Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-04-21

They began the walk again, now dis
appearing from the vision Of the three
hundred pairs of eyes. in the thickest Of
hazel and dwarf oak that intermediated
between the sandy prairie land of the
river bottom and the primeyal forest of
tn" upland hills. Unconsciously they had
quickened their pace as II it had been
the beauty of the valley and prairie that
had held them back heretofore.
81 meant to express my view that the
proletary is that immovable, imperish-
able, immutable, base and germinal of
humanity out of which has always grown
the slender and comparatively sparse
delicate and perishable roots and flowers
the educated the refined. the intelec-
tual men and women, and even cities and
communities of the earth. But I'm afraid
you will look upon this as lecture, Miss
Lizzy. And if l remember. you have
stipulated against lectures"
Then your lecture at Mount Zion foui
weeks ago"
WAS aimed at you, Miss Lizzy, must
confess. / thought that saw in you
great possibilities, if only there were
behind you the motive power of necessity
for continued exertion, coupled with the
physical ability to cope with sustained
efort-Or rather to achieve sustained eff
fort. And if | mistake not, the seed fell
upon fallow ground. Have | not seen
you armed with hoe and sunbonnet per-
forming prodigies in the well-kept gar
den behind your fathers house? Believe
me or not, Miss Lizzy, to the extent of
my deserts-you have really taken long
step toward quieting the Argus of Sand
town. After awhile it will blink COM
placently upon all your goiigs in and
your comings out. There goes fox
squirrel. How the wary scamp runs
straight for his own fortress, past many
inviting trees"
But you are quite sure that my gar
den exercises are the direct result of
your Mount Zion lecture. Mr.. Philoso-
pher? she said, with little pique dis
closed in her voice, as well as in the
arched brows and the dropping lids.
Might | not arrive independently at the
conclusion that ought to work the gar
den, as Mr.. Redden puts it? But my,
what heap of ugly red dirt, Mr.. Ma
son. Is this where you get all the heaps
of ugly rough stones that | saw in the
office of the State geologist once?'
They went on through the woods slip
ping down steep declivities, through beds
of brown leaves knee deep. leaping across
little slender, shaded rills, pulling great
punches of ''sweetwilliam" her and there,
looking at the surprisingly tall, slender
saplings of ash and elm, and poplar, and
hickory, that seemed to be in such hur-
ry of growth to get up into the sunshine
above the high tops of the parent trees
that they could not afford material for
lateral growth.
Here a bunch of wild raspberry vines
held its clusters of black, soft, sweet
berries too temptingly toward them, and
their fingers and lips were stained with
the purple juices.
Here a hen pheasant, spreading her
dropping wings and erecting her black
ruff tuttered along in a way that so
aroused the latent hunter instinct in
LlZzy Wickly that she intutively gave
chase, and only relinquished the pursuit
when the willy bird, having succeeded in
her diversion, and being satisfied of the
security of her numerous little brown
brood, finally flew high up in a leafy oak
ana Immediately stood so straight up
that it looked very much like bit of
dead limb.
Here tangle of wild rose bushes cov-
cred with the sweet smelling "forbears."
OF all the Marechal Nies and the Jacuue-
minots and sweet tea roses-prettier and
sweeter than any of their noble and
| naughty descendants, called the ramblers
irresistibly to them, and held them a
long, long time in admiring Investigation,
and delightful acquisition.
1t was at the end of this episode. and
when the glories of the wild rose tangle
had been exhausted, that Lizzy held I'D
large bouquet of the roses, the sweet
| williams, some wild pinks, some very
richly tinted bluebells and a setting of
long, rich, yellOw-green ferns to the ad-
miring gaze of Mr.. Mason.
This bouquet | shall leave at your
| tent for Prof. Huntey. If after seeing
this he shall still persist in keeping away
| from Sandtown and the Wickly residence
l shall be driven to seek him in his lair.
Isn't that the tent yonder, Mr.. Mason 2"
There was an odd. puzzled, uncomfort-
able, apprehensive and abashed look or
combination of looks on Mr.. Mason's
face, that made an impression upon Lizzy
| Wickly. Was he not hurt? Was the
poor old fellow so very jealous? And
was she altogether right in romping
through the woods in this hoydenish way
with him?
For although his long and abundant
brown hair was plentifully sprinkled with
gray, announcing that the cooling time"
of life had fully arrived, was his close
shaven face not ruduy and preternatur-
ally young?
THAT is the tent Miss Lizzy. And we
are upon it in the nick of time For
here comes a black cloud so rapidly and
Unexpectedly that-yes, we will have to
run or get a sprinkling. Quick! Give
me the flowers so you can hold your
skirts. Now give me your hand. Not
the left hand. That's Ominous in a race
like this. Now, hold hard, so l won't
have to hurt your fingers in my grasp
| Now, then. I'll never forgive myself if