Show the case of bert carter slacker by BARBARA KERR copyright 1918 by the mcclure newspaper syndicate so youre after our wild roan man from borneo are you well here he comes III kid get a move on you heres a friend of yours youra from alays kansas sheriff Bear diloy felt the good hu mored sarcasm la in the boss tone ile he had swaggered a bit how did he know what sort of felloes felloN Ns ran the mine prop caan camp on the narrow guage ile he had got off at mineral not ilot springs and come overland with a guide and two donkeys mabe three bert quickened his pace came for ward frankly nod and held out his ill hand from hays did you say jim well rin im sure glad to see sec some on efrom rays hays hows everybody what nd dad you say your name is sheriff beardsley grinning anther rather sheepishly into the boys honest blue eyes im vp up here after a slacker know anything about him search me mel I 1 replied bert innocently at which the men laughed beardsley explained to bert who made no comment except that counted on getting out some extra props the trip would interfere nut but nis his camp co comrades were outspoken in their disgust why anyone can see ni ith ill half an eye that the kids not more than twenty declared the boss who ullo was too fond of cert bert to take it calmly its simply a cooked up mess by some of those foreigners combing the country for men to make up their quota the sheriff found himself nodding then hastily well I 1 was sent up here tp p get him boys so ill have to take him along after two years in the mountains with only a day off occasionally at salida calida or Al offet for supplies bert was interested in everything except his forthcoming trial I 1 of course if its up to me ill go ive had some experience killed more snakes than any other man in camp if im busy find and one gets away I 1 just take a walk till I 1 find one in his place why because they frighten women the sheriff on arriving at nays rec commended commend cd ball for bert till trial day in the meantime he loitered about th the 0 village ills arther and mother had gone to south america a year ago on business he had not been to iiams for five years as he went from school to the mountains for his health agree that he found it six feet in ill his stockings bronzed as an indian with an innocent direct gaze that was a hit bit disconcerting till you knew him so when the board called case of bert carter slacker lie he arose to his jeet feet marched up fro trout lit and looked them squarely in the eyes the three men mell looked at him with honest admiration but mary lk larvin the secretary wanted bert to fa eel that she disapproved of him she was the prettiest girl in the village tile the patr patriot Tot and always ready to punish sl ackers that came her way bert could not help feeling her attitude at first lie he was mildly curious as to what peeved the pretty lady but the more he looked tit at her the still sting of it got under his lie ile aak her outright what was inas wrong with mm litin lie ile told the board that lie he believed he would be twenty one the third of june 1918 1618 but in the absence of filmily family records would swear to nothing ik ih was interested to know on what nihat they based their accusation that he was a slacker to the board this seemed s fair enough but the way he said slack slacker er made mary want to jump to her feet and scream just as you might say bread and sugar mother r since the lie board had brought him to hays at behest of gossips they must bricq biln in ills his accusers J sirs airs ted Living lovingwood swore that lie he was the same age as her rachael Ita chael I 1 rachael was twenty three last june rall airall be obliged to her mother snickered some one twenty three was getting on toward old here mrs den ben hopper swore that he was the same age as tommy twenty one in may blay she he knew for th tio floys s lind had many a time celebrated their birthdays I 1 by swimming in big creole creel C bert smiled then chuckled chuch led behind his hand hand boys birthdays were like easter I 1 i movable feasts when swimming was the celebration I 1 things were hopelessly tangled birthdays of towns contemporary children were told as aa was time of establishing line fences buying of livestock tearing down of old landmarks but nor no corroborating testimony mary was in a white heat ilow how can he sit there like a lump jump on a log and the whole town wrangling about ills his age she whispered the board was crazy with the futility of it when th the old editor of the free press walked in with a newspaper file and asked to be sworn opening it I 1 he read born corn yesterday to john and mary carter a fine boy congratulations I 1 john to the board the date Is june fourth 1897 the boy will be twenty one june third without comment he walked out I 1 without further ado the board adjourned jour ned congratulated bert and closed the incident but the secre angry eyes held bert without apparent volition he walked up to her and asked it if she wished to speak to him yes I 1 dol del exclaimed mary vehemently liow how could you sit there that aaa way why you get up and say go any anyway wity why bliss manin man in I 1 thought a trial was ivas a trial 11 I 1 would he be queer for a man to say oil oh stop it ill contest confess im guilty just to stop tile hie fuss it its well yes mary lary 1 admitted but you let it come to that why do you suppose the lord gave you all that strength it if not to defend your country oh why stammered cert bert ill go it if you want me to lint but mary iary had walked away her hend head in the air bert was puzzled ile he hild had heard little discussion of the war to him it was a matter of age hed go when nhen called what was the lie matter with the girl ailed go ask her mary hesitated then held out her hand 1 I mother says I 1 was rude to you today forgive me and ill tell you how low I 1 feel about it so B bert received ills his first lesson in patriotism from tile the lips of a pretty girl too much in earnest to remember that she was pretty that bert was handsome or anything else except that she wanted him to be a soldier presently mrs mariln came in and bert spent the happiest evening othla life when he arose to go lie he asked and obtained permission to come again returning to the windsor he saw a light in the fi press office and went up to thank we editor for his kindness lie he disclaimed any credit saying that he was a friend of his family intimated that bert was glad not to go tu to war why no sir pressman I 1 dont care much either cither way thought rd id go when called but ive made up my mind to enlist im not a coward but the editor dismissed him with a curt nod to berts chagrin ills his lessons in patriotism progressed till the town won condred dred pred it if bert would stay in hays or mary alary go to the mountains bert wag was sure that life without mary was not worth living but mary tearfully but firmly refused him dearly as she knew she loved him she could not marry a man younger than lier self she was past twenty bert did not tell her he had bad enlisted but said goodby good by and took the first train back to camp A dreary journey but more than one indifferent chap who talked to bert had his views changed about his duty to ills his country ills camp fellows met him eagerly glad that he was back they had missed him had some mail for him too it was a belated letter from his mother telling him of sickness dis coura courage ments and inability to get mall mail but the paragraph that held his attention read you are now of draft age my d earest dearest son because after you were hurt and missed school I 1 gave you the birthday of the baby that died so not seem so behind in school work no one knows this dearest but mother and you do as your heart bids you Ife hearts arts all right mother dear he whispered kissing the letter then to the camp j well fellows I 1 came back to tell you the news im engaged to the prettiest girl in ellis county and have enlisted in uncle Sams army in colorado r want to danl in ts wa esy a 4 of any iiams patriots so better bg good to bertle bertie while youve got a chance of course the announcement of his engagement was a it bit hasty but epry corroborated it when told the particulars |