The Open Road. I. A Story

The Open Road. BY JOHN HENRY EVANS, OF THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS UNIVERSITY. Part 1. — Being a Few of Brocketts' Early Adventures with Some Account of Him. Adventure 1. — Which Tells What Happened Because the Woman With the Eagle Eye Walked in Front. The long double column of boys moved slowly down the path- way to the old stone church on the corner. Two nuns headed the procession, and two brought up the rear — pale-featured, modest women, their white, up-turned bon- nets,white, expansive collars, and black, flowing robes contrasting gravely with the hundred and odd drab figures in clogs and twilled caps, also drab, that occupied the space between. All but one, and she walked in front, florid of countenance and mottled, looking now neither to the right hand nor to the left. The towns people — at least, those of them who were Cath- olics, and that included pretty much the population of Vinningen — always turned out of a Sabbath morning when the weather was fine, to view the orphans on their way to church. For there is something eternally fascinating in a compact body of marchers, whether of trained soldiers, of demure monks and nuns, or only of plain, common folk. Perhaps, too, the fact that these boys were orphans — poor, fatherless and motherless urchins living on the charity of these very townspeople — was what drew not only the eves of the spectators, but their hearts as well. Anyway, there they were, sympathetic and grave, waiting for the last of the pro-

1071 IMPROVEMENT ERA. cession to pass reverently ,by the priest at the door, before they should go in themselves. As for those hundred and more drab figures in clogs and twilled caps, they were an interesting lot aside from the fact that they were orphans. Boys there were as tall as you could expect fourteen winters and slim provender to yield, and other boys as short as five years and other slim provender would permit, with all the ages and sizes and varieties between. Mostly they were lean, but some, with a stretch of the imagination, might be termed stout. Presently you shall know the reason. With respect to this matter of length and breadth and thickness, though, you could only conjecture what might bs if conditions had been different. This between you and me, for the crowd took note only of the fact of orphanage. How should they know that the little people on the hill were underfed? Did they not contribute liberally for their keep, and was not the institution in the care of the church? And so they observed only the sobriety of the young cubs, and the orderly progress of the march — but with a sort of personal inter- est withal. Brocketts knew this. Brocketts, you understand, was one of the drab marchers in clogs and twilled caps. He had eyes and ears about him, too, the rogue. There could be no doubt of that. Part of this fact — the ear part — you could readily see even if you were only a casual observer yourself, for these organs stood out amazingly from his head, as if in eagerness to catch every sound. The other part you had to be more than a casual observer to make anything out of — a not very singular thing, you will say, consider- ing the general impression that every boy has eyes and ears. But I stoutly maintain that it was a remarkable thing in Brocketts. For how many of these other drab figures, big and little, had no- ticed that all the spectators this morning were on one side of the walk, whereas other Sunday mornings, for the most part, they were on both, and that she of the eagle eye and pock-marked face headed the column instead of tailing it as usual? Not one, as I happen to know! And yet not a boy in that procession but would give his best top, string and all, nay, even his four-bladed pocket- knife, with only one blade broken out, for even a hint that these two things had happened together .

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR VOLUME FIFTEEN YOUR SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRES WITH THIS NUMBER :::: Please Renew ERMIT us to remind you that with the October is- sue of THE IMPROVE- MENT ERA your sub- scription, now on our books, was completed. We shall be happy to receive a renewal order from you, and hand you here- with on next page, time and remittance blanks for this purpose. If you will respond at once, enclosing this order in your envelope, it will enable us to keep your name on our list, and thus avoid any interruption in the mailing of the magazine. THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, 20-22 Bishop's Bids. Salt Lake City, Utah If your subscription continues into Volume 15, or if you have already renewed, please disregard this notice SEE PROSPECTUS IN THE OCTOBER ERA

For New and Attractive Features See the Prospectus in the October Era IMPROVEMENT ERA, 20-22 Bishop's Building, Salt Lake City, Utah. GENTLEMEN: Enclosed find $2 for which please continue my subscription to Volume XV Improvement Era, beginning with issue of No- vember, 1911, and send Manual. Name Ward R. F. D. ..Street and Number P. O - Date 1911 State If subscription price is not enclosed draw a line through the $2 above and state here about the date you will pay. I will pay about 191 Kindly get some friend who is not a subscriber to the ERA to fill in the blank below and send to this office with your renewal. IMPROVEMENT ERA, 20-22 Bishop's Building, Salt Lake City, Utah. GENTLEMEN: Enclosed please find $2 for a year's subscription to the IM- PROVEMENT Era, Volume XV, beginning with the issue of No- vember, 1911, and Manual. Name Ward R. F. D Street and Number P. O Date 1911 State '~Rjad carefully, and fill in all necessary blank spaces. You are entitled to a Manual Free.