Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-11-06
STEALING WATER.
by RoBERT IL UTTER.

"Annic," snid Mrs. Hart, "I wish
you'd go down and tell Peter Nordsen
that want to get my beetS in to-mor-
row. IL he'll come ~"
"Yes'm." said AnLie.
"And ask ham IL he can spare me that
slip from his rose geranium he prom
ised me last week"
"Yes'm." Annie took her sunbonnet
and moved t,ward the door
"And don't run, child--t's dreadful
hot. And don't bring ..,ame another
horn toad. simply can't abide the crit
ters." Mrs. Hart stood in the doorway
and looked out over the gray hillside.
"a dreadful drenry county" she mutt
tered. If only the Lord could have
made IL green to start with"
She caught sight Of n ben: figure with
rifle nj right shoulder shift. plodding
slowly up the canyon road beneath her.
"For the lands snl<el" she ejacula ted.
''Therc he is now Mr.. Nordsen! An
ME! Come baclSl Mr.. Nordsen. come
up mere n minute. l wan; 10 speak TO
you!"
Annie ran back along The hillside.
glad she had not gone beyond recall,
and Nordscn toiled slowly up the steep
path to the door of the little shanty.
Come right in and sit down." said
Mrs. Hart, ":f you have time"
"Plcnty OF time said Norclscn. sit
ting down with his rifle between his
knees. 81 WAS just going up TO fix my
water gate, and see IL ccnld shoot n
jack rabbit"
You're lucky TO have water gate TO
fix, Mr.. Nor SEN" rhe replied. "I can't
make out how Henry came to leave me
without any water right. pnless IL was
that he was taken so suddenly"
"Yes'm." assented Nordscn. "When
the Miners Delight caves in, she nin't
likely 10 leave q man much time to fiN
up water rights for his widder."
II said to Henry when we first came
here" Mrs. Hart went on. Henry |
said. I'll not live in n country where
you have TO buy your water. ns IL some
body owned it, I said. It's just like
supposing we had 10 buy arr. and IL the
Lord don't ruin il down her. OH the Just
and the unjust j want TO stay in Yer
mont"
"And what did he say TO that?" asked
Norlsen.
ale said: We don't need water, Mil
ly. when we can have horn liver for the
digging of It up The upshot OF the
matter was that not drop OF Rife
creek do L own, from one end TO the
other"
"But you raise some pretty lne beets,
Mrs. Hart" said Nordsen, seeing you
have no water"
"Only on account of Mr.. Seymour's
shiftlessness," she replied. at all
comes down from leak in his big fiume
above here.
REALLY ncwl" snid Nordsen. "And
he never iXt d that dume? Well. that's
one on him." He grinned with a good
deal of heartiness as he wired an imag-
mary specl of dust from the front sight
of his rifle. "a regular good one," he
repeated. "Yes, yes!"
'IIow so?" asked Mrs. Hart. with
some show of interest.
"Wen." said Nor]sen, slowly. "for
man of his disposition, that's paid nigh
$4,000 for his water rights, and makes
every ranch'r below here lay two dol
lars an acre .or what water is left when
he gets through. il seemS TO me it's
queer of him to lst you have all you
want without paying for it-especialIy
as he never pave a thing tD living soul
before in his life. so far as ] ever heard"
Ten thousand Gnllars!" echoed Mrs.
Hart
"Yes'm, to this one, and :hat one, and
the lawyers. But it won't hurt him TO
give you little of Il. It'll stand him in
good stead n: the last. Hell, need water
finally he rdded, ith chrcklc. "And
you can dep"ud on me to keep my mouth
shut"
Mrs. Hart did not reply. Her lips
were shut tight, and she was gazing
through ths open door flr out across
the valley giImmer'ng in ibe afternoon
sunlight. The old man rose tot GO.
What / wanted OF you. Mr.. Nordsen,"
said Mrs. Hart, with AN effort. "was to
know il you can help me get my beets
In tomorrow moVning."
Il guess SO. ne replied. "as far as I
know now"
"And If ynu'll let me haze the use of
your wagon" she went on. I'll do your
washing for as much longer as you see
Ht."
you're freely welcome. Mis- Hart"
he said. without any further trouble
about 1t, and I'll take youf beets TO the
sugar factory for youif you wish"
I'm cert uuiy greatly obliged, Mr..
Nordsen,r she replied. "but rather go
myself. I've one or two errands want
specially TO DO"
"As you please, Jna'nm. he said. "ae
yeu please. I'll be bere tomorrow with
IL sure. Good day. Good-by, Annie.
How's the kitten coming or that gave
youy"
Nicely. thank you. sir" said Annie.
shyiy.
''ThRs's gcod." ne said. 'scood-by.-
He went cautiously down the steey