Smyrna times., 1906-08-01
NATURES
COORSE
By NORA BRYANT
Copyright, 1906, by Ruby Douglas
By NORA BRYANT

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 pea pod and breaking it
open. no, you can't. 1t just isn't born |
i'll you. I've got to do it alone"
Why Alice"' exclaimed her mother |
with hurt infection.
"Oh, know it, mother. I'm hOrrid |
cross girl, but l can't help it. 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 it. 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 ghastly than ever, if pos
! Sible."
"Alice, Alice" sighed Mrs. Hum
phrey, you shouldn't talk so of your
father"
Aice'S face flushed deeper and she
shelled handful of peas before reply
ing. Then she looked out of the door at
the iimson weeds
Everything is all wrong, and it's all
fathers fault Why shouldn't l marry
Bob Phillips? Tell me that? Just be
cause he is a college man and his peO-
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 a sophomore now and know more
than l did once l am going to marry
Bob and father is going to agree to it
too
Alice looked at her mother Sternly
See your hands, blstered and hard
You creep out and chop wood ever.
time l turn my back Look at my
hands" She held up slender fingers.
mice things to carry back to the col
lege this fall. Now. I'm going out to
chop enough to get dinner with" And,
pulling a shade hat over her eyes, Alice
q walked out into the hot harvest sun
and picked up the AK.
Straight up to the new brooder house
she went and with Il neat swing of the
AK began battering up the brOoder
house door. In Il few moments the
door had disappeared and in its stead
on the ground near by lay neat pile
of stove wood. Still not quite satisfied
Alice looked about her. y hayracB
lay on the ground waiting for the aft
ernoon trip to the oat field. \ few
firm blows from the broad of the Ak
and the side boards showed signs Oi
weakening. Half dozen clever cut
with the blade, and the boards dropped
10 to the ground In five minutes th
l. pile OF wood by the broOder house wa
e, augmented by pile of heavy sticks
and before Mrs Humphrey could catc
4 breath to inquire the source bris
blaze LIGHTED up the front of the oil
5, cooking stove.
/ A little after - Mr.. Humphrey al
4 peared at the door
Mother" - Mrs. Humphrey paused
a. with a bit Of bacon poised on her for
- -''mothcr. can you tell me what ha
or happened to the old hayrack and
T., the broOaer house door?"
-. Mrs. Humphrey looked at Alic
zf W lN W my idlllIAf L N.SiA ANAAO
Alice, do you know
Alice poured the steamihg peas I'M
a china dish ana then glanced at III
!; father. Well" she said calmly, 'yC
il will find part of the door still in Il
.O3 wood box. but the last of the hayra'
IN is Just going up the chimney" The
she carried the dish of peas into Il
in dining room and set it carefully dow
NJ, on the table.
SO, Then Mr.. Humphrey began: "AliC
If you were not grown up I'd send "
to bed for two days"
th, Alice squared her shoulders, looki
MS into her fathers eyes with an EXPIRE
W sion strangely like his own. "Fathel
late she said. you are not fair. You 81
lys. your men the best sort of implemeI
with which to do their work. You Ike
the horses anl cattle in buildings ii
are for their greatest comfort, but y
exDect mother and me to find our OV
means for doing work that neither
- rs IS strong enough to do and to live
n building that scorches us in SUNNI
and freezes us in winter 10 say
least, you are not fair"
The great veins swelled in Mr.. Hu
phrey's forehead. and he took a sin
a step toward Alice and then stopped
2A if controlling himself by a physi
lN effort.
N "Alice," he said. Il forbid you to
II stroy any more Of my property. j
II how to punish you for what you hi
already done don't know. shall
until tonight"
That afternoon Alice was left ale
as her mother was called away to sc
- sick neighbor. For awhile she
auietly. then suddenly she flushed a
g tle. Far down the road she could
the figure Of man and horse NOV
Ie,surely through the heat. A
MA. smoothed her hair and glanced dow
NJ. the dainty whiteness of her go
even Then she waited. Soon the rider =
cd into the yard, with an eager shou
the sight of Alice. A fine looking W
Follow was Bob Phillips in his n
riding togs sitting his saddle win
ne'u" .oso of westerner And chalA