The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-01-12

her stay with him till the rest came
back at any rate. 1t wasn't long be-
fore they met her wandering forlornly
along the beach, with red rims about her
ewes and depression, which restored
Ned's good humor immediately.
"Hullo, Madgie!" he said, enjoying
her surprise at sight of him.
"Why, where did you come from?"
she cried, stopping short and regarding
him with establishment.
"They let me off up above there"
replied Ned, looking down at her with
his hands in his pockets. 81 thought
I'd rather take the raft and go up the
creek a way, to a place l know that's
fnll of red lilies and rasphcrries and
things"
"Oh," said Madge, relapsing into
| melancholy. The raft was the property
of the boys, and none of the girls had
ever accompanied them on those de-
| lightful journeys up the creek.
"You can 90 with me, if you want
to-" said Ned, condescendingly. 81
don't mind taking you, as long as the
others aren't here, if you'll sit still and
do just what III tell YOU"
IOh, will l will" cried Madge,
clapping her hands with delight. "Oh,
Ned, you're the best boy! Do let's
hurry! Lwant 10 see the red lilies SO
muchl"
1t was only short walk to the mouth
of the salt creek that moved down to
the sea through the fields of the farm
where the children were spending their
holidays. They reached the place in
high spirits, Madge dancing with JOY,
and Ned already making up his mind
that his small sacrifice was 'going to
pay" 49,. ;,
the boy, lifting his companion into the
middle of the raft. "I'll pole and yon
can be passenger-or no, he continued
with a burst of benevolence, 81 de-
clare, I've great mind to let you pole
too. Here, catch hold of this one and
stand just here by me, and now push.
If you do pitch in can pull you right
out, so you needn't be afraid. Now,
off we 60"
think Madge has neverkn more
delightful hour than that in which she
and Ned went up the creek together for
the first time, winding among the hay
fields and orchards, now catching at
the low hanging branch of thimble-
berry bush and staining their fingers
with the sweet berries warmed through
the July sun; now watching the shine
of the sea through the bushes, and
again coming out into an open space
where they could see the whole sweep
of the beach with Point Eyle standing
bold and rugged beyond the level
sands.
AS for "pitching in" that foreseen
contingency did actually occur, and
Madge received an involuntary duck
ing, from which she was promptly res
cued by her boy protector and placed
dripping on the raft again, with the in
junction to ''squeeze it out and never
mind, for salt water doesn't give cold"
And at last they reached the field
where the red lilies grow, thousands of
them, all swaying and bowling to each
other like so many queens in gorgeous
scarlet robes. There was little
thicket of bushes all about the field, |
like wall for this royal presence room,
and overhead the SKY was clear deep |
blue, and red butterflies were dancing |
high in the air, as if some of the lilies |
had taken wing and flown away to see |
what lay outside of their pleasant green
count.
Madge plunged into the lilies with a
shrek of delight, while Ned devoted |
himself to thimbleberries, and retlecGed
that little girls were pretty good COM
pany and that he was glad he had gone
back to see to Walters little sister.
So the long bright afternoon wore
away while the two told stories, played
tag" and igathered flowers, until at
last the sun began to sink and they
were down to the creek again. Madge,
with her arms full of flaming lilies, and
Ned singing to queer wild tune as he
poled the raft,
81 thought heard an old man say,
Aye, oh. you rolling river.
Tomorrow is our sailing day.
Aye, oh we're bound away.
Upon the wild Missouri
I'm glad came back" he said conf
dentally, as they walked up to the
house. "You'ra jolly little thing and
| like you, and III row you over to the
Point myself tomorrow, if you want to
90. | think it was real mean to make
you stay home.
"Ned," said Madgc, standing still in
tn path, "ulu you come Dack on pur-
poseP Oh, you're the the very kindest
boy l ever saw, and 1 do thank you so
muchi'
And then Walter and Katie came
down from the house with somewhat
conseience-stricken faces, and burdened
Madge with gifts of shells and stones
from the Point, and were particularly
to her all the evening.
Madge used to wonder why that one
golden afternoon always stood most
clearly and brightly among her con-
fused pleasant memories of that sum-
mer among the sea-shore. 1t was some
lime before she was old enough to I'M
lerstand how winding water and level
fields, and scarlet lilies were glory fled
Dy her by the gentle deed of the boy
who was true knight enough to turn
pack from an afternoon fun to find Il
rare pleasure in giving delight to
onely child Christian Union.
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