The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-04-13
- sTRe -.
Weayer's Knot.
BY FRANK II. SWEET.
Copyright, 1905, by Frank ". Sweet
BY FRANK II. SWEET.
Copyright, 1906, by Frank II. Sweet,

~ H, dear! can't do 1t, | can't.
Fl T've been tryin' whole week
now, an l amt no nearer
than when started. might
as we'll give up tryin' an go back.
'Tain't In me-"
There was pitiful despair in the
speakers voice, and the long, lean face
looked so woebegone as TO be almost
grotesQue. But the eyes were beauti.
ful-beautiful and pathetic. Ike the
ex's when overworked or the mountain
pheasant's when Gagged and brought
from Its solltudes-large. full orbed,
lustrous eyes. looking out with fright.
ened uncertainty upon new things. Jo-
sic glanced into them and checked the
laugh which had bubhled as far as her
lips, for the cause Of the despair was
only the tying OF a weaver's knot.
"Oh. well, Mellndy," she said reas-
suringiy, II guess you'll get 1t all right
in time. Most weavers have trouble
at first. know did. That knots
the hardest kind In the world till you
learn how; then it's the easiest. See"
And she passed her fingers across
thread. apparently just touching ii.
and there was knot Mellndy looked
on admiringly, despairingly.
"It's the fingers" she declared drear-
ily. Yours is soft an smooth an long,
an mine She held up her big. toll
worn hands as more eloquent than
words, and Josie nodded an assent.
.'Yes, fingers help" she agreed, "but
yours'll wear smooth in time"
al don't know" skeptically. MY fin
gers are pretty nigh big's your wrist
an bout as chunked ! amt bit o
finger tips, an they're what tie the
knots. Mines been all roughed up
chopin down trees in the woods an
handlin' the goad drivin' cattle an
peelin' tanbark an things like that.
The inside O my hands is almost hard's
q bone. don't believe they ever can
git soft ag'in, to have feelin' Ike yours.
I ought to "a stayed back In the
woods"
But you said you couldn't earn over
q dollar a week there at most" re-
minded Josie, ''and here you can make
Eve or SIX after you learn how to
weave. I'm making that now and
sometimes more. You want to do a
lot Of things for the brothers and sis
ters you've been telling me about and
for your sick mother. II you give up.
you'll have to give that up too"
aTf there was chanct the least bit
Of a chanct, I'd never give up" said
Melindy, a flush coming to her lean
face. "but can't sees there is. Pap
an me once chopped In the woods all
winter to pay a sickness bill o mas,
an | worked jest as long every day as
he did an got the meals. an we didn't
Rive up I'LL every last cent was paid.
Our folks don't give up. That's why
I've stuck to this knot whole week,
when / knew II want no use at the
end Of the first day. It's jest wastin'
your time an my time, an the only
thing Is for me to go back home"
There was no break in the voice now,
but Josie felt vaguely that a tragedy
lay behind the words, deeper than she
could understand. Tnvoluntarily her
hand fell upon the big. rough one
softly.
"Just you try it few more days
Melindy," she advised. Folks never
know what they can do till h comes
They think they can't, and it's no use
and they won't try any more, and then