The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-12-13

hillside, while from the ditch came /
the sounds which had disturbed his |
dreams.
Dressing rs quickly as he could he
went out and skulked along the fence
until he was within eor-shot
"Now, Mettle, Il Is time you got out |
Of that ditch" a voice said. IT'S too
hard work FOR you"
"All right, Joshua, but your hands
are too sore TO dig any more"
'I'll bet yours are bllstered all over.
This old ditch win kin us all, guess"
They'll get over 1t II they are bis
tered" came back the voice from the
ditch, clear and strong. 1--WE win see
the end OF this before we sleep"
Farmer Stone sprang toward the
spot and looked down with astonished
face into the ditch. There Mettie
stood, pick in hand, her face flushed
as red as fire.
I'm the name Of common sense,
what's goin' on here" he demanded.
There was n little scream from Met
tie and Joshua made a flying leap
down the hill.
There seemed to be no such way of
escape for the brave Mettie, however,
and she leaned against the bank of
earth, her hands still grasping the
pick, her head bare to the night
breeze. The long line Of fresh earth
which stretched away up the hillside
showed the wondering farmer that a
new trench was being dug from the
large spring to the end Of the pipe
which supplied the village.
ooh, Mr.. Stone" Mettie began, and
something marvellously like a sob
found its way along with the words,
you viii not be out of patience with
Joshua and me, will you? It's all my
fault, anyway. / couldn't think Of
letting that miserable law suit go on
over this trough 1t has worried all
Of us most to death. have studied all
the books in the city, guess; and fin
ally I thought / would just use a little
common sense. 1t seemed to me that
there must be some reason why the
water wouldn't run up into that
trough. / made up my mind that If
| there could be q little more force be-
hind the other spring, that would be
all that was needed. So Joshua and
have been digging this ditch. We have
the pipe down as far as we have gone.
Now we are almost to the spring. If
you only hadn't come just now"
Mettie turned her face away and
dropped the pick.
"Come, father; go back to bed and
let us finish the job" Joshua pleaded,
recovering from his surprise. "Wel
have the water running into the trough
in half an hour. All we have to do is
to make the connection between the
! pipes in the lower spring"
You go to bed yourself! I'll not let
Mettie dig here in the dark any long
err
And Farmer Stone sprang into the
ditch and lifted her gently out of the
narrow quarters in which she had
been toiling so heroically.
A few minutes later the work was
completed. The two pipes were joined
by Joshua, who had provided himself
with q rude kit of tools for that pur-
pose. Then they all three fastened
down to the water trough in the barn
yard.
With fingers which trembled little
Mettie turned the faucet. A gurgle OF
joy greeted her ears and a moment
afterward the water trickled through
the pipe, then fairly gushed out in a
stream. She had solved the problem
which had defied the ingenuity of her
father and all the rest of the wise
men of the vicinity.
They stood watching the water for
few minutes in silence. Then Farm
er Stone took Mettie by the hand.
''Now you go home and sleep good, -
he said. you've won two suits, fair
and square"
And that was the end Of all the trou-
, BILE. But the Town Board did a fine
: thing for Joshua and Mettie, when, q
few months later, they set up the
family hearthstone.
At the next meeting Of that august
! body one Of the members made a mo
5 ton "that pipe be laid from the vii
lage main to the farmyard Of these
, worthy people supplying water fol
} their stock free for all time, with {
faucet at the back kitchen door il
d easy reach of the charming mistress.
. And the motion was carried withou
f a dissenting voice.-New York Evening
I. | Sun