The Press., 1906-09-05
NATURES
COURSE
By NORA BRYANT
Copyright, 1905. by Ruby Douglas

mEB. humphrey SnCllSu IAG peas AL
silence, waiting for the outburst. She
was a meek little woman accustomed
to listening to her beautiful, tall daugh-
ter and obeying her behests unQues
tioningly. Alice possessed all the indie
pendence of spirit which her mother
lacked.
mo, mother" said Alice, seizing
viciously on a pea pod and breaking 1t
open, mo, you can't. 1t just isn't born
In you. I've got to do 1t alone"
"Why, Alice!" exclaimed her mother
with hurt infection.
"Oh, know 1t, mother. I'm horrid
cross girl, but can't help 1t. Fathers
gone Off again and left US with no
wood. This has been going on for
three years now. Sometimes he re-
members to buy a load, but when he
does we have to split 1t. And In the
meantime we have to scratch and
scramble for wood just as If we were
as poor as poverty. Just look, we've
burned most of the fences till the place
looks more CHASTITY than ever, If pos
sible."
alice, Alice" sighed Mrs. Hum
phrey, ''you shouldn't talk so Of your
father"
Alice's face flushed deeper and she
shelled a handful of peas before reply
Ing. Then she looked out of the door at
the jimson weeds.
Everything Is all wrong, and It's all
fathers fault. Why shouldn't marry
Bob Phillips? Tell me that? Just be-
nonca ho 10 q oollaDo mon ond hio mn
pie live In town father has set himself
against him. Now, why does father
send me to college If he expects me to
settle down to chopping wood and cook
ing for the rest of my life? No, mother.
I'm sophomore now and know more
than did once. 1 am going to marry
Bob and father is going to agree to 1t
too"
Alice looked at her mother sternly
''see your hands, blistered and hard.
You creep out and chop wood every
time l turn my back. Look at my
hands," She held up slender fingers.
''Nice things to carry back to the col
lege this fall! Now, I'm going out to
chop enough to get dinner with" And,
pulling shade hat over her eyes, Alice
walked out into the hot harvest sun
and picked up the ak.
Straight up to the new brooder house
she went and with a neat swing of the
ak began batterlng up the brooder
house door. In a few moments the
door had disappeared and In its stead
on the ground near by lay a neat pile
Of stove wood. Still not quite satisfied,
Alice looked about her. A hayrack
lay on the ground waiting for the aft
ernoon trip to the Oat field. A few
firm blows from the broad Of the 6x,
and the side boards showed signs Of
weakening. Half a dozen clever cuts
with the blade, and the boards dropped
to the ground. In five minutes the
pile of wood by the brooder house was
augmented by a pile of heavy sticks,
and before Mrs. Humphrey could catch
breath to inquire the source a brisk
blaze lighted up the front of the old
cooking stove.
A little after IL Mr.. Humphrey ap-
peared at the door.
Mother" - Mrs. Humphrey paused,
with bit Of bacon poised on her fork
mother, can you tell me what has
happened to the old hayrack and to
the brooder house doorT
Mrs. Humphrey looked at Alice.
"Why why, father, don't know.
Alice, do you known
Alice poured the steaming peas into
q china dish and then glanced at her
father. WELL" she said calmly, you
will find part of the door still In the
wood box, but the last Of the hayrack
is just going up the chimney" Then
she carried the dish of peas into the
dining room and set it carefully down
on the table.
Then Mr.. Humphrey began: "Alice,
II you were not grown up I'd send you
to bed for two days"
Alice squared her shoulders, looking
into her fathers eyes with an express
sion strangely like his own. Father"
she said, 'you are not fair. You give
your men the best sort Of implements
with which to do their work. You keep
the horses and cattle In buildings that
are for their greatest comfort, but you
expect mother and me to find our own
means for doing work that neither Of
q building that scorches us In summer
and freezes US In winter. To say the
least, you are not fair"
The great veins swelled In Mr.. Hum
phrey's forehead, and he took a single
step toward Alice and then stopped as
II controlling himself by a physical
effort.
"Alice," he said, 81 forbid You to de-
stroy any more Of my property. Just
how to punish you for what you have
already done / don't know. shall wait
until tonight"
That afternoon Alice was left alone,
as her mother was called away to see a
sick neighbor. For awhile she sat
quietly, then suddenly she flushed lit
tie. Far down the road she could see
the figure Of man and horse moving
leisurely through the heat. Alice
her hair and glanced down at
the dainty whiteness Of her gown.
Then she waited. Soon the rider turn
ed into the yard. with an eager shout at
the sight Of Alice. A fine looking young
fellow was Bob Phillips in his natty
riding toys, sitting his saddle with the
ease OF westerner. And q charming
figure was Alice in the doorway with
the color deepening in her cheeks, her
great dark eyes Frightening and ehe
dimples coming to the corners Of her
ooh, Bob" she cried as he dismount-
ed and tied his horse, 1--WE been wish
Ing for you. Everything is so topsy
turvy in this horrid placer
Bob looked anxious. SIS it your IA
Their againT he asked as he drew her
down on the step beside him. Alice
tolc him Of her mornings experience.
Bob's face darkened.
Look here, Alice" he exclaimed,
'T'm not going to stand this. 1 knew
things were pretty bad, but never
knew you had to do this sort Of work"
BE took her hand, looked at the pretty
pink palm with the row of blisters
across 1t. "I'm not going to say any Of