Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-16
I'm the Gift Of the Wind

(copyrlght. 1909. b. Lillian G. PaschaI)
Gosh Jam III Thar's tibet OIL red Cow In
my cabbldse patch agint"
zebuIun Flint. familiarly known through
out the Iowa blu grass belt as skinaint
1eb, surveyed w%rathfully. IN the dim
dawnlight, the damage wrought In his
cherished vegetable garden BY the preda-
tory COW OF his detested neighbor, Uncle
Benny" Wray.
"sence thet cat o. bern died O. tn
scours she's sotter be IT, b~reechiest orltter
In tn huh county. Blams 4 she amt broke
IN top beard on'n tibet fence irmpln' mi
Hey. thaFi''
And he brandished the empty tin milk
pals he was carrying toward the Intruder.
She calmly munched the heart out OF a
s~uccnlent head Of cabbage ana switched
her tail BY way Of reply to the irate Haluta-
zion.
s'Hsy. outer tharl" zeb advanced warily
IN her rear. Old Red had also developed
''hooky' tendencies since her recent be-
reaxement and must be approached dlplo-
matically. She wheeled suddenly and
paved rp . dusty challenge from the cab
bage patch. The old man Fetrsated preoipi-
lately to the safety Of the adjoining cow
yard.
THAR goes another hsadIe he groansd.
peering through the fence with sordld
despair In bis little bleared eyes. AN
! c'ud sell ever one O. them cabbldgss
tor . cent apiecel Gosh tam III pesky
critteri" His iraacfhle temper exploded
~ hia favorite explstlve. which was as near
% the ragged edge Of profanity a. bis
slanoh "Methody" principles would allow.
IA ha veHailon he changed the TN pals
together smaFtly 70 lrlshfen the traspaaser,
Though he would have tkrashed bic boy
NarfAall fof such wicked thoughtlessnaas.
Changing them might make them leak and
milk pals cosl 5 cents apiece. This action,
even more than the half profane explstive.
eFitsHced the depth q old Eeb's menial
perturbation. Few things in the heavens
above or the earth beneath would have
tempted him 70 lay nacrllesions hands On
anything that cost money"
III make Oh Benny Wfag pay dear ftl
then eahbideoz." he RroNled. In helpless
raee. turning his back on the ulckenlnn
sight In the garden. "Wull. hyur b
a-Naltin tine on tnei ornery Oh cow
an them thrash6rs a-onmin' At sun-up.
An me vith.si 4 thet mnkin' ter do VI. (.
wuu'e m stable chores. Seems ef ever
thing happens ter put me back. ever time
Tiers lhra1hers comes-an' me a-Dayin' en-
~ me aa4. w All times fer thet good
fer-nothin' hid O. mine ter 90 an ntun
hieeeff with green epples-an' It the day
fore thrashm'f"
OLD zeb hated 70 milk. That task We.
usually performed ~ young "Naph." aetal
"a. a. thin present rlsins hour OF l,so .. M
wrestling win cholera morbus. aided b
chicken-gi1zard tea and his faithful older
sister Philpra. the directing angel % skin.
hint xcb'a meager household, The motnel
vas an invalid. from over work and tos
much 1unting. said the county Eoaaips.
Sock cowi 6ook hos4i Soo-oo-oo-' A
cunning idea entered lhs old mans ava,
sicioUs mind and stopped his COW cail n
the middle.
'Aoughts vull mnk Oh Red. too. non
she's hyur-'er hagn cake fore night 4
leave ~"
c~hnekllng. he turned back toward n,
s~mokshpnae. leaving The oovyard sais opel
ae n passed last inside the smokohousl
door stood the salt BARREL He dipped ool
. handful and put Il IN the battered crour
81 his Nida straw hal.
Thua forlIoe1 With hia nar 81 truce. 4.
advanced caiolln1I9 toward TIE enemy Il