The morning call., 1892-01-06
WALKING THE FLUME.
BY FLORENCE PERCY MATHEsoN c'FLoR-
ENCE ALLEN.')

pfueu 10 marry me-
Now, If he had married my sister Annie,
= would have seemed quite natural ana eX-
plainable, for she was SO much like him in
her wavs-so particular and good-natured
and well-meaning, so slow to vex, and so
quick to furg We ana forget-that they would
seem 10 be Just suited to each other, but it
was the oldest thing in the world that, see
ing us side by side walking up Pacific
avenue in Santa Cruz one day, he should
have taken it into his head to fall In love
with me. He didn't let the grass grow IN
der his feet after that before he was court
ing me hard and fast, and as mother found
cut that there was nothing outstanding
against his moral character and that he was
steady and industrious, and had lJtle nest
egg in the bank, she didn't say No when
he asked her to let US be married 10 the early
fall. 1t was the QueeTeSt thing, though, that ne
should nave taken fancy 10 ne; Tor was
inst his opposite in every way. 1t WASH so
Strange that should take up with MIN; for
although he wasn't exactly hanCS1me he
was strong and manly looking, with an
honest face, a pleasant smile and a pair OF
Scotch blue eyes that had the klndtSt eX-
press!O in them that l ever saw in eyes be-
Tore UT since. lie wOuldnt hurt dog puT-
p0sev Abner wouldn't, but he was no
mlkSUp either, as the boys had found out
once or twice when they (he being then new
"a at section OF the country had TOughed
him up a little q" TO see what he was made
Of" as the custom is among them. Taken
all together he was Well-appeaTlDg man,
Ahner was, and | WAS proud of my luck in
getting him. and mother and Annie and lit
lie Tom, they was that fond of him you'd
have thought he was born into the family
instead Of marrying into It when he was %
years old.
What he saw in me I never could make
out, fer / wasn't tall aud fair and pretty
hike mother and Annie. but WAS short and
plump as partridge, with halr as straight
aud black as an Indians, swapping black
eyes, cheeks as red as Baldwin apples, and
spunky-0h, LOr', wasn't l Spunky in those
days "a regular spitfre. and no mistake
You'll have to handle Mary Jane with
gloves says mother, 'Or you'll burn your
fingers, certain"
But Abnpr, he just laughed, 10 his pleas
ant way. and said be wasn't afraid of NE
nor my temper. neither, and he thought
we'd work in double harness iTs,-Tate.
Twas queer, too, my coming from Maine
10 California TO get a husband. l never
thought when was play ng down on the
beach In Cape Elizabeth, and going TO school
along with Annie IN the white academy that
looked so much like a Westinghouse from
the outside that l should find my match over
on the Pacific Coast. l was about certain
in those days that l should marry a white
headed boy who used 10 bring me May
flowers 10 the spring and drag NE TO school
on bis sled in the winter, and settle down in
the village near enough 10 my folks not to
be Overluneseme while he was gone off
whallug-by which he was going TO make
bis fortune.
Isuppose all this would have happened If
father hadn't taken terrible notion to 90
10 California. And 90 he did; and pretty
soon after lie sent Us word, 50 much GId he
Ike the country 10 break up, sell all and
come out 20 hlm-and We did.
SIX months after we got to him, father
got killed by a blast, and mother, who
never could abide the sight Of a mining
camp or even bit Of quartz after that, TOOK
all she had and bought a little place in
Santa Cruz, close by the beach, which
seemed sort Of comforting and like the old
home down in the State Of Maine. There,
with her bit of ground and the bOardeTs that
sra .,auaged O. get, she got along pretty
WeI. Annie, who was i've years older than
/, heiIed with the homework, While Tom
and / went TO school, and when got too big
to 90 to school l got in with dTessmaker
and helped her, busy times, and helped
around the house when she had 10 work for
me. So we were living, quite cosy and
pleasant, when Abner Greg " came along
ana married me. Aud quite cosy and
pleasant We lived all together after that, until
the mill, where Abner had been working,
shut down and he was thrown out of job.
1t was no use looking for work anywhere
IL
the towns around, were full Of men who
had come down from the mountains 10 get
out Of the coming rains, and there were
twenty men for one job, and willing TO do II
81 starvation wages, too.
Abuer had been out of work a week and
was getting pretty discouraged and down.
hearted when he heard that the new stone
mill up at F. was in want Of redwood
bolts, aud that there was a chance for men
IN the woods, that were not afraid Of hard
work and wet skin. So up in the woods
he went, and | only saw him about four
times that winter.
In the early spring he came down with
an idea a man three miles above BOWlder
had acres Of fine nbeT which he was will
ing 10 sell on stumpage, and there was a
good demand for timber from the mills
around. AbneTs ida was 10 take mis-
money out of the bank, buy what he could
Of an outfit, and hire the rest and 60 right
up among the redwOOds.
didn't like the notion at all, for ! hated
TO leave home and the pleasant little town.
But was ashamed TO say anything of that
kind before mother, who had come clear
across the country to be with her husband
And as mother thought AbneT's idea was a
good one, l packed up and went off with
hinI.
Mr.. Jones, theowner Of the land, had the
house already built when we got there.
Such baTn-like looking place as II was.
boards set on end, with cleats nailed over
the cracks. There were three rooms in it,
and not sign of paint, paper, whiteWash
or mortar. and it stood in the center Of a
small clearing" a little back from the
road on the side Of mountain. There was
an open stable and two sheds IN the same
clearing but besides these there was not a
tlgn of human being anywhere in sight
tits kind OF hard looking. just at first,
Jennie" says AbneT, squeezing my arm as
4 10 a hNHnH
keep up a good heart, lass. and we'll come
cut all right some day. There's money In
the old redwoOds, though they amt cheerful
20 look at" And 80 we began our house
keeping.
How lonesome was those davsl ] was
kept pretty busy, for Abner had two men
to help him, and / had 10 cook for the lot
'Twasn't Ike keeping bOarders in the East,
though, for | had O care Of the men except
ing at meal times. After supper was over
they would go out In the yard and smoke
ana tell stories until they got tired,
and then they would take their blankets
and sleep on the straw in one Of the sheds,
Or out on the ground under the trees-just
as the notion took them.
How ! used to long for mother and Annie
in those days when | was sitting sole alone,
peeling potatoes or apples, Or doing some
thing OF the kind. with nothing but the dis
tant chop, chop, chop, OF the axes. the sleepy
draw Of the big saws, and occasionally the
rattle and crash Of tall redwood tree as it
came tearing down to the ground, to keep
NE company.
Al first / was nervous and frightened,
and thought every man that came dragging
along the road meant to murder me. Oae
whole half day, l remember, l spent under
the bed with the door bOlted, because
"buI-puncher" from above came along
pretty well loaded with whisky, and took
notl3n to sleep it off close up by our gate,
and when the men came home to dinner
there wasn't mite cooked nor even the
breakfast dishes washed
l got Drawer after that, though. for they
laughed at me so mach (nOt Abner. but the
others that ] was fairly shamed ont of IT,
But though l got over my fear, did not get
over my dislike for the place nor the life |
was leading. Mother managed to get up to
see me, and she gave me lots Of good advice
and tried to make me feel more content, but
llan,. and ..Ln-. Z hn.l ...-.l