The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-05-21


down, across. The water dashed. foam
ing. from among tumbled mass Of
powders.
/ She went down the path, brushing
against the willows. AT the opening,
where the bushes had been cut away.
she could see the bend. The water ran
swiftly around the low. opposite bank;
broke into a stretch of little. metallic
waves. Over there the trout might be
caught by the hundred in an hour or
two.
Mrs Clawson thought she heard
laugh. shrill and happy, above the bub-
bling and chatter and roar Of the
creek.
Then she saw young girl throw up
line, on which dangled frantic fish.
Near by. her son stood. his hands in
his pockets, laughing.
Mary Longs girl!
The same golden-red hair; the same
vivid coloring in the cheeks and lips;
the same dark, luminous eyes.
Bobbie was now tearing the fish of
the hook-not taking his gaze, which
she knew was tender. from the face of
Mary Longs girl.
Mrs. Clawson watched the young
girl as she scrambled onto the bank,
trying to catch the writhing and leap
ing trout. She noted the soft, pretty
outlines of the girls figure as she
swayed forward to throw the fish out
into the middle of the stream. She
saw the coquetry Of Miss Longs de-
mure ret:rn to her sons side; the chal-
lenge in her glance up to his. But
when he put his arms around her she
turned deliberately and stamped firm
ly up the path.
Mr.. and Mrs. Clawson sat on the
back porch. 1t was growing dark.
Mt. Sahnedrim was mere blur
against the dusky sky; the entrance to
the little arbor, over which the wild
hop vine rioted. was fading into the
general dimness.
For half hour no word had been
spoken. At last Clawson, summoning
up courage, said: II didn't think you'd
let him git SO far. mother, as to be up
stairs there alone packin' his things"
II didn't know you ever did any
thinkin' on any subject. Hi Clawson,"
she replied. A tear, Of which she took
no notice. coursed its way down her
thin cheek.
Silence reigned for several minutes.
Then Mrs. Clawson said, in a sad mon
otone: "Guess you'd better hitch up
the blackboard now; 1t always takes
you s'long to do anything. The stage
starts from Longs at eight o'clock; it's
about seven now."
Mother" Clawson said, you amt
surely goin' to let our boy go away
without lis supper?"
She answered his impertinence with
stony stare.
You jest hitch up now, Hi. I'll cook
you up a bite after-after he-some
time tonight"
To be misunderstood always made
Clawson finch, embarrassed, as from
blow. He rose slowly, moving of
Tue VIII uuCcEtdlu SleD.
Tears began to rain down Mrs. Claw.
sons face.
Presently she heard her son coming
down the stairs. Her attention fol-
lowed his step as he strobe into the
parlOr. then crossed the hall into the
spare room. Her hearts pulse began
to quicken as he came, hesitatingly,
towards the door at her elbow. The
door opened with jerk. scraping over
the floor noisily.
Her son sprang past her to the edge
of the porch. where he crouched down,
bracing his head against a small. up-
right post.
Mother" he said. I'm going away.
But I'm not going away angry. 1 love
Hattie Long-I can't stay where there's
so much bitterness against my future
wife's folks"
Mrs. Clawson muttered, as If TO her
self: "Of all people in the world! An
fer us, in a State thousand miles
long. to set ourselves right down mex
to 'em! On piece of mortgaged prop
erty, too. Never caring a thing about
us. until they needed our water
She shifted contemptuously, then fell
into brooding silence.
The sound Of wheels presently
reached Mrs. Clawson's acute ears.
She noted the grating noise as the
wheels scraped along over the broken
stone; and she recalled how her son,
only yesterday. had spent the morning
filling in the ruts near the broken
limbed pear tree.
Mrs. Clawson's hands were icy; her
body shivered as with the cold.
Her son scrambled to his feet. He
came and laid strong hand on her
shoulder.
Remember. mother. don't bear any
ill will"
She caught hold Of his hand. She
cried out, in broken tones: Don't go
on to-night's stage. Bobbie. Oh, Bob
bic. mebbe. your mother kin learn to
swallow her hard feelin's."
Mrs. Clawson set the lighted lantern
under the tall pines where the irrigat-
ing ditch made it's abrupt turn.
With long-handled hoe she quickly
scraped a shallow channel through the
weeiy ground dividing the water and
her neighbor's empty trench.
Then she bent stiffly over the stones
her husband had patched into the wall
in the morning. One of the stones
stood up large and angular above the
others. Mrs. Clawson tugged at it
with awkward. outstretched arms. At
last she succeeded in loosening it; and
pushed it forward into the ditch.
The water gurgled and sped
through the opening TO form itself into
a slender title stream.
Mrs. Clawson now seizing the lam
tern, held it at arms length for a care
full survey of the top Of the wall. A
larger, heavier stone hung near the
newly made opening. This she sue
ceedid in diSlOdpinp also And when