The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-08-15
IN THE SUGAR BUSH

That Marcn AFTERNOON as LeD ldylof
made his rounds OF the sugar bush
with pals suspended from a neck yoke
to empty the brimming troughs Of sap
and convey them to the barrels mt the
fire IL all came back to him so forcibly
that he seemed to be working in a
dream lie had known Nellie Tomp-
kins since childhood. The two farm
houses stood close together. and the
children had been Zeb and Nell to each
other until he had become his fathers
..hired man" and she had put on long
dresses. Zeb had never escorted any
other girl to the circus. to a picnic. to
camp meeting. TO harvest dance or
corn shucking. and Nell had never en-
couraged any other young man.
The old folks had looked upon II as
matter Of course that the young couple
would get married In due time. It
was only after the girl bad been sent
away to school and her letters to Zeb
had been few and far between that he
awOke TO the fear OF losing her.
Nell Tompkins at eighteen was .
good looking. attractive girl, and Zeb
realized that education and society
would Improve her still more. Other
young men would be attracted, and he
would stand no show.
AS Zeb reached the camp and emp
fled his buckets Of sap into the bar
rels he fingered and thought OF more
recent sorrows. Nell Tompkins had
returned from school two weeks be
II haA hi afa nod
over to the farmhouse in his working
clothes to welcome her. and plainly she
had been shocked. There was no
warmth in her handsbake, no love in
her eyes. Even when he reappeared
night or two later In his Sunday best
she had called him Mr. Taylor and bad
refused to remember bow be had car
ried her on his back over mudholes
and boosted her over fences. A change
had come to blast all his hopes, and
on his road home he made up his mind
to face ii like a man.
While he mended the line fence be-
tween the two farms next morning be
raised his voice In song 30 that Nell
Tompkins might realize that he was
not taking her conduct to heart, but
his voice sounded like q crows. When
he met Farmer Tompkins. he made q
great pretense Of being jolly. and be
started a report that he was stuck"
on Abigail Spooner and almost in love
with Hetty Gable. He also kept away
from the Tompkins farmhouse. and IL
any one asked him for news OF Nell
it appeared to take him all OF thirty
seconds to recall her name.
Thus Zeb Taylor had tried to make
himself believe that he was getting the
best OF It
Night had come In the sugar bush
Zeb had eaten a cold supper while the
sap In the pan boiled and foamed and
later on had cut up the wood to be
used through the hours OF darkness.
Then he sat down on a log to smoke
and figure out how many pals OF sirup
would be the result Of that run OF sap.
He intended to follow the sirup to the
| sugar or" process and count up the
pounds OF sugar. but his thoughts In
sensibly drifted away to Nell Tomp.
kins, and for a long ten minutes he
was oblivious OF his surroundings.
Then he was suddenly called to life by
| the hoot OF an owl He could have
suppressed the cold shivers inside OF
| two minutes had not the boot OF this
bird been followed by the scream OF q
| woman. The sugar bush was O mile
away from any house. and the voice OF
| a woman I'm the dark woods weakened
Zeb's knees and brought his heart into
his throat He was shaking with
alarm when the owl booted again. Q
boot full Of the direst peril. and again
1t was followed by the scream Of wo
man whose life was menaced. Zet
stopped only TO grab up club. and
then he made rush into the darkness
He had only fifty feet to go before dis
covering Nell Tompkins leaning VI
against the trunk OF a tree.
"You-you herer" gasped Zeb as h'
came to a halt
"Y-yes. and. oh. Zeb. the bear-ths
bearw she exclaimed as she held ou
her arms TO him.
What bear? Where? WhenT
Hes Just roared out twice. and yoI
l-you"-
"Yes. ! heard him roar. but don't yos
be afraid" said Zrb as he pup bis arH
around her und gently walked her Il
the fire. The arm still epcircled her al
they sat down ON the log together. api
he asked:
"Nell. did you start for anywher'
and get lostT
IL don't know" she half sobbed
81 heard you were making sugar dowI
here all alone and that you were goinl
to sugar OF tonight"
"NOt quite SO soon."
'And ] thought-thought"-
"What did you think, NeliT
81 thought IL came down you'd CIV
me some maple wax on a white chi
, and that I would say that was sorr.
IL hurt your feelings the other night
"And you got lost In the woods!
|, queried Zeb as his heart began to melt
I'll guess so. II was awful
dark"
"And bear growled at your
"Such awful growlsl oh. Zeb. I wa
so glad TO ses you! might have bee
eaten niiver'
=, Eyes. Say. Nell. you are sorry. ~
> sorry and whatT'
3 "Why. you'll go home with me. won
8 you?
r ayes. and what then?"
"why. II pa aud ma haven't gone
= bed-and I don't think they have-yo
might want to talk to 'em. you know.
Eyes. I know" whispered Zeb as
% lifted her face and kissed her. An
z then the sap I'm the pan boiled an
a foamed again. the fire cracked an