The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-06-04
lowing with a string of two or three

Setting the pail down, he said in
deprecating way: 81 hev about en-
cluded to take up with Badgers offer,
| and go up to Coopervilln."
She made no answer, and he contin-
ued: "lf anythin sh'd happen, lcould
come homc.''
...Oh, yes!' she answered, '.you could
come home easy enough.
The man WINGED, and his sallow face
Redeemed.
II don't sposc I'm master hand at
| gettn' a livn' but | tell you Malvinv.
fate is agin me. just as | got a JOB
across the river that fclon come on my
finger, and when | had chance on the
| bridge. out of twenty men, | was the
only one the derrick hit when it fell
You didn't ought to be castin' 1t up
agin me that he'd to come home; it's
| fate. -
| ''Call it by what name you like" she
answered bitterly, '.it's made an old
woman of me before my time"
He made no reply, but went out on
the doorStone, where the little girl
| joined him, and presently his wife heard
him say:
"Daddy's goin' away Is Capitola
sorry?'
Real sorry!n said the child; adding,
"What'll you bring me daddy?"
'.How sh'd We like string of beadso"
he asked, after some deliberation.
BLUE beads9" cried the child, then
chlldhood-''will you go right oil'?'
Apparently he was hurt for his voice
| quavered as he asked, (Which would
ye ruther hev-daddy, or the beads?'
"Oh, you" cried the child. throwing
her arms round his neck and pressing
her little face to his. So the hurt was
healed, and they chattered quietly to-
gethcr till supper time, at which meal
there appeared five black-eycd boys.
the pattern of their mother. People
said the. Danks blood had taken a turn
in the boys for they We're as keen,
tough limbcd. energetic boys as could
be found in the county.
The following Monday MIR. Danks
started for Cooperville. As he took up
his limp carpet bag, he said, by way of
feeble joke, '.Ain't ye sorry to see me
goin', Malviny?'
She looked at him a moment, then
said, coldly, You'll be back soon
enough
He Strengthened himself and said,
with an air of decision quite unlike
himself, you'll not see me again un-
til my work is finished;" and so de-
parted, 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 triile toward him
the weak kind hearted exasperating o
little man. Hastily taking her hands
from the suds, 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 forgo,
his liniment. Run after him with it,
for he'll be sure to get a lame back ~
With parting thrust toward his
brothers, the boy snatched the bottle
and sped away like young athlete
chin up and elbows back, as he had seer
pictures of runners.
When he overlook his father and de
lvercd his message, the latter seemed
really touched Though Indifferent
apparently whether his house fell tt
pieces or not. he was homesick outside
his own gate. and now was going ava,
sore hearted at the evident willingness
of his family to part with him. The
unexpected attention quite overcamt
him, and he looked around for some
thing to return in acknowledgment
but the fields were bare
Suddenly he spied by the roadsid,
some pussy willows with their silvery
fuzzy buds. and cutting off branct
gave it to the boy saying. Give that tc
your ma and tell her she's the best
woman in Meigs County"
..Law!' said Mrs. Danks, when the
boy burst in with his branch and mes
sage, Your Pas getting silly in hi
old age. don't want such truck in thu
house. But after the boy had gone sh,
put it carefully in water and Set it OF
the kitchen shelf, and several times sh,
looked up at it with look on her fact
which Mr.. Danks would scarcely have
recognized.
That gentleman absence made yer,
little difference with his family excep
to Captoa. His wife scolded littl,
less, and the boys. who looked upol
him very much as another boy-onl,
one who liked to sit in the same place
too long-pursued their works anc
sports as usual.
But the Thursday after his leave
their outdoor fun was cut short by
persistent rain. How it did pour
| Hour after hour, all day and nj ght
| Friday morning dawned upon sweepin:
: sheets Of gray. and an angry. boiiin;
{ flood that crept, inch by incb up it
yellow banks. and night closed in OF
the same picture. Saturday mornin:
r the sun shone out bright and clear bu
= on what scene of destruction. Wha
| had been river was rushing sea
, which had b]ottcd out field after field
t and stopped just at their own gate, an,
which carried on its heaving surfac
trees torn up bodily, great tmbers
} buildings and cattle. Toward night
large barn came floating down, an
l lodging just above the house, made
. breakwater, round which the water
whirled. bringing into the harbor thu
| formed all manner of wreckage. Til
e boys watched eagerly, specializing O
: the amount of tirewood thus laid a
4 their door.
| Hi! That's good one. cried on
s of them, as just at dusk something lik
: a log appeared round the corner of tn
$ barn, balanced moment. as thong
!. undecided, and then swept round int
n the little harbor. But it was gettin
n too dark to see anything more, so the
r went laughing and scuttling to bed.
All night long mother and childre
r slept quietly in the little house. lulle
e by the rush of swift waters. All nigl
!, long in the little harbor the log poise
e and turned, now swept away from tn
+ shore, now drawn toward it, as thoug
i RELUCTANT to go.