The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1901-11-21

nERRINGER thought he had a
III good thing when he bought mp
me timber rights of Cleopatra can
yon. The grade was down all the
way 10 the opening and the inlet
unde mp close TO the hills. Nothing
easier than 90 swing the great red
wood sections on the waiting freight
cr and transport them to Monterey,
whore the cheap Jap laborers could
pui on the finishing polish, convert
huge slabs of rough timber 90 s&iu-
ing monolithir table tops-for that
was his scheme. round tables, such
a. King Arthur would have ru,icd.
Already his fricuds-nrtists. dec
orators and millionairrs In the cDun-
try places. had filled his pocket with
orders, and he could clear mp a tidy
little sum which be needed sadly,
One acquisition hc made, however,
upon which he had not counted-thc
Drynd. He first saw her the day he
brought up his men and tools and set
them 10 building shacks by the spring
side She advanced TO meet him from
the trunk OF giant scguoia, with a
hcsitating. nervous step. paused some
ten feet away and observed him. In
turn he scrutinizrd her singular per.
son She was tail and sinewy. and
her powerful shoulders were draprd
So an old Spanish shawl Of Chinese
crcpe-a black ground embroidered
!n cOlors--a iattcrcd SKIRT Of dark
silk hung below. and IVES gathered
iull at the waist after the antr.bcl-
lum fashion Of California. The Dry
ads face was haunting. white and
hard like ivory. but cut hay a strange.
ly .carlrt mouth that made sudden
dash 90 color IA its pailid oval Black
eyes that burned slumhcrously drrsy
down waNrn lids to hide their FIRE.
and black brows met In straight
line over thin upuiIine nose Der.
ringer looked, aad his flesh crawlcd.
She continued Go watch him IN silence
lie wet his lips thrice and then man.
aged az last TO speak.
who are you-aud what do you
wun'''
OF am Carmclitn." she answered in
Spanish What arc You come foro"
THE timber" he answered. ROUGH
y, what business is that Of YOUR, 4"
She looked at him su.lcu.y. What
for? You cannot move them; they
are fast as the hills--and they do not
wish TO GO"
lie shrugged his shoulders and
turned away. She took a step nearer
To cnt thcm?" she asked. in a
hushcd voice
Again the uncanny quiyer shook
him.
Yes, what eise7 You don't expect
me to pull them up by the roots. do
you?"
She looked up at the stately height
OF the tree beside her, rising massive
and tall rs n cathedral spirc TIL IL
seemed to uphold the blue tent of
sky, far above ia the rift Of the
canyon. She shook her head. You
had better go away. man" she said,
calmly. They will never let you.
have lived with them for years, and I
know them. Go away before they
show their strength" ncrrinpcr
stood still for moment, then has.
tened of to camp with an uneasy
eating 10 his usually placid heart.
The mad woman for mad she un.
doubleday was-mcyed hls imagina.
tion strangely. The pryad turned,
slowly rrtraced her steps to the se-
quota, stepped inside the hollow Mt
its roots, and disappeared, Later In
the evening Derringer saw thin line
OF smoke climbing upward along the
rough bark walls of her dwelling.
Evidently the tree was her home.
The timber contractor, though
''Rrccn," was no tenderfoot. He knew
enough of the surprises Of California
life TO expect strange things Of the
people he encountered jewellers up
inaccessible canyons, or on the edge
af the sHga brush deserts. He had
met hoary old men a hundred miles
from civilization who talked Emer-
son and Plato with him, and had en-
countered more than one beautiful
and refined woman rccluse, ruling
tiny ranch ia the very heart OF the
coast range. But this woman. whom
he could not help calling THE Dry.
adj" was new and dsconcerting
type. However. he was bodily tired
that night and so slept and forgot
The next morning, bright and ear.
~. the great i5-foot, flexible steel
saws were uncrated. the finest red.
wood tree was surrounded by scat
folding some 20 feet from the ground.
aud the work of destruction WAS be-
gun in earnest, Derringer thought
no more OF the strange woman or her
predictions. Hut at noon, when the
men rested. ate their bacon and hard
tack. drank bad whisky and water.
and swapped stories. they were sud