The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-11-08

ana faucet Wnlcu HHu just DceH plh'tu
by the town officers in his barnyard.
Not a drop Of water came through the
faucet, although it was wide open.
When the town officers of SOuthville
had applied to Farmer Stone for per
mission to dig ditch and lay water
from the springs above 10 the village
below, he had told them that he did
not need any Of the water and he
could not see why he should have his
farm all dug up to benefit somebody
else unless he were to receive an ade-
quate return.
The water commissioner Of the vii
lage, sturdy Luke Mathers. declared
that he would take the law to Farmer
Stone" TO which he had just replied
that he might take the law ana wal
Top him as much as he pleased"
Then Luke did go to the law, and
found that Farmer Stone was correct
The right OF way across private prop
erty had a value which must he con
sidered before entering upon ii. But,
like many another man, Luke was
stubborn, and he did not want TO ap-
pear to have yielded in any way what
ever.
Sitting on the fence he had argued
with Farmer Stone the hottcr part
Of day on the wonderful benefit II
would be to the people OF the village,
and that nothing Farmer Stone could
do would bring him so many friends.
He would be public bencfactor. The
village was poor and could not afford
to go to great extremes in the matter
of right OF way.
Arguments were useless, Farmer
Stone said. The farmers were swim
died on every hand by unfeeling cor
poratlons; and he'd be just as foolish
as the rest OF them If he followed their
lead like a "passel o. sheep"
1t was just at this juncture that a
would-be arbitrator arrived on the
scene the very pretty daughter of
Luke Mathers, so fair and so sensible
that Joshua Stone. the stirring son OF
the man who owned the farm, had
been suspected for more than "A year
OF caring more for her than for any
other woman in the world.
One afternoon not long after her
fathers failure to come to terms with
Farmer Stone she rode over To the
scene OF contention with her father
and sat for a long time In the carriage,
listening with sorrowful ouutenancc
to the conversation of the two unCom-
promising men. Then she made
proposition.
'Mr, Stone" she said very swCetly,
''lf the town would put q nice water
trough here in the barnyard and furn.
ish II with a faucet, so that you could
have all the water you need the year
round, would you not be willing TO
let the line go through your landY
Farmer Stone thought Mcttic never
looked prettler. But he was not so
easily captured. If he wanted water
trough he supposed he could put it
there
But YOU haven't got the spring.
have you" Mettic iuuocentiy Queried
And this settled that part OF Farmer
Stones argument 1t was fact that
his farm was destitute of springs; and
when, as always happened i'm dry sea.
sons. the wells on his farm failed. his
place was as dry as the desert OF Sa-
hara
well, I'll have to think about it, |
amt one of the kind 60 make UP my
mind in n hurry. You'd be willing to
do that, wouldn't you, Luke"
why, it's more than / ought 10 do
but If you'll say right now that that'n
be satisfactory | think we can close
the bargain. Tomorrow | might MOI
want TO do It, LIS making great
concession on my part-a great con
cession."
But Farmer Stone knew his advan-
tage and he pressed It,
"All right So fur as I'm concerned
IL don't make no difference"
There was tone OF independence in
commissioner TO terms.
Il didn't propose it, but always
aid stand by what Mettie says must
and l will now"
Joshua felt his heart leap within
him when Mettie gave him one of her
most approving glances as the car
riase drove away. All that evening.
while the two were doing the chores.
Joshua labored with his father in be-
half of the water trough.
1t was JOY TO both the young people
when, the next day. Farmer Stone al
lowed that he guessed they might so
ahead with their line.
The water trough was duly installed
In the barnyard. The faucet was at
tached Then, when all was ready. on
a certain day the water was let into
the main Ii leaped into the main. Ii
leaped into the pipe and went sweep
Ing down to give JOY TO the townspeo-
pie, but not a drop came through tine
half-inch pipe which rose up from the
main five feet below to the trough in
the barnyard.
Farmer Stone knew il was con
spiracy against him. They never
meant to do as they agreed. Luke
Mathers always was a rascal. lie
might have known better than to trust
him.
But II was just as much OF a puzzle
TO the water commissioner as to Farm.
er Stone himself why the water went
60 scornfully past the water trough.
he went all over the line. peering into
the faucet and listening with his CIR
close to its mouth I'm tba vain pudoay.