The San Francisco call., 1904-04-17
SARAH'S STRATEGY
By G. B. Lewis

When evening came again behold
brother William nursing a sore heel
before the kitchen fire. and Sarah and
Enos cantering about the pond like two
children given holiday. The No. 10
boots worn by Enos soon made a slid
ing place, and, Of course. the coy Sarah
-Enos had never seen her so coy be-
fore-managed to slip down at every
slide and be set on her feet again by his
strong arms. Gradually, as she grew
more coy and artless, and as Enos gal
foped about with more vigOr and began
to wonder II he wasn't good deal OF
feller after all, she so managed things
as to approach nearer and nearer the
hole cut in the ice that morning. BY
and by she got a warning, and later on
another, but she smiled and said she
had a hero at hand to save her. Then
came the climax OF her planning. There
was a quick run down hill, long slide
and fall and a scream, and into the
hole she went 1t was no matter that
her feet could touch the cold mud and
make the bullheads wonder what was
going on, or that she could have pulled
herself out as fast as she got in had
she so minded. She had a part to play.
and she played it. At her first scream
Enos started for the house yelling "po-
lice!" at the top OF his voice. At her
second he turned back and grabbed a
fence rail and showed 1t at her so vigor-
ously that he came near breaking her
ribs with the end OF it. 1t was not until
scream the fifth had risen on the night
air to make the stars turn pale and
shudder that Enos flung down his hat.
yanked of his overcoat and blue yarn
mittens and showed himself the hero
that he was.
After trying to push Sarah q foot
farther down into the mud and water
he suddenly realized that the right
way was to pull instead OF push. and
with a heave and grunt he Topped
her out on the Ice. He had heard
that half-drowned people ought to be
rolled on barrel There was no bar
rel handy, and 30 he rolled Sarah over
and over In the snow. When he be-
lieved that he had recalled the flame
OF life he picked her I'D like bag Of
potatoes and flung her over his shoul-
der and started for the house. and
there was no mistaking his feelings
when he said:
'Tf Sarah dies Of this hope our
old muley COW will kick my head off,"
In wading through the snowdrifts
and climbing rail fences Sarah was
dropped three or four times, and each
time she family protested that she was
able to walk. but the hero had been
reused to action. and nothing could
stop him. Up went. Sarah again. her
S0OeS leaking. IIluQ anu water ana ueT
wet arms clinging around Enos' neck
and shoulders, and at last he arrived
at the kitchen door and kicked 1t open
and laid his burden on the floor.
"Gee-whiz. but what Is it?" gasped
brother William. as he got his sore
heel under his chair and faced about
"Sarah's fell In the pond!"
moi
And I've fell In love with Sarahl"
TT can't bel"
''Enos, darling, kiss mel" came from
the soppy bundle on the floor
'Durned If don't. and right on now.
with Bill Ioolxin' ont"
Next morning at breakfast. after q
long period Of silence. brother VIII
liam queried:
Sarah. who cut that hole in the
ice?'
Il did" she promptly answered
when are you and Enos to be mar
ried7"
'The first Of May"
'.Um. / see. Sarah. you are no old
maidi"