The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-12

mornin'," said jumps, in the throes of
literary creation, TO see how much
sap had ruined into my biggest pail.
And hearn a funny noise and looked.
and what 90 you think l sawed''-the
ecstacy of fabrication was upon her
up above me in the tree2"
The dramatic pause was busily en-
ployed with thoughts as to what she
did see.
"A little squirt, and he Sided down
the trunk just as fast, and when he
come to the bottom he spread out his
tail, So"
jumps illustrated with hands and
skirt.
And sat down, and he looked like a
gray jug settin' on a fuzzy mat, just
zactly."
She laughed humorously at her ST
mile, taking meanwhile quick thought
ahead. She realized that her wonder
was beginning well, but she could not
hold her audience indefinitely without
some daring stroke
And then, what dye think, he
haved real perlite-"
jumps captured her audience by an
other bit OF business"
And he says Good mOrnin', ma am
| I'm the squirt what lives in this tree,
and I'll be obleeged eff you'll step
keerfuI. SOS not to wake up my chill
dren. ez air jest gone to sleep in their
little hunks That's what the squirt
says to me"
jumps was now in the center Of the
room, and her brown eyes shone red
in the stove light. Her fluffy hair rose
up into a little peak of excitement.
What sort OF a voice did he have,
Jimps?" queried Jeremy respectfully
Kind OF chittery like this" said she,
with plausible imitation. And [ walked
away just as 5Of'," she tip-toed up to
DaVy ''and-that's ALI
"Fust rate, You'll do, all right
said Davy cynically.
jumps brows went up in instant com
prehension. Now that she had told
her lie, she became its passionate de-
fender.
cross my heart and die, it's solemn
truf,"
In course it be-" mUTmured Jeremy
lovingly
Amt she Il corker, though, to tell
yarns? 90 said Mart when the door was
closed behind father and child. Takes
arter her mother all right in thet-"
IN she'll bamboozle him jest the
same when she's growed big" added
Davv-
Notwithstanding, every man in
camp. with the addition OF Garetta,
Ellis wife, the camp cook, loved jumps
devotedly.
Jeremy's marriage had been the ro-
nance and the tragedy of the little
y
The girl MeliSSy had suddenly ap-
peared in camp one stormy winter
night. unknown. unheraided and pitt
fully in search of a husband who
was in reality no husband at all Paul
I.awleSS. who had deceived the tOolSh
young thing, turned on his heel, and
by his silence disOwned her. Then
Jeremy. elderly. diffident and lonely,
had risen to the supreme height of his
life and claimed her as his own. y
quiet marriage had followed. and three
happy years. happy for Jeremy, full OF
discomfort and longing for selfish,
Drpttv Iight-o'-lOVe MeliSSy. The birth
of her child stirred only the feeblest
maternal instinct. although to Jeremy
it was the coming Of heaven on earth
Therefore it was not a surprise to the
camp when Melissy ran away with
Genus Adgate. flashy drummer from
Malone. Melissy's babbIing babe
saved Jeremy's life and reason IN the
bitter days that followed. When he
finally had strength to speak to her,
he was only known TO say that he
Ditied her and blamed himself more
than he blamed her After while he
made it possible for her to get the
divorce she wanted. The child he al
ways kept, and his whole rugged ma
ture was wrapped to absorption IN the
fragile scrap of girl.
That night Melissy and Genus came
to camp. The woman wished 10 see her
child. the only child she had ever
borne. and he had consented to satisfy
her whin1.
! An eff she's reel sweet and purity
well take her back 10 live with US,
won't we, Zene?' said she cajolingly-
She had been thinking lately how
nice little playthinS she would be-
''What'n Jeremy say?'
He won't say nothing when L tell
him how much I want her
She had shallow natures cheap
pride in its power.
The air was balmy with melting
SHOWS and spouting buds Shadows
wavered across the moonlight. The
moon quivered as a golden cross in a
black brook by the woods edge. Then
the log ShantieS came into view in
their clearing. low. dark roofs against
a luminous sky. The fair full moon
sailed above. Jeremy's candle fiickered
red through the slit Of an upper win
dow. He had taught jumps to say her
prayers.
And God forgib all my sins she
murmured with unsullied conscience
land bless me and Jeremy. Amen
Then he went down stairs-to meet
the chfld's mother She smiled her
prettiest. mindful of her ancient sway
But from the start she felt that some
thing of virtue was gone from her. He
felt il. too, remaining unmoVed where
a year ago his heart would have been
in his mouth and his temples bursting
The spell was gone.
The little forsaken girl of the bitter
night. the damp rings of hair beneath
the frosted hood-that had appealed
The chiId-mother. nursing her baby
with red winter skies cold through
frozen pines-that had appealed. So
had a. pathetic memory. But this this
h. cfr, I'll,
pIumes cooked up. on the jaunty hat
this was repellant.
''Shc f. mine miIls. mine, They shall
not rob me of her. he Hereby thougft