Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-21

hat down low over her face, giving it
Il sort of rough pat. It's one of Bits
old ones she said in half aside.
: 1t was growing dark The long
shadows of the pines on either side
heightened quite across the road, until
/ their tips were lost in the wild tangle
of azaleas and bracken by the way
side.
! The Sacramento kept up Il gurgle and
Il rush just below, which blended in
With the soft soughing of the pines.
Mary Fenton walked close by Kits
side. and waited for her TO speak.
We'll. Miss Mary, you are SO good
to him, I'll tell you just from the be-
/ ginning; and / think Miss Mary,
knowed the first minute that l saw
YOU sitting there in that rocking chair
that You was an angel and maybe
could help Bill.
Mother and me lived all alone in q
cabin in southern Oregon. Father was
killed when l was born-spree," she
! explained shortly Mother has al
ways had sort of misery since She's
never happy, even here. She didn' t
want to come Bills folks lived next
to us, bout two miles away. Bills
older than me, but he was always
sickly; didn't like boys; so when 1 was
bic enough we played together and
Bill was good to me. and l used to
fight for Bill
Bills folks went home to Missouri,
and Bill stayed. He's Il wocd-chopper,
and me and Bill, we've always loved
each other. Me and mother farmCd
Our ground ourselves and we've al
ways been dirt poor: but me and Bill
was always happy. You see, Miss
! Mary. il folks have got each other in
this world, they've got all that's want
ed. Then Bill took cold, last winter
had 4 fever | took him home and
nursed him. He was pretty bad. 1t
was 4 hard winter, wet and | thought
it never would stop. Bill got punier
and punier. Mother said it was the
way of the Lord, because l was so set
on Bill: but, Miss Mary, I knOwed bet
ter
They reached the view of Shasta,
and walked to Il little spot away from
the road. Kit picked out Il smooth log,
folded Miss FentOn's shawl over it,
and made her sit down, while she
stood facing the great white mountain.
1T kept on raining, and I rode to the
| doctors. ten miles from our cabin, and
he said to bring Bill here. where the
air was dryer, and give him a chance,
so I didn't wait, but hitched up to
our little and we came. 1t has rained
here, but it amt going to any more,
! and he will get we'll; / know it,. Her
voice grew more cheerful with hope
She stood silent for moment, with
face uplifted in thought, and then,
noticing the stars beginning to come
out, one by one, above Shasta, she
said: why, Miss Mary, it's getting
cold You'll have chill. We must
be going home"
All the way back Kit chatted cheer
fully, telling little stories of her home.
all entNined with anecdotes Of Bill
and full Of his praises.
IS they neared the camp, the same
hacking cough broke the stiffness of
the night. Kit started as if it hurt
her.
Il shouldn't have left him. Wait a
moment, Miss Mary, [ must give him
his medicine, then I'll see you home"
Miss FentOn declined her offer, as
it was only a short distance to the tav-
ern, and as she turned away she heard
the querulous tones of the invalid
scoldin@ Kit who answered him with
CHEEKY tenderness.
One of the fishermen joined her as
she neared the tavern, showing her his
basket of two-pounders. Her thoughts
were uplifted, and she half absently
mindedly admired his booty and sought
her room.
Poor little Kit, ignorant, half formed
child had raised Mary Fenton to
heights she had not dreamed of. If
Richard Drake had been there that
night to press his suit she could have
put herself in the background and been
ready to face the world with him.
Daylight often brings us down from
our pedestals; so it was with her. She
was not quite so sure in the morning.
It is easier to be heroic by the glamOr
the midday sun.
The letter was still unwritten, but
the mountains possessed a new interest
for her.
| Mrs. PendragOn wrote privately to
Mrs. Fenton that Mary was gaining
color and appetite, and never men
toned the Objectionable young man,
but turned her attention to a "dirty
lot of Oregon campers
Kit ran in for a few minutes every
day, bringing white Shasta lilies, rare
ferns from away up Sody Creek" or
burning tiger-lilies, regal in brown and
gold; and Miss Fenton kept the invalid,
who was rapidly falling, supplied with
daintieS.
She found out very soon that Bill
was commonplace and selfish He had
rather handsome weak face, and
Kit was blind to his weaknesses and
| faults. He grew so much worse that
Kit could hardly leave him at last.
The weather was warm, and she work
ed all day, and often sat up all night
to watch by his side and hu1nor his
! fancies He was not able to walk; the
dry air could not help. And then Kit
never came to the tavern, and Mary
! Fenton went to her every day.
! Mrs. Jones fretted to 60 home. BilPs
as good one place as another" she
9rumbled: but Kit chung to the belief
that he must get well.