Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-03
TRIED BY FIRE.

nels, guarding her from childhood to girl
hood, and on to sweet womanhood. Be-
loved by all who knew her, and the idol of
her parents, it was scarcely to be wondered
at if she had some traits in her disposition
that somewhat married her beauty. For
beautiful she was; yes, undeniably so.
Tall and finely formed, with large, soft,
brown eyes, that always had a prayer for
love in them when they met yours so trust
fully; complexion sun-kissed, but glow
ing with health. Her parents had a COM
| Portable home, and sections of timber and
wood land that helped, with farm pro-
ducts, to exc out comfortable living, and
some extras for a rainy day in the future.
I Lu attended the village school, three
miles distant, until she was 10, riding to
and fro on a swift, sure-footed horse which
had the temper of an angel when guided
by LUIS firm little hand, but if any one else
attempted to ride him he would buck
furiously, and his one idea of going for
ward seemed to be standing, or trying to,
on his head and planting his fore feet as
if no storms of earth could, would, or
should uproot them, while his nsther ex-
tremities famed the air.
An Englishman, William Welton, hired
to do the chores, tried to ride him once,
but after being landed without his per-
mission in a gutter, remarked contiden-
TALLY to his chum, "That ere 'oss Hoped
too burned Ugh to suit my fauucy."
After LUIS fifteenth birthday she went
to the State Normal for three years, then
returned to cheer her parents in their de.
clining years.
The young men who lived near at once
commenced to call, but there was only one
young man Lu gave the slightest encour
agement to- He was fine, manly fellow,
who taught school in the winter, and in
the summer months worked successfully in
a quartz claim, of which he was part owner.
Rodger Kittrick was considered quite
fne-looking young man, and his good
principles made him quite favorite.
LUIS one or two faults were vanity, and a
love of teasing. Knowing her power, she
was warm and cool, alternately, and led
poor Rodger such a dance he hardly knew
whether he was on his head or his heels;
but through all this coquetting, he loved
her to distraction. But Fate was his ally,
as it proved, and not his opponent.
In the mountains there were goodly
number of lodges, and they often gave
nice parties, at all of which Lu was quite
belle. 1t was after one of these parties
that Rodger had called. He fancied Lu
had been a little kinder to him than usual,
and this evening he was trying to make
the willful beauty give him some decided
answer to the often propounded question.
Lu ignored the question entirely, and tried
to turn all he said into ridicule; yet look
ing SO bewitching and pretty through it
all, Rodger had hard work to be annoyed,
even at the triling with his most sacred
feelings.
The moon came over the ridge and
beamed on them both as they sat on the
front porch The air was warm. and the
only noise on the calm air was the soft
rushing of the water in the big fume as it
flowed on to the valley. Below them the
valley slept in the moonlight, above them
the mountains, that melted into the soft
| blue of the night sky and starshine. A
mountain stream glided along like silver
serpent, rejecting the moonbeams In all Its
sinuous curves and windings.
Lu had been very quiet for few mo-
ments, then, as she glanced up at the
moon, she quoted: "The moon looks down
on many streams; the stream loves but one
moon"
"Has the moon anything to do with my
question:" asked Rodger, as he stood up
and surveyed her, cor in any way related
to the subject?"
"Oh, yes" said Lu, briskly; "both luney,
quite a relation, | assure you" as she
smiled mischievously, and bending her
head, tried industriously to insert the toe
of her small boot into a crevice in the
porch floor.
aThaHks," said Rodger, dryly. 'Tm
sure Pm obliged to you for SO openly ex-
pressing your true feelings on the subject;
but it appears to me you are rather late,
after alt the encouragement you have given
my attentions"
swell, don't think every mans atten-
| ton to me is intention to marry me-" re-
torted Lu.
"No, l suppose moi" said Rodger, Bit
terly. 'Your vanity is Hattered, and you
keep them like moths round flame,
scorched beyond repair; then you are salts
fed. You knew l loved you, and wanted
you for my wife; that my love for you was
knit into every fiber of my being, and yet,
when l ask you to give me your answer,
you say Pm like the moon, or some such
nonsense"
ooh, no, Mr. Kiitrick, don't imagine
for an instant that you are half so bright;
but see, if you stay quarreling with me,
for nothing, the moon will be beyond the
pines, and your way home dark and dis
NAL. And / hate to see young men pack
ing lanterns through these woods; it al
ways reminds me of the June bugs back
East Aunt Min told me about, and you are
so cross Pm not sorry to say goodnight"
And she turned to go in.
"Stop," said Rodger hoarsely, "remem-
Der this is the last time / shall come here.
You have given me no consideration,
hardly politeness, and this goodnight and
good-by is forever. l would have gone
through fire and water for you, but would
not lift my finger now TO help you in any
way" And he went down the steps, and
through the gate, to the trail, hot burn
ing sense of injustice in his heart.
Lu was rather scared at his parting
speech, for really Rodger was the only one
of the many young men she knew that she
really esteemed and liked OF course she
| Sdlu u HeTStil, Jun lONS ulli, anu tibeI
all his scolding / don't know but dislike
him. He is nice, of course, but he seemed
to forget himself tonight. Well, l don't
care. He will be around again when he
gets over his milf. l shan't miss him,
though he evidently thinks he is as neces-
sary to my happiness as he thinks | am to
him." And she turned into the house
with gratifed little smile on her sweet
face. She had carried her love of teasing
little too far, and her girlish vanity,
although satisfied, gave her come twings of
conjunction for her treatment of Roager.
The last three winters in California had
been remarkably dry, and the long, hot,
dry summers had destroyed nearly all
green life in the mountains. Fallen leaves
and dry pine needles, broken twigs and
refuse that the wood-choppers had left,
were just like finder. Some careless one
had dropped cigar or pipe-spark, and the
mischief was DONE A light breeze famed
the tiny spark to a flame, that readily
caught in the thick, dry second growth;
dense columns of smoke rose in the clear
air, curling wreaths foated above the
green pines-a warning pillar of fire by
night, cloud by day that filled the val
leys where it rested over night with