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Show another. "Tlie barn was stored wltl. grain and machinery and the insurance insur-ance ran out last week." Norman was crushed with a sens of his culpability. He felt like flying from home, town and all the people peo-ple he had ever known. He skulkel behind a hedge as a group of girls came along. They were discussing the fire so excitedly that they paid no I attention to a lone member of their I group trailing on behind them. Nor-j Nor-j man noticed her, however. She was Milly Daniels. He startled her by stepping directly in her path. "Just linger for a moment, will you, Milly?" he spoke under high agitation, agita-tion, "or I'll walk with you a bit I'm in terrible trouble, and I'm going to leave town for good," and Norman recited re-cited the entire story of the e-enlng. "There's only one way out, don't you see it, Milly?" he said. "I don't dart to face Farmer Logan ; I'm going away to make something of myself, and the day I have got the money to make it square with Mr. Logan f m comini back. And Milly, dear, you have been my truest friend and have alu-ays stood by me. Will you try to think of me while I'm gone, will yoj will you wait for me? For I shall nevei love anybody but you." Five years went by. Not a word had been1 heard from the truant son. Joel Hardy had forbidden even the mention of his name in the home. Mrs. Hardy, half heartbroken, repined in silence. Milly Daniels became an orphan, and when Mrs. Hardy needed a nurse and then Copyright, 1921. Western Newspaper Union. 1 ORMAN HARDY was born ' on New Year's day, and deemed the fact a decided , misfortune. There was one feature In which his father f5) specialized system and ' this Involved discipline, "A jgyV !& strict disciplinarian," he would boast to his neighbors. neigh-bors. "That's me," and he looked It and acted It out until Norman fancied lie had been placed In the world simply to become the butt and victim of rigid rules. When Norman's tenth birthday was only eight hours distant, his father gave the order, sternly spoken : "You will be in the house for the night at seven o'clock," and Norman moped In a martyrlike way, envying his boy friends who had mapped out a joyous New year's eve program of skating, hill sliding, and like boyish pranks. He wondered what was coming, but his father simply viewed him speculatively specu-latively and nent him to bed at the usual time. He was awakened to find his father roughly pulling at his arm. "Get up, Norman, and come down to the kitchen," said Joel Hardy ; "you needn't dress." Norman arose, rubbed his eyes, and followed his father downstairs. There Q companion, it came about that she found a permanent per-manent home with the mother of the man she loved. She and Mrs. Hardy, with the tyrant father, all unaware of it. cherished a mutual mut-ual memory of the absent youth and took comfort 'n watching and hoping for his re-tnp.i was a ugnt on pie table and beside It the house clock. Norman noticed that it told the time us ten minutes min-utes to twelve. All was still and solemn except its monotonous tick, and outside nn occasional oc-casional echo of shooting, announcing an-nouncing impatient impa-tient celebrants already prepar d to herald In the this time. I'm through with It. Half the town has heurd of It, and the boys taunt me and the girls twit me. Not that 1 care for any of them except ex-cept Milly Dan:els, and she's true blue and stands by me, and I won't have her humbled and shamed. I'm going to spend this New Year's eve wirb Uie crowd, and I'll be home to breakfast." "11 you don't report here by ten o'clock I'll send the town marshal after you," pronounced his father, with tire In Ms eye. Norman u.urched out of the house, hung around downtown until eight o'clock, and then repaired to the ngreed-on rendezvous of the crowd.. an old buggy shed attached to a great barn owned by Farmer Loguu. He felt uueasjf, stubborn and nettled. Recently Re-cently he had been darel by his companions com-panions to smoke a cigarette. llt-had llt-had met the dare aitd now. with two ef them hi bis pocket, he lit one. ond, in sheer rebellion against his father's system. about to pulT nut his re-sentmcul re-sentmcul when the signal cry of hb CHurnaes echoed forth. Carelessly throwing the lighted cigarette Into a corner of the shed, he boumied out nnd for over an hour forgot all stive the excitement of the Qiement. The unruly coterie rolled a giant snowball and let it slide down the hill leading to the town common ; they got up Into the town hall tower and rang its leil in the midst of setting lose a drove ol cattle from a live stock enclosure they were attracted hy the dash ami rush of the village fire cart, ma King for a vivid, spr-adlng glare. "Why, it's Farmer Ixg:in's plr.ee 1" shouted a chorus of excited voices, and Norman Hardy's heart st'-od stiil He recalled the cigarette and the llnereil woodshed. He sicxkI dumn and scared. T.ie flames completely engulfed en-gulfed the great frame l-arn. Norman slunk off alone by himself, oppressed wiih nn appalling sense of guilt. His emotions were doubly Intensified wlren he heard some one sr.y: "Logan thinks it was set ab!ar. Arson. I pity the firebug If he's caught. It's straight 14 years In the penitential?." "it will rain Logan, they say," Bpoke It wns a few minutes after midnight, five yeurs to a day since Norman Hardy had gone forth Into the world to seek his fortune. Milly had pleaded 'o sit up and watch the old year out and the new year in. All three ot the family, though in different ways, were thinking of the boy vho had run away from home. The hells hail Just finished a resonant chime when th knob of the outside door turned. There steppl into the room a bronzed, stalwart young man. at a sight o! whom Joel Hardy gasped Incredulously. Incredu-lously. Ids wife uttered a joyous scream, and Milly stood breathless anr. Muttering. "1 waited t'.l! 1 was sure the final hour of discipline nnd the strap wat-past wat-past ami gone." spoke Norman Ila-dy "Mot Iter," n warm embrace. "Farher," and a sturdy hand reached .mt "Milly." and the young girl swayed to and fro and would have fallen had not Norman caught her. "1 said 1 wouldn't come hack till I could pay for the damage I did to good old Farmer Logan."' con'lnupo Norman. "I've kept my word. I lies you are struggling with a two-thrro sand-dollar mortgage, father; i can pay It off and loan you as much more If yon need It. Milly. dear, am I welcome? wel-come? I hnve come to keep my promise true." Joel Hardy Irfi the room. He- returned re-turned with th.e strap that had been so familiar to his son. Taking out hi pocketknife. the old man proceeded to cut the strnp to pieces and flung them 'nto the blazing grate. "You're cheated me ont of several yesrs. my son." he observed, "hut 1 forgive you. It's enough to know thct you are back home safe and sotjry this blessed New Year's aaj !" new year. "My boy," spoke bis father after a moment of ominous deliberation, "when I was a-lad pi ten. my father taught me a lesson that has left Its Impress on my whole life in a salutary salu-tary way. Upon the tick of midnight just preceding my birthday be always called me down to the kitchen and gave me a good sound strapping. It hurt him more than It did me, he used to say, but the reminder would In-ever In-ever present with me. Until I was twenty-one, regularly, upon each birthday birth-day the strap played its part and I think It did a good deal towards leaching me that I had a master m d in making me a bettei man 1 have concluded to adopt that feature with my system. You're a pretty good hoy. but for fear you might kick over the traces I'm going to bulk the system until you art of age. Now. then, rake your punishment like a man." Jtel Hardy produced a short thick piece of tanned cowhide and Norman winced, but did not cry out during the unique enstigat'en. It was live years later, and with the usual routine late in the afternoon Joel Hardy reminded re-minded Norman of the pending mtd night even'. His eyes bu'ged ai d his face hetmyed overwhelm:nc mtiaie-t mtiaie-t ent as Norman stood up hefore hfm tall, well-knit Stripling, almost men-"Ine men-"Ine ir nls ben ring as he said: J"-be- :bero wl'J tx? ao strapping |