The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-04
Sine coma only stand and wait.


Neck or Nothing looked desolat
enough from where she gazed dow
upon it, Faithless worm fences crawle
in decrepit crookedness about its few
acres of cleared land. A solitary forlor
cabin. shutterless and unpainted wa
his home A starveling pair of mules
browsing on the stiff crab grass within
the Enclosure; shadeless, hard beatel
dooryard. with half dozen chickens il
full possession; ragged patch of cottoi
crowding close up about the crooke,
fence; one noble sycamore spreading
wide, sheltering arms over all thi
dreariness. She took in the details on,
by one.
What was Strong thinking off,
Into this dissatisfied reverie came
heavy. crashing football, and Seth stood
before her. staggering under the weigh,
Of two rough hewn willow posts. He
flung them down with laugh and dried
his streaming forehead OH his shirt
sleeves.
What now, Seth?" Liza asked.
walking around the long posts inquisi
lively. why, what Hercules you
arep'
II been thinkin bout you, sissy,
ever sence we parted this mornin, and il
come to me, if you was bent on dom all
your picture maxim in this pertickler
spot, I'd better be providin az inst &C.
cldents. The rainy season is comm on,
and wen it rains here it don't make no
bones about it. Sometimes we has regu-
lar chunk fioaters. I'm goin to put you
up storm shed. Them's the posts for
| il"
Liza looked affectionately up at the
| great sunburned fellow, with his moist.
yellow hair and his loving blue eyes.
| She had pronounced him common" in
her heart that very morning, for which
she did repent her.
Seth, you are entirely too good to
me. / don't deserve one-half that you
do for me-" She patted his STOPPING
shoulders caressingly.
Yes, you do, honey, you deserves
lots more. l sometimes thinks it mighty
rough on you-mighty rough. And I'm
sorry for You, b'dogged if / amt"
Liza stopped and loosened silvery
lichen from the bark of one of the posts
Her eyes were shining and she did not
want Seth to see it.
What is rough on me- buddy Seth?"
1t was the first time she had ever
fallen into the old childish form of ad
dress.
"All of it, " said Seth gently, "all of
it. Me and pa and the niggers and the
quarters and-well, everything i'm a
lump. l sorter feel like we all had
trapped little hummin bird and was
rumplin its purity feathers all the
wrong way with our clumsy handlin
do, for fac. You needn't to laugh ("
Never mind my plumage. Twill try
to keep it sVooth. 1t will be lovely to
have storm shed out here, Seth. And
will you put me up a shelf too? One that
will hold all my boxes and brushes, so
that need not bring them backward
and forward every day? That is one of
my greatest bothers. A"
"A dozen, if you want EN- said
Seth delightedly.
"One will do. Where is your hat.
Seth"
He put long. sunburned hand up to
his lank. yellow hair and laughed un.
concernedly.
Its out yonder in the wagon, full
of pussimmons. But maybe you've out
growed your love Of pussimmons seen
a fine lot of ripe ones. Frost, you know.
last Tuesday, and 1 thought maybe |
you I'd like to eat 'em as we driv home "
Which | expect we ought to be do. |
ing now. promised mother to help her |
with the sweet potato pies. Indeed | |
have not outgrown my persimmon
taste"
Seth waved his hand vaguely.
Whenever it. suits you. If you want |
to draw some mo-, can wait So can
the sweet potato pies. / can be diggin
them post holes by way Of savin time
Don't mind me- sissy"
Il don't believe want to draw any
more. Ny morning has been all spoiled.
am quite ready to go home.
WHO spilled your mornin?'
"Mr. Adrien Strong. What an Adonis
he is, Seth -
A yelled but dangerous light came
into Seth's mild blue eyes
Is AuT ii DtIOIlS Deen peSteTln you!
Il think 1 pestered him more than he
did me. -
Such an, unaffected ripple of laughter
broke from Liza's parted red lips that
Seth's threatening aspect melted in.
simultaneously into one Of the most alb.
ject alteration.
"I'd ruther hear one laugh like that
from you, Sissy. than to lis'n to the
brass band Of Dan Rice's circus. bldg
ged II ] wouldn't, for a fac But
what's that about Adr'n Strong sp'ilin
your mornin?''
Then, as together they traversed the
peafield toward where the wagon was
waiting for them. Liza told him about
Adrien and Sarah Jane and the broken
ramrod. About the revelation contained
in the crumpled piece Of paper which
Adrien had meant to cram into the bar
rel of his gun she did not speak The
wallet she put into Seth's hand. saying
briefly:
He left this behind, Give il back |