The Arizona sentinel., 1886-10-16

one made no answer, ana he cOntln
 ued: ''Ef any thin sh'd happen, could
 come home"
 70, yesr' she answered, '.you coulG
 come home easy enough"
 The man winced, and his sallow fact
 reddened.
 '1 don't s'pose i'm master hand al l gettin' a Twin, but I tell ye, Malviny,
 late is agin me. Just as I got a jot
 across the river that felon came on my
 finger, and when 1 had chance on the
 bridge, out of twenty men I was the
 only one the derrick hit when it fell.
 You didn't ought to be castin' it up agin
 me that he'd to come home; it's fate. ''
 ''Call it by what name you like" she answered bitterly, tits made an old woman of me before my time."
 He made no reply, but went out on the door-stone, where the little girl joined him, and presently his wife heard him say; .
 "Daody's goin' away. Is Capitola sorry?'
 "Real sorryr' said the child; adding:
 "What'l you bring me, daddy?"
 "How sh'd ye like string of beads?'' he asked, after some deliberation.
 Blue beads 2o cried the child, then with the unconscious selfshness of childhood-"will you go right off9"
 Apparently hewas hurt, for his voice quavered as he asked: (Which would ye rather hev-daddy or the beads?"
 70, your' cried the child, throwing her arms round his neck and pressing 2 her little face to his. So the hurt was healed, and they. chattered quietly to- gether till supper time, at which meal there appeared five black-eyed boys, the pattern of their mother. People said the Danks blood had taken turn in the boys, for they were as keen, tough limbed, energetic boys as could be found in the county.
 The following Monday MT. Danks started for CooperHille. As he took up his limp carpet-bag. he sad, by way of feeble joke; Amt ye sorry to see me goin', Melviny?'"
 She looked at him a moment, then said, coldly: "You'n be back soon enough!''
 He strengthened himself and said, with an air of decision quite unlike him. self. You'll not see me again until my work is fnished;" and so departed, followed only by Capitola, who went to the road with him, and called after him not to forget the beads.
 Mrs. Danks from her washtub watched him going slowly up the muddy road, and as she looked her heart relented 8 trifie toward him-the weak, kind hearted, exasperating little man. Has tily taking her hands from the studs she took bottle from the kitchen shelf and went to the door.
 ''Johnny!" she called to the, tangle of boys before the door, ''your pas forgot his liniment. Run after him with it, for he'll be sure to get lame back"
 With a parting thrust toward his brothers the boy snatched the bottle and sped away like young athlete, chin up and elbows back, as he had seen pict- ures of runners. When he overlook his father and delivered his message the latter seemed really touched. Though indifferent, apparently. whether his house fell to pieceso or not, he was home sick outside his own gate, and now was going away sore-hearted at the evident of his family to part with him. The unexpected attention quite overcame him, and he looked round for to return in acknowledg- ment, but the fields were bare.
 Suddenly he spied by the roadside some pussy willows with their silvery, fuzzy buds, and cutting off branch gave it to the boy saying: tGive that to your ma and tell her she s the best wom- an in Melgs County"
 "Lawr' said Mrs. Danks when the | Ooy burst in with his branch and mes- sage; your pas getting silly in his old | age. 1 don't want such truck in the | house." But after the boy had gone she put it carefully in water and set it | )n the kitchen shelf. and several times | ;he looked up at it with look on her ace which MT. Danks would scarcely | lave recognized.
 That gentleman's absence made very | title difference with his family, except | O Capitola. His wife scolded little | ess, and the boys, who looked upon him 7ery much as another boy-only one who liked to sit in the same place too their works and sports as lsual.
 But the Thursday after his leave their outdoor fun was cut short by per istent rain. How it did pouri Hour liter hour, all day and nj ght. Friday morning dawned upon sweeping mists If gray, and an angry, boiling flood that rept inch by inch up its yellow banks, md night closed in on the same picture. Saturday morning the sun shone out right and clear, but on what 8 scene # destructioni What had been a river vas a rushing sea, which had plotted ut field after field, and stopped just at heir own gate, and which carried on ts heaving surface trees torn up bodily, ,reat timbers, buildings, and cattle. toward night large barn came float ng down, and, lodging just above the Iouse, made breakwater, round which he waters whirled, bringing into the har- 'or thus formed all manner of wreck ,ge. The boys watched eagerly, specu- ating at the amount of firewood thus aid at their door.
 "Hi! That's a good one," cried one f them, as just at dusk something like log appeared around the corner of the dIll, UdlduCOu b ulOIlOl1Us cSS IlOuSIl uH- ecided, and then swept round into the title harbor. But it was getting too ark to see any thing more, so they vent laughing and scuffiing to bed. All light long mother and children slept uietly in the little house, lulled by the ush of swift waters. All night long in he little harbor the log swayed and urned, now swept away from the shore. -ow drawn toward it, as though re- uctant to go.
 In the morning, with the whoop and hnut the hnyS hurst from the house