Show T 1 the house 0 f the three ganders by h IRVING 1 BACHELLER BAC nELLER copyright by irvinc Dh service M CHAPTER XI continued 20 1 I have done halt half so BO much if it been for the doctor shad answered its a good thing for a n boy to know how bow to pick out hla his friends bumpy declared saturday morning shad went up to the dam for the mall mail and needed provisions lons ue ile received a letter lettjr from colonel blake which said my dear boy I 1 have some good news you bookfor look for me sunday about one at browns cove for another dinner with you and bumpy v toil tell him that I 1 have not forgotten the elysium of pence peace and joy I 1 found under der hla his roof go and buy a good fat turkey and whatever elso else you may need iced and charge the tha cost to me dont fotij about the commentaries you fire are young yet for that kind of food were every day coming down from the hills to market shad found one to hla his lilting liking at SmI store that done he went to the doctors house the learned man in his great coat stood by his cutter at the door ile he was about to begin his rounds in the country ne he called the boy aside and said the young woman Is getting better she has promised to commit to me important revelations I 1 may get them on my next visit say nothing of this to any one I 1 dont want her to bo be harried by lawyers she Is not I 1 yet out of danger A moment of un duo excitement might bo be fatal to her and to the hope I 1 have of serving justice we must be patient with that the doctor shook the boys hand got into his waiting cutter and a drove away shad returned to the store sandwith and with i a well wel failed basket in one hand and a ke kerosene rosine can in the other set out for foi browns cove lie he had intended to incite bony down to dinner but with cononel blake coming for a talk his young 0 I 1 tag friend friend would be in the way 4 however the abe prospect of see seeing fag hla his beloved chief allayed his disappointment bumpy was elated by the colonels compliment and the prospect of having the distinguished lawyer at his table again talk about ly Ily slums I 1 a long jump ahead 0 me but im a coln to cook him a turkey make inake the hair grow on his bald head bumpy had a peculiar way of storing his meat in winter there was a pulley in the roof bearn beam under the overhang outside the front door the turkey well wrapped in cheese cloth and fast to the end of a cord was hauled up to the peak where it hung through the night beyond the reach of coons or foxes after supper that night they sat under the evening lamp and went on with the adventures of pip in the humble home of joe gargery until bedtime next morning bumpy prepared the turkey for the oven stuffing ng it with sage dressing and basting it its breast and sides with strips of well cured bacon when the oven was judged to be hot enough the panned turkey was shoved into it and the doors closed at that moment he began to look solemn and refused to talk or to allow azy aay interference in the matter of keeping the fire right now dont talk to me none 11 he would say eay INS job has got to be done right you run down to warners on an git it a pint ol 01 0 cream hurry up shad returned with the pitcher of cream 11 now wo set the table an keep an eye out for colonel blake bumpy commanded 1 I dont want to be took by surprise if he dont come on time well bang him without a trial 0 the table set shad stood by the window watching the trail the turkey was hauled out of the oven bumpy peeled his potatoes he put them in the spider and mashed and stirred tb them adding cream and butter and salt gait and pepper with a cunning hand here he comes corne sIll 1 the boy called throw open them doors quick bumpy commanded theres a beetle too much dinner in the air ol 01 0 this room I 1 he shoved ma his turkey into the cooled oven and closed its doors to protect it from the draft t Hel hello lol 1 the colonel shouted as he came in 1 I hope that the dinner la Is as ready as I 1 am we was scared for fear it would be too ready DUMPY bumpy answered A A good dinner loses its temper if it has to wait it gits kind ol 01 0 disagreeable the old man stirred the fire a little and put his coffee on the stove watch it now an dont let it bile he be said to shad im coln to git some cider for fer the colonel that has a razor edge on it no he was especially careful in the making of coffee with a fixed rule as to quantities and temperature the second it began to bubble the pot was waa aa at la in ft pan ot oc o C hot water there to f m main until it was served but bat never long it was a bove beverage rago to be remembered shad and colonel blake sat down nt at the table proudly dumpy bumpy stood at its head between them and carved tho the turkey what a fragrance rind and flavor were in tho tender flesh of the bird and tho the mashed potatoes potato esl I 1 the coffee was a joy they spent a delightful hour at the table the turkey eaten bumpy brought on a pumpkin pie its a surprise he ha said 1 I made it yesterday while was waa away A wedge ol 01 0 that will fenish the job that mint will require another cup of 0 coffee said the colonel lie he ate his plo pie and added you could do a good business in our town as a caterer ill give you twenty dollars to come and cook our christmas dinner for us sly my clothes aint fit for coln out in company comp ny ive got that all fixed the colonel went on you and bony are to go down to and get a complete outfit at my expense you shall have a credit of fifty dollars at the store see that you spend all of it dont scrimp its liberal said bumpy with a an smiling illing face he began to pick up the dishes the colonel lighted his bis cigar when the dishes wore were washed and put away the old man excused himself as usual and went out to cut wood the lawyer began his story shad we have been sitting at table with the mot most remarkable character I 1 havo have known I 1 have been over to burlington to see old colonel grimes of whom one ona day bumpy shoko perhaps inadvertently the colonel reports that william brown was the best and bravest soldier in his regiment that he had told lincoln of browns heroic fighting nt at gettysburg and that tho the president had said that he would bo glad to see the young soldier at the white milto house grimes told mo me that bumpy refused to go for fear that ho he would miss a battle the first thing of importance that thai I 1 have chave to communicate to you Is this bumpy Is not the liar ilar that ho he la Is supposed to be in these parts lie he has probably beon been telling the truth it to Is a fact that a man who has the habit of drinking too much ruins Ms his credit among the people who know him ile he was getting no pension