Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-11-06


it.
hillside frpm a leak in the big fiume
above, had tricklcd under or "slat-and-
wire" fence aud tried to make things
grow in her dusty dooryavd. Without
thought of wrong she hal used IL all
summer TO cke out the scanty pension
her husband had left her. Rnd provide
for herself and her orphnn ni"ce ~
growing bccis for the sugar factory at
the town OF Life Creek.
She had lived nmong the green Yer
mont hills, where water wa lot bought
and sold, buS here, "$lO.O01 paid 10 this
one, that ono, and the lawycrsl"
Annie was citing with one foot curled
up under her, hemming dish towel.
Mrs. Hart watched her reacctively for
some time before she spokc.
"Annic," she said. finally. "did YOU
hear what Mr.. Nordsen said'"
Annie pushed her hair acll over her
ear and looked up. About the water?"
She asked.
"Ees," said Mrs. Hart
THAT we are taking IL without Mr..
Seymour's knowing about it?"
eyes"
"Dut. aunty, that means we've
been" she ncSitated.
"Ncs, that we've been stealing It'll
There's no 9th II word for IT,"
Annie looked awcstrICk. but
aunty." she said, earnestly, 1--WE didn't
know It,"
81 ought 10 have known i'." snid Mrs.
Hart, rocking gently. "if III stopped 20
think"
when yoa steal withou. knowing IL"
said Annie, softly, "is IL stealing just
the same?"
"Yes, it's virtually stenling: that is
taking without the consent OF the own
cr what does not belong to you," said
Mrs. Hart. "A person ought 10 know"
"But the water just came and ran into
the ground. We didn't fetch IL, and we
couldn't give IL back"
but we orght 10 have told the owner
II was comirg. It's same a. IL neigh
bor's hens had been laying in our shed
md we'd kept the eggs
"But, nuniy." said Annie. suddenly
sitting up and pulling her little glng-
ham skirt down over her ARE feet, mir.
Seymore should keep his i!umc mended
II he didn't want us 90 have the water"
AUST because Mr.. Seymore's too lazy
TO mend his ditch il no excuse TO us for
stealing his water" said Mrs. Hart, re-
lentlessly. "Nobody's going TO let oft.
horse thief Just because ne stole moth
ing but stray horses"
There was a pause of few moments,
broken only by the creNlS'ng OF Mrs.
Iiart's rockngchnir.
"Aunty," said Annie. finally. "what
are YOU going TO do about it? We can't
give him back the water"
"No, but we can give lnclS all the
good the water did MS. Th,. bects." she
cXpluined. in answer to Annie'S puzzled
look.
But aunty," she said. fointly, "you
don't mean TO give him rack all our
beets?"
They oin't ours at all. child" said
Mrs. Hart tits his water, that he paid
fer. that made 'em grow. and he has n
right TO every blessed one of 'em. And
I'm goin' 10 take 'em to him the min
ute they're out of the ground"
"But we bought the seed ,aunty," pro.
tested Annie. "and il was our land, and
wetook care of 'em. an nyou're washing
for Mr.. Nordsen because he's going TO
help us with EN-. ard lend ur his team"
"Yes." said Mrs. Hart. "and the seed
would have been no good. nor the land.
either. II IL wasn't for tn" water"
1t was well nigh hnlf Of Rifle Creek
that went slipping quietly around the
hillside in John Seymore's big fiume.
and wandeN i in thousand tiny
streams about the roots O.. his myriad
peach trees. SeymUre had paid a good
ly sum in establishing nud defending
the right 20 call 4. his, ard wns nntu-
rally not disposed to part y it'll iton any
light terms.
Hence ne had the name. both in the
town and among The rnnchers. of he
ing rather "close" at bargain, and
hard man TO deal with. The re were but
few people, however. who really knew
him or were qualified TO Speak with nu-
thority of his character.
Mrs. Hart md Annie drove in silence
along the dusty road from the mouth of
the canyon 10 the busy little town of
Rife Creek. Both were thinking with
vain regret OF the things they were
to have brought back with them. pur-
chased with thesmoney paid for those
beets, and each knew well what the
other was thinking OF. A. they drew
up before the new brick Office building
that bore Mr.. Scymore's name. Mrs.
Hart handed Annie the rc'ns.
"You sit right still. Annie" she said,
"end III be out just as soon rs con tell
him about. il, and find out where he
wants EN- put. And heaven knows"
she added. gropir.g under the seat for
hitch;ng strap, that / shall be glad
enough when it's all over" Annie sat
in maze of childish fancies set in mo
tion by the ever-changing crowd be-
fore her, until her aunt reappe0rcd.
Mrs. Hart knocked tim.dly at an oak
door bearing on its ground glass panel
the legend:
RIFLE CREEK RESERVOIR AND
IRRIGATION COMPANY.
JOHN ID. SEYMORE. President.
She waited long in luxurious ante
room, and was at last admitted TO the
private office. She stood anxiously
scanning the face OF Mr.. Seymore. Hc
aid not look like a hard man. she
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