The Jack-Knife Man

a few left to trade at the grocer's. He made his purchases with great care, for his list had grown large in spite of the refillings of his larder from time to time through the errands in town done f

s, and went down to report to George Rapp, stopping at the Post Office, where he asked fo

m her. It was addressed in pencil and bore the local postmark. Peter held it to the light, play

surprised and such shiftlessness and you might have let me know that woman was sick for I am not a heathen whatever you may thin

t she should write him about the clock was not sufficient excuse for a letter. There was no reason why she should write to him at all, unless the underscoring of "that woman" meant she had heard how he had taken the woman and her boy in

livery stable, Rapp was superin

s the boat? Friend of yours was just enquiring

-who

"Widow Potter. Say, why didn't

cried Peter, aghast. "I never i

hree or four years old, posing around as a goody-goody bachelor. But that

eter. "But he's not m

ng him to raise. Anybody else would have sent him to the poor farm or to old snoozer Briggles. You beat anything I ever

s gunny-sack

king about, George," he said.

you at the shanty-boat, Peter, when she was sick and played out and hadn't nowhere else to go, and I know you took her in and got a doctor for her, and I know she brought alo

aid she run off from me?" asked

just naturally bothering the life out of me. She says she's buying a horse from me, but that's all gee whiz. Anyway, she's dropped in to look at a colt near every day lately, and sort of enquires if you've been up to town. She s

ked Peter nervously. "You didn't te

"She's plumb crazy. She says she's willing to let by-gone

?" asked

nd a woman year in and year out, and saw three times as much wood for her as need be, and take any sort of tongue lashing as meek as Moses, and look kind of marriage-like, and not do it. She said a w

in his chair

say that?" asked

've studied him many a year, and the whole trouble is he's too good.' 'And he's a speedy colt, speedy but strong,' says I. 'Having a wife like that is what did it,' says she, 'for a wife like that chastens a man too much, but

" asked Peter. "Sh

aid that she believed, now, you were a fully proper person to rais

hlessly. "Who is Briggles? Wh

"He used to be a Reverend, but he got kicked out, I hear say. H

ke children to t

nd spent the money, and put the children in any family that would take them, and paid himself twenty dollars a child for doing it, charging mileage and exp

ie what?" a

twenty dollars by-and-by for taking her out and putting her somewheres else, if they don't work her to death. It's 'God help

into a chair as Rapp talked

ain't after Buddy

o-day," said Rap

to the street before George Rapp could get to his feet, for Rapp was never hasty. Along the street toward the feed-yard, where his farmer friend had put up his team, Peter ran, the heavy sack swinging from sid

ng hard on his reins, but Peter w

"I want to get home. I

had been condemned. There were no hills and the horses, with their light load and a driver with several warming drinks in his body, covered most of the distance at a good trot, but when the track left the road to avoid the snow-drifts that covered it in places, and the horses slowed to a walk, Peter longed to ge

ressing his elbows close against his sides, breathing through his open mouth. The path was rough, rising and falling, littered with branches and roots. The calves of his legs seemed swelled to bursting. Time and again he fell but scrambled up and ran

baby, and give it toast and tea, Go wash the little baby, the

ddy's sup

t. He was happy, but trembling so violently that the branches of the small elm shook above his head. He twined his legs around the tree, to still their trembling, an

e shivers, listening to Booge boom and trill his songs, and to Buddy clamor for more. And

kazoozer, kazo

kazoozer and tore h

d ka-boozer, ka-

ka-roozer and smote

w from his seat on the bunk and

eter!" he cried. "Did

f on the long trip yet. We mustn't fret about

made me a wagon," said

ooge carelessly, "and busted it. He come v

the story of Mr. Briggles's ar

it," said Buddy, "and Booge slided him

dy," said Booge. "I guess Booge has got to

said Peter with vexation. "You are going to stay he