The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-15
AN ipLER,s lNsPIRArloN

| ct his berries. his apples. his peaches
] nd his grapes to ths boat. landing frsshl--
/ Licked and yet without the loss of most
Il his profit for carriage and handling.
| rom the Tuthili hoase 10 the wharf over
| he edge OF the buzz is not more than
10 yards. But by the wagon road which
eacs TO the east down an easy incline
lad a rough road is more than two miles
| u { drive
Ted, Farmer Tuthiil's Oldest boy. always
vas scOurge. He never took either
70 work or study he was wholly irapos-
rsoie as berry picker, and his record in
ne district for attendance. scholarship
-nd behavior was fer below par He was
!. with the physical ability 70 faNh at
least two crates day, but he wouida't
work He had been ARMED enough 70
make star convict Iaborer busy, but l.
1-dE't have any more effect on him than
60 drive him 10 subterfuge. early morning
disa PDearances and lies. The only direc-
ton Which his activities ard interests
took was horse-breaking. Ted was dc
mon after hofses. When there was a colt
tc break Ted shone with exceeding luster
But as the TuthiH farm wasn't 4 stock
tarm, these occasional sc.ltillations OF in
dustry and talent were few and Tar be-
tween.
One fine August morning three Of Far
mer Tuthills best berry pickers quit
He meant 10 have fifty crates ready for
the down boat, but when 4 O'Clock came
be had but thirty To make matters
worse he was late with these. and. much
against his viii, he was Obliged 10 i'm
press the cook as well as his Oldest
daughter into the task OF mailing up"
Ted, az usual when work was TO be done.
vas conSpicuously missing. After great
furry, much fussIng ard GUESSING. the
berry schooner was loaded. and Hiram.
with one boy to help him unload. set
forth for the landing. When he came
20 the lone pine tree that leans across the
river road on the bluff he saw Teddy. his
son, seated idly in the shade flying his
kite. The boys eyes were Fixed upon the
tiny spot of red that scared sway TO the
north against the white or blue Of the
eioud-fiecked sky. The farmer drew rein
before his son was aware of his presence
and shouted:
Drap that gosh-dinged kite string. you
lummix. and git up!'
The idler looked around. stared bsck at
his kite. and said:
''Whst'n I do with tn kite. ded,"
Tie IL up, cut IL loose. I don't care a
dang what you Go. You got to come
and help unload these berries"
The man WAS in rage and the boy
knew 1t. He looked tenderly aloft at
the Juggling kite, tied the string 10 a
branch of .the tree which shaded him
pulled down his cap and jumped the tail
boards OF the wagon. The team tugEed
forward, passing under the string that
held the kite. Down over the bowlder-
strewn road. crealdng. joiting and rum
bling ii went but the boy, sitting sstern,
gazed away into the blue where his toy
rose and fell, lodged and caFeened in the
face of the harvest wind
The little steamboat was already in
sight of the landing when Tuthilrs load
o. berries drew Up to the empty wharf |
house.
Step lifely Ni'siyeIled the man. But
Ted was staring at his kite.
Two at a clip, you dummy reared |
the man, setting an example by lifting !
three crates at time in his generous !
grasp. Ted made few brave efforts 70 /
get busy, and then he stopped. shouting:
oh, Lord There she goesi" His kite /
had broken loose and was Haunting away |
With waggins head and dropping tail |
There We're tears in the boys eyes. but |
his fathers voice recalled him to the bus /
iress al hand The van was unloaded. !
The deck hands carried the crates aboard |
the boat as fast as they were unloaded |
from the wagon. Hiram Tuthill and his |
helper hoped back onto the seat and
started homeward. leaving Ted. worth
less, idle, sreaking Ted, TO gather I'D |
the remnants of Irvine that reached down
from the bluff and trailed away with the
swiftly running current.
He sat while In the deepening shadows
the little steamboat swim away
TEen he reached out across the waters
margin and caught the end OF his broken
kite string He pulled it taut and looked
aloft. He remembered the end fastened
= the pine tree almost above his head
He was late for supper that night. and
his father sent him to bed with q piece .
1t bread and butter
The next day, instead Of waiting till !
the men were afield. he sat to breakfast
With his father and the help Then he
-cok his place in the line of berry-pick-
srs. His father stared and wondered.
DC worked steadily. silently. rapidly BY
iusk ne had picked three crates, and his /
father, edited and delighted. gave him
% cents. He took it and mounted the
wagon. That night he helped unload the
'sp, and when il drove away he found
he taut string Of his lost kite and stayed
I'D play. But thereafter, day after dav.
: went into the patches with the piekers
lnd each day mis- father gave him the
lelf of a dollar. After a week. one dry.
bright morning, he quit. He lay abed
While the nlen breakfasted. Then he
itole some biscuits and snsaked on alone.
That evening. late again. when the
Sroth farmer drove past The lone pine
rees, Ted was sitting there he had
me in his hand, but it led downward
,ver the biuR
Drop that gosh-dinged line" roarsd
he father. and git up here"
This amt no sosk-dinged kite string.
lad. said the boy; This here Is a berry
rolley"
Berry he'll" quoth the man. reaching
or his whip. You git up here ard
ono unload berries"
Unload EN- ltrht here. dad. smirked
he worthless one. See lie this"
he grabbed a crate OF berries. slIpoei
2 into the loop q a rope that h held
e his hand and sent it over the bum as
Wifi and mistaken as a bird See. dad" +
ie grinned. as be let the ffty-pound box
I fruit slip softly INTO the sand below
It goes down On a wire trolley
He had rugged q stout teserraph wire ,
ON the pine tree u e stake by the ,
cat landing. ard pronere5 tramvav
asread Of a two-Tliie drive with double ,
cam over two miles % rough roadway.
III 90 down and unload en- he -aid. ,
You slip en- % ne" Ard the bog
:. pped over the rim of the biuS ana n
few minutes was down So the wharf
He must be a inventive genius rredi- ,
,ted the man that nisht re - drove /
rrsward. I ve seen them things = big ,
-hicaEo dry goods stores hut 7 never /
bought Hiram futile = ever be s-d-iive--
~ Of his berries ny trolley. John H /
.sftery.
Her Anxiety.
It was evenlsg on the Florida coast &
ns bright moon hsG just attained her 7
BE crested waves ieasef along tha
sfr- straight fnso The fs-r11r er--z ~