therefore many assumed that his tales of heroic adventure were made out of whole cloth the world we live in Is rather harsh and uncharitable 1 I guess that bony and I 1 have been a little liko that ourselves shad answered with a twinge of remorse it was natural that you should fall in with the popular opinion the thing I 1 sought most in my trip to burlington was the private history of this singular man grimes crimea told me where lie he was born and where he married marled r tho the woman whose portrait Is on tho the wall yonder she came of a good family I 1 went to the little town in the mountains I 1 got the information I 1 wanted they lived there for years after they were married brown had a sawmill one child was born to them after their marriage a girl with dark eyes and hair she would be about twenty one years old now the mother died when the child was eleven it seemed to break the mans heart he H took to drinking and became a nuisance to his family he left the girl with relatives and came west to ashfield with this remarkable bird which had been his cifes pet he went to work in a big sawmill the girl was a bit headstrong three years ago she ran away word came to them in a week or so ao that she was wag with her father now there you are it la Is altogether likely that tho the unfortunate girl who worked in the store at south dolton bolton Is his daughter why bumpy claim her shad blind asked she Is handsome and rather proud I 1 take it the colonel went on he was a drunkard and more or loss less despised she was ashamed of him my theory is that they had a quarrel and greed agreed to live apart I 1 think that she was engaged to some one of means and apparent respectability in whose identity we as the states officers are deeply interested was it royce boyce and it so why has he not married her we shall abail know soon the consequences are dosing closing in on the criminal I 1 hope to see the young woman tomorrow dout try to do it not yet shad urged 1 I have good reason for asking you to wait the colonel sat smoking in a moment of silence 1 11 I taink that I 1 understand you he said eald 1 I know of no reason why we should be in a hurry did you get any help from Alg algyre yrol S shad had asked none anone as yet the detectives have taken him to chicago with my help they captured john obrien len jr his confederate at Broc brackville brockville kville they have evidence for or a prompt conviction and the charge will be murder in tho the oral first degree I 1 think that he will loosen up soon oon by the way the tha reward has come save bavo for a few expenses I 1 am going to give it to you shads chads faco face began to redden to me lie he asked to you it will give yon a liberal education and a start in the world when that la Is done shad had grown very serious ills ilia eyes were a trifle moist when ho he said 1 I cant see eee what ive done to get all that money tor a boy youve done pretty well three times your life hns has been in dan ger youre a good boy and I 1 want to help you along 1 I wont take it unless I 1 can do what I 1 want to with it ive thought it all over what do you wish to do with it iff give it to bumpy brown my boy the plan Is a credit to you the lawyer answered 1 I expected that some like idea would come tc your mind knowing you as I 1 do lot let me make a suggestion at present bumpy would not need so BO much if it should bo be necessary later we could help him lets put half of the sura sum out at interest and give him the income from it use the remainder for your education if you wished to help bony to get a year or two of schooling you could do IV if shad was quick to say id like hire to do that 11 1 I suggest ahat you put five hundred dollars in the st lawrence county bank to banys credit to tn be used for clothes and board and also tuition in the canton union school later if advisable vi sable you could do more for him shad rose from his chair its grand ho he said as he went and looked out of the window at the old man who was waa splitting wood converse has written me a letter no ile told me how when he woke you up one day on the shore of the Os ahle you rubbed your eyes and asked s Is god hero here you were born into a now world that day im not much of a preacher but id say that god Is here A man who has been pursuing criminals as long as I 1 have to Is sure to get that opinion 17 1 I guess youre right the boy answered 11 no ile listeth up the poor from the dust 11 the colonel quoted as he be came and stood by the boy it Is a great sentence een from the greatest of all the law books bumpy had finished his work and was waa getting ready to como come in poor ola old danl man 1 the hoy boy exclaimed ive got just one more thing to say eay about him the colonel remarked as aa ho he stood looking out of the window grimes told me that sergeant brown would never apply for a pension at al thought clearly entitled to it nee growing into quite a considerable up ft ure of a man I 1 must be off the day was benr its end he put on his and his overcoat and added well have a great christmas day at that moment there was a rap at the front door tho the doctors stableman entered ne ile said to shad if you please sir air doctor gorse wishes to talk with you this evening I 1 can take you up with me and bring you back the horse Is hitched out on the tha road til ill join you there in a few minutes 11 the doctors man left them the boy turned to colonel blake and said something has happened maybe well get light on our mystery colonel blake made his acknowledgments to bumpy who tad had just come in and shad announced that he was going up to the dam for an hour or two in a moment the lawyer and the boy set out on the trail the boy parted with his friend on the road where the lat lattera batters team was waiting shad got in with the doctors driver he had begun to feel grown up was he not now a person of some importance the colonel had bad seemed to have that opinion shad had written an essay on the common law it was waa full of resounding words still it was 9 credit creditable creditably abl effort brightened with character characteristic istl humor if he be dares to read it hell find out that im no child the boy said to himself maybe ill get him pawing over the dictionary at the dam he found a letter from ruth blake it was a pretty letter in which she said sometimes I 1 think that you do not care whether I 1 write to you or not sometimes I 1 think that you hate girls there are many pretty girls here who would like to know you yon I 1 think that you should learn leam how to dance and you ought to go to the parties the letter filled him with a shining happiness 1 I guess that rye ive been pretty mean to her he said to himself TO BE BB CONTINUED |