Show f tf r T THE STAIN ay y JUNIATA FAIRFAX within ilya fire yea year rafter native village for the tb great bustling city mr bryce willard had made a small mall fortune eivers thousand dollars acquired had hardened his bla heart tut b ut he bo had Mice ceded of this tie he was waa thinking wondering it if the sacrifice of love pleasure the real 1601 friendship of at fellow men was worth the reward when a timid knock came me at the door I 1 of his private office come la in ordered Willil wallard Wll lard ro ho he frowned as his visitor was waa revealed au an undersized but husky little littie fellow of about fifteen everything about him suggested tid the raw rural youth just juit corabi come to the city cl lothes othea sho hoe esthe the home bome aut cut shock hock of 0 calr air the honest stal smiling lini eyes the tha weather bronzed face it was like a haff abir from some gome patch of rf woods wooda a reminder to so vivid of his bis own far past tha th atthe tIthe hardened business man man felt quick heart biart qu r i aa 1 p lul but yearning so much so BO did not abonce at once regent the so BO ham blo a for usually men of money only were admitted to that select sanctum of finance nance underlings being turned avei over to the office well arho no me are you challenged willard allard ll lard the lad fumbled hi sworn and ml el 0 badea van cap through his fingers with althan an Bed grimace and said they tell me m I 1 im ft 1 nuisance la L your i all propound propounded dea willard Wll lard attract td ed by the oddity of the declaration yes yea sir y continued the boy naively ly you ace ive ben here every day daf for a week for a job ind and your manager said bald r was driving him to desperation bothering about a place when everything was filled he sald eald to come coma in and see you this morning when I 1 you yon might be awful siad ad if you found out id been hero here a they tell me im a nuisance in yu you 0 outside office and was turned away because I 1 knew you 10 you what T queried the amaded yet interested willard Wll lard 1 I dont mean exactly that floundered the boy 1 I mean I 1 knew all about you huh everybody in shore ham ban dost does you bet and wn miss wardell who sort of thought I 1 night might strike something hunting you up and asking for a position says the old town ought to be proud ot of you A quick gulck aspiration wept swept the th aps fps lp of bryco bryce willard Wll lard it was waa lassins passins strange Bt range but here a more mere country bumpkin invading his business baitner dignity and environment had the tha pow power pr to move hla heart as ag it had not been for years say bay resumed the lad encourage 4 il 0 to o prattle by the now new softness ott nesi that bad come into the face of his ht hot hoot you auit have hav abeen been awfully good and kind back there at the old town everybody speaks of you as a a credit to shoreham Bhore Shore ham everybody li Is your friend toung tellers belleri take you tor for a model why I 1 came up here to make lay by fortune tor for miss ml wardell says lay you havis har only your grit and 10 martness aus ana honesty to start out on thata Tha tB 20 0 o it now and debbe you can show a poor little fellow like sae how to geton get on td in tho th world 1 Wl willard IlArd doged closed hit his eyes shore share miss warden wardell pe orleas laa ina wardell whom he be had almost ta marty marry him A twinge of at reproach caught him there she Shii hada right to bellve believe he ha liked her and he h had shut out love for sordid gain and go back to mr jordan he be directed his hl visitor a strange jan IA hla his tone arid and tell him I 1 say to tart start you in at eight dollars dollar a weeks week G glory gasped the lad why alroyal fortune to baffin with r by themay th eway though d at a glimpse ot of the boys boya dark knotted ingers fl nger you had better arash those hind before you begin work to willards Wll lardi surprise the tha lad laughed lloud and heartily hla his eye brightened up in a mirthful lolly jolly aay way that lant dirt he be should hould may lay not tor for rv ive scrubbed crubb ed aumic eston 9 terl tei ln a day aku P walnut status hut before I 1 started tor for the city ml and the tb children ashes he al iway vars pleasure plea iare trips tor for the ottle ones one ant iton it on oa a s launt bd me along had o huli oatho the and wont iava MY kanda for a month say theres there the tand growing down in the old gully ewt it t is whopper whop par and the tha lad pro deduced educed deba jjr a nd pta cedon the oes K i a treen 1 skinned walnut big ss as a potato willaid sat te regarding garding it dreamily after hla his visitor had gone memory sentiment a vague longing stirred burred aim Iri intensely the boys simple words you roust must have hara ben been good food sad kind contrasted a good 61 doal deal with his own realization of the hard selfish ways way of 0 money making j stul still it warmed his heart to think that back atthe home conr town he was loved lored i and respected and ina willard she i win was proud of him her present life was all her gentle girlhood had i promised everybody friend and the idol of lot the th children ildron bryco bryce willard I 1 made a sudden resolve he placed I 1 the bulky walnut in hla his pocket as aa though tt it wore were a cherished amulet his office manager j shoot that new boy ahead fast as 1 he earns earna it was his explicit dired uon tion 1 I ara am going away for a few I 1 i days vacation and the next lag ing willard wallard arrived at shoreham Shore ham I 1 he renthis sen sent this his luggage to the hotel and began a desultory deaul tory stroll the lure of the wildwood was upon him and he be could not resist its influence he was a barefooted boy again amid cherished familiar scenes it was a rare delight to penetrate copses he had visited in the iong ion ago to note tp jtb where he had often camped with merry camp companions anions to inhale thi the sweet air redolent with tho the last subtle per turns fume of the dying flowers flo atlant he came to a spot near an old gully lined by giant walnut trees A horse attached to a light wagon stood browsing near some underbrush lay a ared out little follow fellow on the green sward he had been pound tag ini the husks from a heap of nuts across a great log and the paddle had bad fallen by his side the shucked chucked nuts nuta had been thrown into the wason wagon and there was a heap of them A whimsical idea seized willard Wll lard he seated himself and seized the paddle whack hk what though the juice of the husks be spattered bands and clothing in a joyous riotous way vay he seemed la in harmony with the great surging chorus of nature around him then suddenly childrens ap preaching voices and then why mr bir willard Wll lard it was ina nut brown mald chrt sho was breathing health and happl less her bar eyes brighter than oe her bar handclasp warm and welcome A moment of explanation and thon then she ille deplored Us his carelessness circle la in staining his hands you should have worn gloves she sh de declared wo we are solus going home boma and ad jau you had bettor better join us and let mo me got get some oma turpentine on your hands bands or tho the awn will last for far weeks bryce willard wallard thrilled as a half ball an hour later ictor the soft soothing hands of 0 ina wardell bathed his own with the th cooling liquid that bat would prevent them being a sight his enraptured lips could have kissed them which he did lateri later copyright Copy richt IMS 1115 by W 0 chapman |