The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-05-10

'hea" Viu 'iiHS sho solut 'hVuSh
her teeth, am fix him."
Down the schoolhouse hll IIetty
flew and out upon the main road,
where she struck into steady and je-
termined walk. Her black eyes were
blazing. She delivered kicks to sun
dry bunches of sage-brush without
once taking her gaze oil the distant
road ahead. This road stretched
down the valley into one Of those vast
sagc-brush plains lying on the border
of Nevada.
Where was IIct,ic going? She evil
lently knew. There was something
TO reach at tho end of that road, 1t
was III. Johnson, the writer of the
teachers letter, aud in her heart she
was kicking him instead of the sage
brush.
This II. Johnson was man who
lived hermits-not to say n dogs
life, IN log cabin away on the edge
of the plain at the foot of the Sierra
Nevada ridge. lie had turned n
mountain stream upon his land, and
by 16 years of back-breaking labor,
had transformed it into paradise
compared to the arid waste around IL.
lie had founded u reservoir or fish
pond, aud run his domain into the
cool forest.
"Oh, won't fix him, thought
lletty was getting tired, and she
said this, | think, to keep up her in
dignation. She had never been to II.
Jolinson's cabin, and she didn't know
how much further it might be, but
she had no intention of owning that
she was tired.
She had walked three miles already;
just here the road turned Sharply to
the left, and sl.e began to go towards
the mountain. Soon she came in
sigh, of the green, pleasant plauta-
tion.
Now, how should she proceed TO
"iix" him. IIetty had had several
horrible dark schemes IN her mind
when she started out. But as she
drew nearer they all seemed tame aud
foolish.
arm just sneak up and get the lay
of the land" she said, sand then l
can tell what I'll do"
She slid from one tree to another
as she drew nearer aud nearer the
cabin, low structure near the edge
of II stream.
"lf he's in the house I'll lay low Till
dark, and then I'll do something fear
full" gnashcd lIetty.
There was no sign of life about the
place; nothing but the silence of the
late afternoon. The golden light lay
over the rough logs, the low chimney,
and glittered on a heap of tin cans
just outside the door. The stream
rippled softly. The shadows of the
reed grasses lay on the doorstep. The
little grl stood there just
with interest. She expected
every minute TO see the Grabbed, sell
fish old man emerge from the open
door. She moved slowly towards it.
There she waited. Not a sound;
not breath.
Slowly she crcpt to the door and
peepcd around the jamb with eyes of
startled expectancy. No one was
there. She stepped Oh the door-log
with an air of possession aud gazed
boldly into the room.
"Wcll! sho-o.t tho house," was her
slow comment, as she contemplated
with childish disgust the dirt and con-
fusion.
Now was IIctty's chancc--the old
man gone aud his possessions were ut
her disposal. She could tear, rcnd,
destroy, burn.
But she stood in tho same position,
looking intently into the room.
Suddenly she turned around and
gazcd into the stream. Her face was
thoughtful.
"Supposc"-she began. Then stop
ped with dreamy eyes and sat down
on the doorstep with her chin
in her hand. "Ju,t supposing,', =,
she began again, and then fell to dig.
ging the toe Of her shoe into tho sof,
earth.
Suddenly she jumped up and disap-
pcared in,ide; an hour passed with
little more sound than before.
Then Hetty came hurricdly out, with