The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-01-23
spective. the blue ridges Of the Ale
gheny mountains.

warm, clOudIess June afternoon along
the railroad at the base of Lilly'a
mountain, and as she trudgcd she
song the old song that she had
learned from her grandmother:
my dear little children. II you were mins
All alone and aloney O.
ia dress you up In silk 10 fnc
Down by the green woody sidey o."
She was on her way TO explore a
certain hidden dell, which she had
marked weeks before ms a likely spot
for wild Strawberries.
When she reached the long. high
trestle spanning Churchill's creek, she
stood listening. her head on one side,
bright-eyed, alert, like n knowing wild
creature of the mountains.
Then. hearing the sound she had
expected, she nodded her yellow head
sagcly, and scrambled a few feet up
the mountainsidc above the track "a
wait for the approaching train to 60
by.
Soon she saw the engine coming
round the mountain and apparently
making straight for her like one of
the head-lowcred "bcastisies" of
granny's tales. Then the train curved
with the curve of the mountain; It's
long line OF coaches and sleeping cars
came into view, like the gliding SER
pcnt body of the monster. Slowly IL
cnmc, then slackcncd to creeping, ms
the trains all did at the trcstlc.
Kccn-cyed and absorbed, Nancy
watched the coaches roll slowly by,
md waved brown hand Mt the faces
looking at her from the windows. In
wan face In a mass of cleaning, red
gold hair-the face of girl proppcd
against white pillows. Her eyes were
turned toward the window, her hand
was little upraiscd to throw
Something stung Nancy sharply on
the cheek, and the last coach rolled
out upon the bridge. The little girl,
gazing after II, clnppcd her hand to
her check; and out of the coach win
dow was thrust red-gold head, while
its owner gazcd down into the yellow
waters of Churcbill's creek, still tur-
bid from spring frcshcts.
When the train was across and had
gone winding on To the tunnel, Nancy
taking down her hand, found IL
stained with blood.
Nancy had seen half-enten apple
cores enough TO recognize the object
that the sick girl had been about
to throw out of the coach window; I;
but apple cores do not wound when
they hit.
Wondering what had cut her check,
Nancy stopped to pick up her berry
basket, which she had dropped when
she wns struck, and beside IL she saw
q small circlct Of shining yellow, which
held myriad Of seemingly live, fiery
stars circling about n clear, green
drop Of sparkling, flickering dew.
She took II up and gazed with awe
at the wonder flashing on her little
brown finger.
Then she laughed for very joy.
I'm born fer luck! Granny says so,
an nanny snys so--oh-dcnrie-
me-
=" Down by the green woody sidey o. "
And the little voice rang out jub-
ilnntly as Nancy, stendy-hcaded, light
footed, sped over the dangerous tres
tie with an unconcern that must have
made an onlooker trcmblc.
The sun had dropped behind the
purple, misty top of the mountain
when, finally emerging from the
densencss Of the blooming laurel
thickcts that clothed the slopes. Nam
cy reached her fathers clearing, with
Its sickly growth of corn and buck
whcat.
"Pap" and Hence were home now.
Pap. tall, broad. with straw-colored
hair and bear,l, WINS cleaning his rifle
on the bench outside Of the door.
Hence was bringing bucket Of water
up from the spring.
But they had all dropped everything
except the baby, which nanny was
holding. TO listen to Nnncy's story.
"An' she Thinks" explained Nancy,
at Pap's knee, while the luck-stonc,
as granny called Il. lny sparkling In
pap's great hand, "the sun-haired Ia
dy she thinks II fell In the creek long
with the apple core. An she air sick;
that's what allied it's comm often her
finger. She mir sick like SO many of
'em ms goes by set up ngin pliers"
"It's the spring and licks whar
they're goin'," said pap. "samc as my
grand'pap tellcd about the deer
an bensties hnntin' the licls, spring
time an sech, when poly"
"An' they mostly get we'll" said
Nancy, looking up into pap's face,
"because there amt never any goes
back set up agin pliers. I'd know
her cause Of her sun-hnir, the lady.
The cyars they war goin' no slow I
he'd n good look at her; an ! got 10
be at the junction when she goes
back, cause the cyars stop there n
goodish bit an can hand II to her."
"Shc won't be goin' back for a
spell. shouldn't think" said nanny,
"if she's going for to get perked
up"
"But she might" said Nancy, "an'
I got TO be there"
"Yes," said pap, turning the treas
ure oyer I'm his biz pa,m. "Nanuy,