Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-04-01

spot and looked down with astonished
face into the ditch. There Mettie
stood, pick in hand, her face flushed
red as fire.
In the name of common sense,
what's goin' on here?" he demanded.
There was a little scream from Met
tie and Joshua made a flying leap down
the hill There seemed to be no such
way of escape for the brave Mettie,
however, and she leaned against the
bank of earth, her hands still grasping
the pick, her head bare to the night
breeze. The long line of fresh earth
which stretched away up the hillside
showed the wondering farmer that a
new trench was being dug from the
large spring to the end of the pipe
which supplied the village.
"Oh, Mr.. Stone" Mettie began. and
something marvelously like a sob
found its way along with the words.
you will not be out Of patience with
Joshua and me, will you: It's all my
fault, anyway l couldn't think of let
ting that miserable lawsuit go on over
this trough. 1t has worried all of us
most to death. l have studied all the
books in the city, l guess; and finally
| thought l would just use a little COM
mon sense. 1t seemed to me that there
must be some reason why the water
wouldn't run up into that trough.
made up my mind that if there could
be little more force behind the other
spring, that would be all that was
needed. SO Joshua and l have been
digging this ditch. We have pipe
down as far as we have gone. Now
we are almost to the spring. II you
only hadn't come just now" Mettie
turned her face and dropped the pick.
Come, father; go back to bed and
let us finish the job" Joshua pleaded,
recovering from his surprise well
have the water running into the trough
in half an hour All we have to do is
to make the connection between the
pipes in the lower spring" "You go
to bed yourself! I'll not let Mettie dig
here in the dark any longer" And
Farmer Stone sprang into the ditch
and lifted her gently out of the narrow
quarters in which she had been toll
ing so heroically. A few minutes later
the work was completed The two
pipes were Joined by Joshua, who had
provided himself with a rude kit of
tools for that purpose. Then they all
three fastened down to the water
trough in the barnyard With fingers
which trembled a little Mettie turned
the faucet A gurgle of joy greeted
her ears and a moment afterward the
water trickled through the pipe, then
fairly gushed out in a stream. She
had solved the problem which had
defed the ingenuity of her father and
all the rest of the wise men of the vi
cinity. They stood watching the water
for few minutes in silence. Then
Farmer Stone took Mettie by the hand.
] Now you go home and sleep good"
he said. You've won two suits fair
and square"
And that was the end Of the trou-
BILE. But the town board did a fine
thing for Joshua and Mettie, when,
few months later, they set up the fam
lily hearthstone. At the next meeting
of that august body one of the men,
bers made motion that a pipe be
laid from the village main to the farm
yard of these worthy people, supplying
water for their stock free for all time,
with faucet at the back kitchen door
in easy reach of the charming mis-
tress." And the motion was agreed to
without a dissenting voice-Los An
geles Times.