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

! quick for the lamp drew the mos
! quitOes.
ArdeIia kicked off her shoes and ap-
! preached the bed distrustfully. 1t sank
( down with her weight and smelled hot
and queer. Rolling off, she stretched
! herself on the floor and lay there dis
! cOnsolately. Sharp. quick stabs from
/ the swarming mosquitoes stung her to
rage; she tossed about, slapping at
them with EXPLANATIONS that would
have shocked Mrs. Slater. The eternal
chatter of the katydids maddened her.
She could not sleep. Across the swamp
came the wall of the peppers.
Knee deep! Knee deep! Knee deepl'
At home the hurdygurdy was play
] ing, the women were gossiping on
every step and lights were everywhere
( the blessed, fearless gas lights-the
/ little girls were dancing in the breeze
that blew in from the East river, Old
: Dutcny was giving Maggie Kelly an
olive-Ardelia slapped viciously at a
1 mosquito on her hot cheek, heard a
great June bug Topping into the room
I through the loosely waving netting and
4 burst into tears of pain and fright,
/ wrapping her head tightly in her ging
/ ham skirt.
! In the morning Miss Forsythe came
| over, accompanied by another young
woman.
How do you do, my dear?" said the
| stranger kindly. How terribly the
mosquitoes have stung you. What
makes you stay in the house and miss
J the beautiful fresh air? See that great
plot of daisies-dOes she know that she
/ can pick all she wants. poor little
thing? I suppose she never had
chance. Come out with me, Ardelia,
and let's see which can pick the big
/ gest bunch"
| And Ardelia, fortified by ham and
! eggs, went stolidly forth into the grass
and silently attacked the daisies.
In the middle of her bunch the new
/ young woman Daused. Why Ethel.
/ she isn't barefoOted!' she cried. Come
/ here, Ardelia, and take off your shoes
| and stockings directly. Shoes and
/ stockings in the country! Now, you'll
/ know what comfort is" as she unlaced
! the boots rapidly on the porch
ooh. she's been barefOoted in the
/ city" explained Miss FOrsythe. But
/ this will be different. of course"
And so it was, but not in the sense
/ she intended. To patter about bare
/ legged on the clear. safe pavement
| was one thing: to venture unprotected
! into that waving. tripping tangle was
another. She stepped cautiously upon
the short grass near the house and
with jaw set and narrowed lips felt
her way into the higher growth. The
/ LADIES' clappeO their udHuS dl uef nap
piness and freedom. Suddenly she
/ stopped. and shireked. She clawed
the air with outspread fingers. Her
face was gray with terror
"Oh. gee, Oh, gee" she screamed.
What is it. Ardelia? What is it2'
they cried, lifting up their skirts in
/ sympathy. "A snake?"
Mrs Slater rushed out. seized Ar
della. half rigid with fear, and carried
/ her to the porch. They elected from
her as she sat with her feet tucked
under her and one hand convulsively
4 clutching Mrs. Slater's apron that
/ something had rustled by her down at
the bottom that it was slippery. that
she had stepped on it. and wanted to
go home.
Toad" explained Mrs. Slater briefly
only a little hop toad Della, that
wouldn't harm a baby, let alone a big
girl 9 years old. like you"
But Ardelia. chatteTing with nervous
ness. wept for her shoes and sat high
and dry in a rocking chair for the rest
of the morning.
shes a queer child" Mrs. Slater
I cOnfided to the young woman Not n
( drop of anything will she drink but cold
/ tea. 1t don't seem reasonable to give
it to her all day and I won't do it, so
she has to wait till meals. She makes
a face if say milk. and the water
tastes slippery, she says, and salty
like She won't touch IT. I tell her it
good well water, but she just shakes
her head. She's stubbOrn's a bronze
( mule. that child.
She don't seem to take any interest
in the farm, like those Fresh Air chill
dren, either. I showed her the hens an
/ the eggs, an she said it was a lie about
he hens layin' EN-. Then Henry MIXED
the COW. to show her-she wouldn't be-
I leVc that. either-and with the milk
streamin' down from her. what do YOU
/ suppose she said2 You put IT inl' she
/ said ITnever could "a believed that Miss
! ForsvIhe. IL 7 hadn't heard it,
oh she'll get over it, said Miss Fol-
| sythe easily. JUST wait "a lew DAYS.
Good-by. Ardelia: eat a good supper.
But this Ardelia did not do. She gazeG