The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-07-12

uNlg lDdu- Al ldSl lQeg turned INTO a
driveway and drew up before a gray
wooden house. Ardelia, cramped with
sitting still, was lifted down and
escorted up the single walk to the
porch. A spare. dark-eyed woman in a
checked apron advanced to meet them.
Terribly hot today, amt it2" she
sighed. I'm real glad to see you,
Miss FOrsythe. Won't you cool off
little before you go on? This is the
little girl I s'pOse. I guess it's pretty
cool to what she's accustomed to, amt
it, Delia?"
mo. thank you, Mrs. Slater: I'll go
right on to the house. Now. Ardelia.
here you are in the country. I'm stay
ing with my friend in a big white house
about a quarter of n mile further on.
You can't see it from here, but if you
want anything YOU can just walk over.
Day after tomorrow is the picnic I told
you about. You'll see me then, any
way Now, run right out in the gress
and pick all the daisies you want.
Don't be afraid; no one viii drive you
off this grass"
The force Of this was lost on Ardelia,
who had never been driven off any
grass whatever; but she gathered that
she was expected TO walk out into the
thick, rank growth of the unmOved side
yard, and STROBE downward Obediently,
turning, when in the exact center OF
the plot. for further orders.
Now pick them, Pick the daisies!"
cried Miss Forsythe excitedly. I want
To see YOU"
Ardelia looked blank.
"Huh?" she said.
Gather them, Get a bunchI oh. you
poor child, Mrs. Slater. she doesn't
know howl" Miss Forsythe was deeply
moved and illustrated by picking mag
mary daisies on the porch. Ardelia's
quick eyes followed the gestures and,
STOPPING. she scooped the heads from
three daisies and started back with
them, staring distrustfully into the
depths of the thick, ciinging grass as
she pushed through it. Miss Forsythe
gasped.
mo. no. my dearl Pull them up.
Take the stem. too" she explained.
pick the whole floweri"
Ardelia bent over again, tugged at a
thick-stemmed clover brought il up by
the roots. recovered her balance with
difficulty and assaulted a neighboring
daisy On this she cut her hands, and.
sucking off the blood angrily, she
grabbed a handful Of coarse grass,
and blowing through the tangled mass
about her feet laid the spoils awkward
~ on the young lady's lap.
Miss Forsythe stared at the dirty.
trailing roots that stained her linen
skirts and sighed.
Thank you. dear" she said politely,
but / meant them for you. I meant
you to have a bunch. Don't you want
them ,"
"Nawi" said Ardelia decidedly, nurs-
ing her cut hand and stepping with re
lief on the smooth floor Of the porch.
Miss Forsythe's eyes frightened sud
denly
Il know what WANT she cried.
you're thirsty, Mrs Slater. won't YOU
get US some Of your good, creamy milk?
Don't you want to drink. Ardelia?' '
Arde1ia nodded. She felt very tired
and the glare of the sun seemed re-
Elected from everything into her dazed
eyes. When Mrs. Slater appeared with
the foaming yellow glasses she wound
her nervous little hands about the stem
of the goblet and began a deep draught.
She did not like it; ii was hard to swal-
low and instinct warned ner not to go
on with it. But all the thirst of a long
morning-Ardelia was used to drink
ing fTequently-urged her on. and it's
icy GOODNESS enabled her to finish the
glass. She handed it back with a deep
sigh. The young lady clapped her
hands.
There" she cried. Now, how do
You Ike real milk, Ardelia? I declare,
you look like another child already!
You can have all you want every day
why, what's the matter?"
For Ardella was growing CHASTITY pale
before them; her eyes turned inward.
her lips frightened. A binding horror
surged from her toes upward, and the
memory of the liquid ice cream and the
frying onions faded before the awful
reality of her present agony.
Later as she lay limp and white on
the slippery haircloth sofa in Mrs. Sla-
ter's musty parlor, she heard them dis
cussing ner situation.
There was a lot Of fresh air chill
dren over at Mis- Simms'." her hostess
explained. land they most all Of 'em
said the milk was too stronghold you
everi Two or three of 'em was sick.
like this one, but they got to love it in
a little while. She viii too"
ATdelia shook her head feebly. She
had learned her lesson.
After a while Miss Forsythe went
away, and at her urgent suggestion Ar
della came out and sat on the porch
under the shade of a black umbrella.
She sat motionless. lost in the rapture
Of content that follows such a crisis as
her recent misery. In few moments
she was asleep.
When she awO1e she was in a strange
place. Outside the umbrella all was
dusk and shadow. The tail trees doomed
vaguely toward the dark sky; the stars
were few. AS she gazed in half terror
about her a strange jangling came
nearer and nearer. and a great animal
with swinging sides. painting terribly.
ran clumsily by. followed by a bare
legged boy. whose thudding feet
sounded loud on the beaten path. Ar
della shrank against the wall with a
cry that brought Mrs. Slater to her
side.
There. there, Della. it's only COW.
She won't hurt you. She gives the milk"
-Ardelia shuddered-"and the butter,
too. Here's some bread and butter for
you. We've had our supper. but 1
thought the sleep would do you more
good"
Still shaken by the shock Of that
painting hairy beast. Ardelia put out
her hand for the bread and butter and
ate it Greedily. Then she stretched her
cramped limbs and looked over the UNI
brella. On the porch sat a bearded
man in shirt sleeves AMI stocking feet.
his head thrown back against his chair
his mouth open. He snOred audibly.
Tipped back in another chair. his feet
raised and pressed against one of the
supports OF the porch roof. sat young
er man. He was not asleep, for he was
smoking a pipe, but he was as mo-
tionless as the other Curled up on
the steps was the boy who had brought
them from the station. Occasionally
he patted a mongrel collie beside him.
and. yawning. stretched himself. but he
did not speak.
That's Mr.. Slater" said the woman
softly. land the yo1ng man is my cid
est son. William. Henry brought you