Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-21
Jack and Marie Fought Flood
BY Frances Marion

NHE Browns had lived on the banks
OF the Missouri river The family
consisted of Mr.. and Mrs Brown
sf1HEgNI and their son and daughter, Jack
- and Marie, respectively. One
April day Mrs. Brown was called to
see a sister who was very i'll in a town
some twenty miles distant. AS Mr. Brown
had some business to attend to In the
same town he decided to accompany her.
Thus Jack and Marie were left to keep
house and look after the farm in general.
There was an old woman making her
home with them who helped with the
light household tasks, but she was too
aged to superintend things in general
when the master and mistress were absent,
30 this duty fell upon Jack and Marie
jointly.
Those who know anything about the
Missouri river will not be surprised when
tell them that for some weeks past this
mighty and turbulent stream had been
changing its bed. This was nothing I'M
common, but the fact that the waters
were slowly and surely coming nearer and
nearer to the Browns house and barns
gave the family reason for uneasiness,
for formerly the river had made It's move
towards the opposite banks. Indeed, when
Mr.. Brown had built his big roomy farm
house overlooking the river he felt secure
in the location. for the banks were high
and the river curved outward encircling
the promontory-like point on which the
house stood. But the late rains and melt
ing Of the SHOWS further north added TO
the danger that now threatened. How
ever, Mr.. Brown. nor the farmers living
along the river did not feel immediate dan
ger. They figured out that about next
spring the real trouble would develop, and
that then they would have 70 move back
to safer points.
"wsn be gone several days, son." said
Mr. Brown, speaking to Jack on the morn
Ing OF his and Mrs. Browns departure.
"As II is too wet to plow-and a bit too
early In the bargaln-there's nothing to
hasten US home except our children. But
you are little man and Marie a little
woman; so I feel certain you can look
after everything as well as your mother
and could. You are most trustworthy
Youngsters"
'stay as long as you WISH" said
Jack. Marie. Aunt Jane (the old womau)
and can take care of the ranch all o. K'
And, while Jack was talking TO his father,
Marie, inside the house, was assuring her
mother that the home would run on as
smoothly durlVg her absence as when she
was present urging her to make nice
visit and not hurry home.
Jack drove his parents to the railroad
station. a mile distant; then he returned
and took up his work about the barn.
Marie, with Aunt James help, churned,
baked and prepared the meals. Thus the
children were busy all day and very
happy. But at times the roar OF the
mighty Missouri a few hundred feet
away made Morie at work I'm the house
stop TO listen and shudder Although she
feared nothing now, she trembled to think
Of the danger in store for their house
and outbuildings in the future. Her father
had said that morning that II the river
did not turn it's course during this high
water time he would be obliged to have
the house moved back some hundreds OF
feet before another spring thaw, This
would occasion a great expense and cen
siderable loss Of land. which would be
swallowed up by the water.
That evening about sunset Jack went
down to the waters edge to examine a
pole HIS father had set into the bank by
which TO gauge the rise Of the river. In
the morning the water was about three
feet from the top OF the pole Now. to