The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-21

the pipe examined. Everything was
found TO be all right; no defect any
where.
Finally an engineer from the neigh
boring city was engaged. After care
fully examining the line he decided
that the spring being so much higher
that the trough, the water came with
such force that it had no time to stop
at Farmer Stones place.
Some were so skeptical as to this
mans judgment. however, that another
engineer of still higher repute was
summoned. His verdict was that the
spring, instead of being higher than
fore there was no force to push the
water up to the faucet.
Now. it's my turn to see what the
lawll do" the farmer said. They
promised me water; they've got to fur
nish it."
Some one reminded the old man that
the commissioner had only agreed to
furnish the trough and the faucet; the
water was not in the contract
1t was a novel situation. The town
must either be deprived of water or
the trough must be supplied with it,
and Farmer Stone brought suit against
the town officials.
And now Joshua and Mettie were in
trouble again. What would become of
their hopes ana prospects IL LHlISS
went on like this?
II know there must be some way to
get water into that trough" she de-
clared. IF l had half the knowledge
some folks think they have it seems
to me l could fix it"
Mettie suddenly developed a decided
taste for studying water in its relation
to supplying cities and towns through
the medium of the gravity system.
acIn o. a
would be porting over books bearing on
this subject, borrowed from the city
library.
Then she made numerous visits to
the spring. She measured the distance
between the spring and another larg-
err spring several rods higher up the
hillside as accurately as she could with
her eye.
Still further to complicate matters.
Farmer Stone forbade Joshua ever to
visit Mettie again.
I'VE will have nothing to do with
them" he said. They're a bad lot.
don't know as / ever really heard of
anything mean Luke done before this,
and I used to think I'd like well
enough to have Mettie for a daughter,
but this things enough to convince me
that you never would have a minutes
peace If you married her. Chip of the
old block
Luke in the meantime declared that
| Joshua never must darken his doors
| again.
Good enough fellow; but what's
| bred in the bone will tell"
| So matters stood for several weeks,
until it was almost time for the trial
| of the suit.
On the night preceding the day of the
trial Farmer Stone was very restless.
| He had boosted that he had never sued
a man or been sued. Now the record
was to be broken.
| Tossing on his pillow not long after
! the clock struck twelve a peculiar noise
! broke on his ear.
The oftener it came the more mysti-
! fed he grew.
The moon was shining. and by its
| beams he could distinguish a mans
! form standing near the spring on the
| hillside, while from the ditch came the
! sounds which had disturbed his
| dreams.
Dressing as quickly as he could he
went out and skulked along the fence
until he was within ear-shot.
Now, Mettie, it is time you got out
of that ditch" a voice said. ITS too
hard work for you"
| "All right, Joshua, but your hands
| are too sore to dig any more"
| I'll bet yours are blistered all over.
| This old ditch will kill us all, 1 guess"
] They'll get over it. If they are blis-
| tered" came back the voice from the
| ditch, clear and strong. I'VE will 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.
| "In the name of common sense,
what's goin on here?" he demanded.
There was a little scream from Met
tie and Joshua made 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 stretch
| ed 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
"Oh. Mr. Stone" Mettie began. and
something marvelously like a sob
| found it's way along with the words.
| you will not be out of patience with
| Joshua and me, will you? It's all my
| fault, anyway. couldn't think of let
| ting that miserable lawsuit go on over
this trough. 1t has worried all of us
| most to death. i nave worried all the
| books in the city, l guess; and finally
| I thought / would just use little COM
mon 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 little more force behind the other
| spring, that would be all that was
needed. So Joshua and 1 have been dig
! ging this ditch. We have the pipe down
as far as we have gone. Now we are
almost to the spring. II 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, re-
covering from his surprise. We'll 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
longeri"
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