The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-02-06
A SEQUOIA DRYAD
BY ETHEL WATTS MUMFoRD.


I've timber rights of Cleopatra can
yuu. rhc grade was down all the
way - the opening and the inlet
made up close to the hills. Nothing
easier than to swing the great red
wood sections on the waiting freight
er and transport them to Monterey
where the cheap Jap laborers coulc
pui on the finishing polish, conver,
huge >labs of rough timber to shin.
ing monOlithic table tops-for that
WAS his scheme, round tables, sucl
aS King Arthur would have enved
Already his friends-artists, dec
orators and millionares in the coun
Try places, had filled his pocket with
orders, and he could clear up tidy
little sum which he needed sadly
Ore acquisition he made, however,
urnn which he had not counted-the
brNad He first saw her the day ho
brought up his men and tools and set
,hcm to building shacks by the spring
side. She advanced to meet him from
the trunk of a giant sequoia, with .
hcsltating, nervous step, paused some
ten feet away and observed him. In
turn he scrutinized her singular per
son. She was tall and sinewy, and
her powerful shoulders were draped
in an old Spanish shawl of Chinese
crepe--a black ground embroidered
in cOlors-a tattered skirt of dark
silk hung below, and was gathered
iulI at the waist after the ante-bcl
Inn fashion of California. The Dry
ads face was haunting, white and
hard like ivory, but cut by strange.
ly scarlet mouth that made sudden
dash Of color in its pallid oval. Black
eyes that burned slumbcrously drew
down waNen lids to hide their fire
and black brows met in q straight
line over thin aquline nose. Der.
ringer looked, and his flesh crawlrI
She continued to watch him in siler .
lie wet his lips thrice. and then i,..l.
Iged at last to speak.
Who are you-and what DO you
Want"-
~ am Carmelita.' she answered. in
Spanish. What are you come for?"
"The timber" he answered. rough
ly; what business =. that of yours ."
She looked AT him su,len,y. "Wha,
Tor? You cannot move them; they
ere fast as the hils-and they do mot
wish to GO"
He shrugged his shoulders and
turned away. She took step nearer
ITO cut thcm?" She asked. in n
Aushcd voice.
Again the uncauny quivcr shook
him.
''Ics, what else? You don't expect
NE 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 aS Il cathedral spire till it
seemed to uphold the blue tent Of
SKY. far above in The rift of the
canyon. She shook her head. "You
had hctt"r 90 away, man." she said.
calmly. "Thcy will never let YOU. |
hav" lived with them for years, and
know them. Go away before they
,hu" their strength" Dcrringcr
stood ~'..t Tor n moment, then has
tened off to camp with an uneasy
7rutin" in his usually placid heart.
The mad woman-for mad she I'M
tou5tcIiy waS-movcd his imagina-
Gc@ strangely. The Dryad turned.
slowly rctraccd her steps to the Sc
Quoia. stepped inside the hollow at
it. .oot~. and disappeared. Later in
the evening Dcrriugcr saw a thin line
OF uuh" climbing upward along the
rough bark walls of her dwelling.
l. identity the tree was her home.
The timber contractor. though
"-r"en." was no tcndcrfoot. He knew
enough of the surprises of California
life To expect strange things of the
people h. encountcrcd-dwe up
inaccessible canyons. or on the edge
OF the sage brush deserts. He had
met hoary old men a hundred miles
from civilization who talked Emer-
son and Plato with him, and had en-
,couuttrCd more than one beautiful
and refined woman recluse, ruling a
tiny ranch in the very heart of the
coast range. But this woman, whom
he could not help calling The Dry
ad." was new and disconcerting
type. However, he was bodily tired
that night and so slept and forgot.
Yhe next morning. bright and ear
ly. the great 1j-foot, flexible stee.
SAWS were uucrated, the finest red
wood tree was surrounded by scaf-
fo'i'ug some 20 feet from the ground.
and the work of destruction was be-
gun in earnest. Derringer thought
no more of the strange woman or her
predictions. But a. noon, when the
.meu rested, ate their bacon and hard
tack, drank bad whisky and water,
and swapped stories, they were sud.
denly arrested by the appearance of