Hutchinson gazette., 1900-09-13
oNou0Qeeo@@@0A 5000
ON THE CLIFF,

to go any further thun Perrln's ana 10
be home by O'Clock, Promise now
with no fooling,' and RI not worry u
bit
The speaker, girl Of 10 or there
abcuts, locked INTO the eyes of her
little brother, who answered with an
air Of inquiry;
"Wel, Maggie, 0ln't and Tommy
10? Mamma would not be- nfrnld. an
neither would Tommy's mamma lrs
only you and gran'ma
"Ilut you can climb lots Of times
dhis summer, when Ted or some OF
the older boys cnn go with YOU Your
Maggie would be- worried all dny II she
thought you would go very fur alone.
Promise No fooling!"
"All right; mo foolln' '; Wen only
go to perrln's, an bring you lois OF
wild flowers" :"
"Goodbye, then; Maggie will trust
you, Give Mrs, Perrin my love" Then
the sister stopped and the two en-
changed the hug and kiss ns they al
ways did when the little brother was
going away even for few hours, a
moment later she heard Marshall at
the gNte saying to Tommy
"Hurrah for jolly good time. Mag
gle fixed us up the grentcst lunch
apples an snnwiches an pie an cheese
An ! told her we wouldn't go any
farther thnn-"
She could ont distinguish the words
that followed for the two boys hnd
lost no time IN starting, but she stood
listening til their voices had diednway.
Then she turned ns II to go back TO
her sweeping, but stopped and stood
leaning on the handle Of the broom.
Presently she stepped n'o the sitting
room.
Meantime the boys hurried on with
happy henrts and light feet The west
ern city was built near the foot of the
great Wahs0tch range, and now MS
they looked toward the massive noun
tain sides, Tommy sald'
"My, but IL would seem funny not
to have any mountains or canoes or
anything like we have, What do you
spose that boys do that don't have
'em?
Guess tnint much fun to live In
such place. Marshall answered, with
"A sympathetic little laugh. Then he
gave q prolonged whistle and followed
II up with, IL say, Tommy! Look at
that cliff. S'pose fellow should meet
a bear or coyote up there!'
Guess he'd wish he lived where
there wasn't any mountains" Tommy
responded
The clifr to which the boys referred
was nn immense dark rock, 800 feet up
the side Of the mountain, itself 1850 feet
high and usmany broad Its SIDES stood
out from the great mass, and to the
south looked precipitously down into
n little canon, long ago worn away by
the rushing waters Of the mountain
stream that was fed from the iieldds of
perpetual snow, away up toward the
summit,
Pretty soon Mrs Perrin's house
came into sight cosy place resting
close up to the side Of the mountain
and standing 800 feet above the city.
Here the boys halted, Mrs, Perrin was
Just mixing biscuit for dinner when
Marshal knocked nt the door and said!
"IIullo, Mrs. Perrin. Maggie sends
her love, and please can we have a
cup to get drink|'
"Why, Marshall, is that your Mrs.
Perrin exclaimed, ms she rubbed the
-four from her hands. "Of course you
may have cup and then you and Tom.
my must have dinner with us"
eve brought our lunch, Maggie fixed
us n fine one" Marshall answered aa
he took the cup.
"But am going to have fried chick.
en- she said,
Marshall turned and looked ut
Tommy to see if his consent could be
gained, but Tommy was at that mo.
ment intent on throwing a stone at
chipmunk that went running away in
to the s0ge brush.
"And warm biscuit and jam" This
was too tempting.
Again Marshall looked nppeNllngly
+ at Tommy, who shook his head tltis,
time, and Sd he answered with a sigAy
era like to, but Tommy don't know,
you very well, and | guess that's WY
he rather not. I'm much obliged TO-
you though. Goodbye. I'll bring the
cup back as We go home"
is.akof laid seblgislun
The boys went off little distance
and ate till not a scrap Of bread, pie or
cheese remained Then began the
search for stones and wild flowers, and
before they knew it they had come
upon the foot of the trail.
81 say, Marsh. let's explore a little
way up the trail, so when we come
with Ted wen know something about
It,"
Both boys We're expert climbers and
soon they had made n hundred feet
Flushed with excitement and full o.
ambition, they forgot their promise,
and pressed on and on. Higher and
higher they climbed, and at last Tom
my exclaimed;
"My, but that's pretty!"
Marshall paused to look, Below them
lay the city in the midst of fertile
valley. Yonder to the north the Ogden
river wound its way, like u great silver
cord, to the west. 70 the south they
could see a tiny freight train pulling
Its way along the western horizon
and the waters Of the Great Salt lake
CLEANED and glistened in the sunlight
e. H. II