Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-08-02
A DESERT CLAIM.
By MARY E. sTIOKNEY.
[oopyrishA 1894 by J. B. Lippincott Company. ]
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ~.
It was Sunday-at K 6 ranch, as in
most professedly Christian households,
the longest day of the week. Now it
was afternoon, and Nelsine was wearily
toiling through that hour of religious
instruction she conceived it her duty to
bestow upon her offspring. A nervous
frown was between her eyes as she turned
the leaves Of book Of Bible tales, sup
posed to be especially adapted to charm
the youthful mind, but which seemed
utterly inadequate to attract the inter-
est of the wriggling urohins who per-
petually shifted their weight from their
mothers shoulders to her knees, all the
while searching their pockets for some
counter entertainment
"Now, Ralph, listen to mamma, i" i'm.
pressively appealing to her firstborn.
''Tell mamma what is the difference be-
tween Sundays and other days." There
was no immediate response. The chill
dren had become absorbed in the gyra-
tions Of large bee, humping idiotically
at the window in futile attempt to enter.
"Oh, yes, I know" cried the young
ster in q sudden splutter, catching a
danger signal in the mothers eye. lice
cream for dinner, mamma" a note of
conscious merit in his voice. IAN,
say, marina, can't we 60 out and
sorape the freezer? I know there was a
lot left" There was an irrelevant
scream of pain from the harassed parent
''Roy, you have stepped upon mann
mas foot againl" solicitously chafing
the tortured member. "How can you be
such needless child?"
"An what do you say, Roy, when
you run onto folks an step on emp
piped Ralph, auxiously nudging the 9th.
er to a proper sense Of duty. You'd
better be p'lite an 'pologize an be. quick
about it, or we won't get out till the
ice cream is all meltedl"
"Oh, marina, much 'bliged-don't
mention i'll mean, you're welcomeP
cried the small culprit, eagerly recall
ing various lessons In etiquette, quite
in panic at the awful possibility sug-
gested.
Nelsine put down the foot, with a
small groan, while Edith fled precipi-
lately to give vent to her laughter.
Hugh lay asleep in hammock on the
piazza, a newspaper over his face. A
Sabbath stiffness seemed to hold all the
place. The subdued murmur of insect
life suggested rest rather than the voice
Of toll, and now and then came sort Of
babbling note Of inquiry from the birds,
as if they asked what had happened
that the work Of the world had ceased.
From the fields at the west came wave
Of perfume more exquisite than any
chemist has ever yet caught in his bot
ties, the sweet contribution Of acres Of
purpling alfalfa, while butterflies, like
flowers broken loose from their stems,
foated dangerously in the warm en-
brace Of the scented breeze.
She slipped quietly to her room, &C.
curing hat and gloves, retreating
through the deserted kitchen to her IA
vorite walk up the creek. The narrow
trail was as the feet of cattle had worn
it, skirting the steep hill at the west Of
the barns, keeping we'll to the valley,
where wild roses, tall spikes of creamy
yucca, Haunting sunfowers and riot
of primroses, lupines and astragali
Knocked with their lawless bloom the
purple plumes Of alfalfa tamely massed
beyond the wire fence at the left. A
little way, and the course of the river
had encircled the alfalfa field, almost
creeping up to the very feet of the san
dy, flower strewn hillside, the water
here pent up like beaver dam into a
wide, drowsy pool, its surface just
family stirred with the wind, like the
breath of a sleeping babe. AS finger
upon it's lip saying, Hush" the refec-
tion of dead tree fell in clear. gray
white line, and lush green things spread
their broad leaves on the shadows in a
ooverlet wrought through with threads
of gold.
Beyond the river made another de-
tour, leaving bare long crescent of the
valley land, upon which young forest
of rank growth had established itself.
Now, coming from the brilliant sun.
shine, it seemed soft green twilight
under the thickly interlaced boughs of
cottonwood and box elder, and the wild
roses, of which there were many, were
wan and pale as funeral wreaths.
Soft harmonies that weirdly thrilled
the nerves whispered among the tree
tops, with now and then sharp, crack
ling note Of discord, as though a string
Of the wind harp might have broken,
and of sudden, with a startling whir,
came a jack rabbit in scatter Drained
race, frightening the girl into al absurd
impulse of imitation, so that she, too,
found herself running for step or two,
emerging after moment upon the open
hillside beyond in breathless laughter
at herself.
She sank down here upon the steep
slope of the ground, looking up the val
ley, where the fash Of the creek shone
out in many twist and turn, like a
chain Of jewels thrown down on the lap
of the meadows. Strange pungent smells
from the marshy borders of the creek
mingled with subtle whiffs of flower
fragrance as in tangled skein, and
the rustling of the trees behind sounded
unanimously like conchshell held at
the ear. The light wind touched the
girls cheek, like sentient caress, play