The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-08-08
STEALING WATER.
BY ROBERT b. UTTER.

"Annie," said Mrs. Hart, II wish
you'd go down and tell Peter Nordsen
that l want 20 get my bects in to-mor-
row, If he'll come up"
"Yes'm," said Annie.
"And ask him if he can spare me that
slip from his rose geranium he prom
ised me last week."
"Yes'm." Annie took her sunbonnet
and moved toward the door.
"And don't run, child--it's dreadful
hot And don't bring home 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 dreary county," she NUT
tered. IF only the Lord could have
made it green to start with"
She caught sight of ben. figure with
q rifle at right shoulder shift. Flooding
slowly UP r1Ic canyon road beneath her.
"For the lands sake!" she calculated.
"There he is now Mr.. Nordsen! An
ME! Come back! Mr.. Nordsen, come
up here a minute, wan: to speak to
you'll"
Annie ran back along the hillside.
glad she had not gone beyond recall,
and Nordsen 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"
'Plenty OF time" said Nordsen, sit
ting down with his rifle between his
knees. II was just going up to fix my
water gate, and see if could shoot a
jack rabbit"
you're lucky to have water gate to
Ak, Mr.. Nor'sen," nhe replied. 81 can't
make out how Henry came to leave me
without any water right, unless it was
that he was taken SO suddenly"
"Yes'm," assented Norlsen. "When
the Miners Delight caves in, she amt
likely to leave a man much time to fix
up water rights for his wilder"
IL said to Henry when we first came
here" Mrs. Hart went on, 3" Henry 1
said. I'll not live in country where
you have to buy your water, as If some
body owned it, said. It's just like
supposing we had TO buy ar, and if the
Lord don't ruin it down here on the Just
and the unjust want to stay in Ver-
mont"
"And what did he say to that?" asked
Morrison.
"He said: we don't need water, Mil
ly, when we can have horn silver for the
digging of it up The upshot of the
matter was that not drop of Rifle
creek do 1 own, from one end to the
other"
"But you raise some pres!y fine 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 u leak in his big fiume
above here
Really now!" said Nordsen. "And
he never fixed that 6ume? Well, that's
one on him." He grinned with good
deal of heariiness as he wired an imag-
mary speck of dust from the front sight
of his rifle. "a regular good one," he
ayes, yes!"
'.How so?" asked Mrs. Hart, with
some show of interest.
"Well," said Nordsen, slowly, "for
man of his disposition, that's paid nigh
$40, 900 for his water rights, and makes
every ranchar below here ay two dol
lars an acre !or what water is left when
he gets through, it seems to me it's
queer of him to lat you have all you
want without paying for ESPECIALLY
as he never pave a thing tn living soul
before in his life, so far as ever heard"
Ten thousand dollars!" echoed Mrs. |
Hart.
"Yes'm, to this one, and that one, and |
the lawyers. But it won't hurt him to |
give you a little of It. It'll stand him In |
good stead a; the last. Hell, need water |
finally" he added, with chrckle. "And
you can depend on me to keep my mouth |
shut"
Mrs. Hart did not reply. Her lips |
were shut tight, and she was gazing |
through the open door far out across
the valley gilmmering in tbe afternoon |
sunlight. The old man rose to go.
what / wanted of you, Mr.. Nordsen,"
said Mrs. Hart, with an effort, twas to |
nhO" - ycu Sdh uCiP iuC tCt Iily DcctS Il
in tomorrow morning."
II guess so," he replied, ''as far as / |
know now"
"And if you'll let me have the use of |
POUR wagon" she went on, It'll do your
for as much longer as you =
it,"
You're freely welcome, Mis- Hart"
be said, without any further trouble
about it, and I'll take your beets to the
sugar factory for you if you WISH"
I'm certiinly greatly obliged, Mr..
Sordsen," she replied, "bu. rather go
myself. I've one or two errands want
Ipecially to DO"
"As you please, ma 'am, he said, "as
Tou please. I'll be bere to-p,orrow with
t sure. GOOD day. Good by, Annie.
lows the kitten coming OH that gave
Tou?"
Nicely, thank you, SIR said Annie,
hyly.
L |