Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-02-26
JIM

She was very little girl, with hair like
spun gold, big brown eyes and red
mouth, like a wax dolls. She stood in the
littlo arbor as James came up the road,
and he thought he had never seen any
thing so beautiful. He noticed that she
was little and slender, too; that her clothes
were dainty and her hands white. AS he
camo nearer she stepped out from the ar
Dor and asked, with little curl of her lip:
care you my cousin, James Creeley?"
He was only country boy, and so stood
and stared in amazement. Then he ejac-
ulatcd:
"Me? Yes. Your cousin? Mop
"But you must be" persisted the girl.
"Thcy said would see you, and" she
added, with glance which took in every
detail of James costume, from the bare
feet to the hickory" shirt, "they said you
were handsome lad" And with that
she shifted a disdainful little sniff and
walked stifily toward the house.
jim stood looking after her, flush
mantling the freckled cheeks and the
white forehead under the red hair, he saw
the white dress vanish as she turned the
corner of the house, and he walked on. He
reached the barn just as Mary had finished
milking the COWS. Don't you know
there's company" she asked as she swung
the milk pail around to see the bubbles
dance. "And they're goin to stay for
week, and you ought to be dressed"
A week! Jim's heart would have sunk
into his boots had he worn any. AS it
was, it seemed to go up into his throat and
stick there in big lump. He went
around the yard shutting the chickens
into the henhouse, putting the farm tools
away. Then he went to tho house. His
mother met him at tbs door and gave him
a list of directions which made his head
spin. The result was he came down to
supper looking like city boy. But the
freckles and red hair were still there His
aunt-whom he had not seen since he was
baby-quite overwhelmed him with her
kind manner and her sweet voice, but he
would have given it all for one glance.
even disdainful one, from the little girl
who sat near him, her proud little head
turned away.
AS the days went by the color came into
the white checks of tho little golden haired
girl, and when her mother had to go back
to tho city she decided to leave her to stay
another week or SO. Jim felt that the
cows were ugly now, the horses were slow,
the fields of wheat and timothy and the
wild roses that grew in the hedges wero
all dull and drab. He could only find sun
shine when little Nell was with him. She
hated boy with dirty hands, who couldn't
dance, and who was awkward and stupid.
One morning she started out for long
walk. Jim saw her as she went out tho
gate. She had long piece of white thread
in her hand and carried three pins in her
mouth. "Fishin," said Jim.
She had heard her uncle say that there
were plenty of fish in the Dec brook If
people were not too lazy to catch them.
She would catch some. Then Jim would
see that city girl could do more than
country boy. Her proud little nose turned
up at the very mention of the name.
Tho brock was soon reached and Nellie
sat down and threw her line as far out as
sho could. She watched the hook float
moment and then disappear. She listened
to the chirp of the birds in the trees along
the bank. She saw tho sunlight glimmer
through the leaves, and she became
drowsy.
Suddenly she started up. Her line had
slipped from her hand and was floating in
the water almost beyond her reach. Sho
leaned over and by supreme effort caught
it, but could not pull it in. One end was
caught fast under stone in the middle OF
tho brook. She thought Of the fish she
meant to catch and gave two or three hard
tugs. There was jerk, the string broke,
her feet slid on the slippery bank, and the
next moment the little girl was struggling
in tho water, and the water closed above
the golden head, leaving ever widening
circles shimmoring on the surface of the
brook.
: There was great rustling among tho
bushes white face and crown of red
hair appeared for second and then both
had plunged into tho water. Nell felt her
hair being pulled very hard. She won
dered afterward why it took her breath
away, and why she was $3.50 sleepy.
When Jim made his appearance at tho
farmyard with his clothes wringing wet
his hair standing Oh end and the little
bundle of means in his arms, Mrs. Farmer
all but had Mysteries She said he was u
brave boy whom he told the story, but
knowing how to swim and giving ones
life up for another was quite usual for her
boys. The next day Nell was to go home.
She came out to the barn where Jim was
the cows and stood lovingly ca
rcssing the velvet nose Of the spotted calf.
IL am going away, JIM" she said shy
ly, land came to thank you for saving
my life
She looked at him over the oalf's head
and smiled sweetly. Jim flushed. He
stammored something about not having
done anything extraordinary.
but you know would have died,
!, If youshadn't comef''
''Mebbc, +" said Jim.
mamma would have been very sorry"
continued Nell in her soft little voice.
$50 would l." Jim managed to say.
And no city boy could have done it,"
she continued, still patting the 'bossy's"
head with her little hand.
"PoohP' announced Jim.
She looked up. II want you to come
md SEQ us--to come home with me now.
Mamma said So" she said
And thoy have been good friends ever
since, though he is only country boy
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