The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-07-01
6e Grip gf the Machine.
By Clinton Dans.,ti.ldi in co.mopoli,en.


in Cosmopoiiten.
conductor impatiently checked her as
she made for the door.
Go back" he said, brusquely. Your
ticket calls for Canfield."
Yes. ! know she interrupted. but
I'm going to get off here instead"
The deuce!" he muttered.
But the woman With one disdainful
glance at the flying train and the for
lorn station left behind it. turned swift
ly down a side path and plunged into
the forest ways that opened mysterious
tracks to receive her.
ON and on she went, When the uui-
etude of the woods was broken only
by %chiplnunks flirting here and there,
or twigs swapping under her feet, she
halted. sat down under Il great pine
and laughed.
They thought 1 was goin' to STAY
smoke enough in my time. They call
culated l vas goin' to spend n week I'm
town-me that despises the idee of 1T.
Town indeed. That means folks starin'
at Nore hat, and wond'rin' why yore
sleeves Amt cut better. You know
what I'm lookin' fer she added, with
quiZzical confidence, to the nearest
chipmunk. Its freedom-freedom
from every tie"
She stretched out her feet luxurious
ly on the rich pine-needle cushions.
lis good to be alone! Folks might
say ! was alone by myself to home a
heap-but was. There was
' somethin' tandi at my elbow the
't;lrnal time sayin', DO this-do that"
She threw II handful of ~pine-needles
n the stream beside her. and chuck
led to see them loaf away.
What if stephen could see me now
him that alters has been so careful
to keep me up TO the mark. / guess
the two of us amt wasted nary hour
sence u weddin' tower. HUH" she
shifted disdainfully, this beats a tower
all holler.."
a woodpecker in the tree above loos-
ened a bit of bark. 1t fell on her lap.
She threw it back up at him With the
eager amusement of a child:
You old scamp, you done it a-pur-
pose"
The woodpecker. wisely unafraid of
the aim feminine, merely Went on tap
ping. The woman arose and, after IL
guilty glance around, hid her best hat
in a hollow stump. hen out of her
satchel h drew a ragged sunbonnet
and Il red handkerchief. The banker
chief n knotted round her neck,
Gypsy fashion. The sunbonnet she
pulled over her eyes. This completed
her idea of disguise. She broke n young
sourwood. straight limbed and smoothly
red. for n staff, and resumed her jour
neN. leaving the bag concealed by the
stump. Sunset found her fan. from the
stream and the pine tree, and found her
still unweary and joyful.
She stood on Il high hill watching the
glories in the west. Presently the Won
der of the red light died. Drinking i'm
the fragrant dusk, she hurried down
the slope toward a distant farm. The
day $ duties We're over when she reach
ed the farmhouse door-she took care
of that.
The housewife eyed her doubtfully.
Yes, she supposed she would give her q.
bite of supper; and, yes, she might
sleep in the Darn.
The new made tramp ate her cold
supper as she lay oa the soft hay. How
delicious each morsel was. 1t was years
since she had eaten With any pleasure.
though for conscience sake she had al
WAYS swallowed something at the boun-
tiful home table. But this-this was
f%easting! The sauce of keen hunger
made he itifu! meal food for a god!
Supper over, she lay there. soothed
ana companioned by the dumb beasts
IN the stalls below her. The occasional
reslless stamping of horses never dis
turb bed her. Only once In the night she
woke: That was when a tiny thrush.
sleeping under the caves, sent forth a
sleepy. exquisite song.
She felt the first arrows OF dawn
pierce the darkness and sat up, confus-
edlN-then joyfully, as she remembered
mat the whole day was hers. The cat
Tie stirred sympathetically. Sounds of
hustle came from the farmhouse.
Az last she saw n boy and girl, just i'm
gether. the girl with pail in hand. Lu-
ella rolled out of sight i'm hay and over
heard an anxious dialogue.
Don't go in the loft urged the girl.
limidly. "Therc's n Gypsy asleep there.
She-she might hurt you.'
How asked brave thirteen. skep-
tically. II guess / amt afraid of no
old woman He walked boldly into the
barn. the girl following. Yet he did
not go into the loft.
When the girl had finished milking
she found the supposed Gypsy beside
her.
"Dearie." said the woman. ]coaxinylv.
give me Il drink,'
The girl turned her blue eyes jrreso-
lutely on the stranger. Her smooth
Young cheek flushed. Then she lifted
the pail of rich. foamN milk and Lucia
drank her fill from the edge. When she
had satisfied her thirst the girl said TO
her. tilnidly:
You cam have a biscuit. Shall i
bring YOU one"
Do" said hte smiling tramp. you're
ez good eZ you're pretty
The boy stood watching her in his
sisters absence. his hands i'm his peck
cts, his sturdy legs wide apart.
You ought To Try to git some work to
90; he said, reprovinsly, quoting his
elders.
DC you think said Luella. with
rank clmaradel'ie, that use | am
old l can't @njoI .; bit OF playtime nov
and then?' The boy frowned. puzzled.
Play he repeated. And YOU
wrinkled like that" Then he added,