two men with their young guide went down to the creek for a preliminary brush with the alligators and it did not take long to discover that the girls praise of her brother was justifiable before many days the two men expressed themselves as perfectly abt j isiler with his services As the day days went by the reat relations ions between the house and the camp grew more intimate mr danielson Danle laon was an in his profession and found the voice 0 or the young girl fully aa an attractive as alligator bunting hunting day dar after day be he listened to her singing 9 making comments suggestions and often accompanying it with his trained oice olce and the 01 tr ed the more he was more e llster i tl resol resolved her back with him to new to i thill fork A 1 I would like the training a voice he said to mr loer of S arb will make i grand 84 bozze ely dh 1 only her language wag was not so OUS ato atif but ic ir time even her language less ess barash 0 o his ears grea and lie her liebelt were so broh bron n and deep elt 1 no 1 and open what mattered a few fe ties of expression odb w one day mr air wery took lim hm task a you must 50 90 slow danielska Danle Daniel laca soa h said I 1 warningly YOU yon are twenty eight and liza ts Is no W m irl but you know the a moment his companion nj reply then he said a yes I 1 know the im possibility have convinced conrin ced myself of it a 1 boet i times the eirl girl Is absolutely IM igo ant a cracker in the exeme ex eme get of the term while I 1 am what heli and money made me and yet yeti it a loarf ion pause as soon as I 1 cori ftc myself of its absurdity I 1 arn a sure o 0 it begin to make plans to tabe take her and give her an eddi antior bortt the next afternoon as the two hell practicing together mr balliel Da Dan lliel lehoe asked in a matter of fact tone how you ilka like to go bortt and study music liza sho she raised her eyes frankly this th was ono one of at her attractions she nevel showed embarrassment or coa I 1 used to low id like to leim lelm things right much ehe she said limply simply but moneys ben bean scarce an A a ac paws been sick ie ine done give hit su ju up UV there was a wistfulness la in liy lel voice he took instant adia tage of I 1 it if you could arrange 0 a o go north wibb us he said eagerly you wad aou d har bar a chance to learn everything ag mj moer would look after you ini I 1 ailts lilts too late now an there i other things what at this moment mr air lowery came a up with him was a soung man la in rough costume co excuse excy so th the interruption danielson said mr air lowery but I 1 ant you yon to know my friend norton youve beard heard aae ne speak of him my guide among the keys saved my lift life off anclote and nearly lot lost his owe own mr danielson Dan lelson advanced cordill cor ditL he had heard many of thi bravo brave guide and was glad to mert meet him but befaro he could grasp the hind land a little figure sprang before and um uzi cried oh bob we you fort orange pit binl then about and with a shy air of hits my bob |