The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-29
THE EVENING STORY
FIRE and water.
1Rv Louise .. Sfrong.l


| The fever scorched him p1ysicaHy
and befogged him mentally. He tossed
in a hot. restless haze, at time bah
/ bling childishly of the Mother" =
| the mother, whose loss three years be-
| fore had sent him to the Far West to
try to forget his homelessness. The
/ struggle to master the new conditions
attendant on ranch life had taken him
| out of himself and done him good:
| dreams of a home again made so By
/ the presence of a sweet-faced girl
/ wife, lighted his toll.
! They were only dreams as yet, for
he held himself humbly and had hest
| tated to offer his love until he felt that
his affairs were or a firm basis finan-
/ cially, as they would be when his pres
ent abundant crop was harvested.
| In his partial delirium and hazy
| wanderings he muttered now the long
repressed confession, whispering 1t
eagerly with feverish impotence for
| the response his heart hoped for.
At length the silence. which lay like
the pail of desolation upon the lonely
little shack, was broken by heavy
footsteps on the planks at the door
and a burly fellow strobe IN with a
noisy greeting: Hello, Harrisi Laid
up, hey 2"
The sick man reused to conscious
ness and. smiled feebly. "How'de
Lamson. Glad you came in. Yes, I've
been laid up a bit--can't remember
how long-fever muddles my head"
His speech was broken and dragged
thickly.
and good thing that is, too, for an
old bach that's got nobody"
Harris winced-rhother had been in
his sick fancy so much, and with such
but a few days back. With an effort
he replied:
81 want nothing but water, and
Slade brings me pail full mornings,
when he doesn't forget, as he did to-
day." He gestured towards the empty
bucket on the chair beside the bed.
but the visitor did not notice it; nor
the longing in the fever-red eyes, and
tho cracked lips.
Doctor. of course" he intimated
briskly.
"No, Slade wouldn't go for him, and
no one else's been in
. "Slade wouldn't go! ha, ha! guess
not much. You don't get the old
of the hill. Everybodys buster than
in strengthening time, you know, har-
vesting their grain. Reason no ones
been along L reckon. I'm through in
fine shape. tell youi-and I've prom
ised myself and gang to Snyder for
week-and man! you'd ought to be
looking after yours!-it's spelling fast,
I noticed" He laughed at the startled
expression that widened the hollow
eyes. Forgot it, had you? Well, you
want to see to it right away. I must
mosey. I'm out on a sweet errand.
Got my new house done; it's a beaut,
too, and furnished tip-top. And now
the cage is ready. I'm going up to
settle the date of taking home my
bird. Lizzie's fought shy, but she'll |
pull steady when we're tied, all right |
Ha, hal"
"Lizzie?" Harris repeated vaguely, |
his voice hesitatfng and troubled.
Sure! Lizzie Rradley-LaInson Kind |
o. tidy name I take it; something like
those swell New Workers. ha hal" He
roared boisterously at his flash of wit.
We'll. hope you'll pull up soon So
ong!' He stamped away whistling, !
In the silence that again closed
upon him Harris lay and stared out
1t the quivering heat waves and little
lust eddfes that whirled in at times
aggravating his burning heat and
thirst. But he did not notice them.
He was striving to steady his throb-
Ding brain and analyze the torturing
nner sense of pain and loss which
low intensified his bodily distress.
The crop-the c-r-o-p?-that was
Ill right-it was great-he could put
Up the dainty cottage he had planned
10 often these last months, since the
promise of early summer had shown
uich abundant fu1fillment in the rip
|
Who said it was spoiling!-it was all
ight-hc would begin on it today
when he had drink-he could drink
he we'll dryI He fumbled clumsily
With the bedding, and essayed to rise,
,ut fell back inertly. a little foolish
mile on the parched lips. His head
vas so bigi-he had not known ones
lead could be so big-and heavy-and I
he c-r-o-p?-the crop was all right
lie would build the cottage-for-for ,
a ri hno |
With a pang of anguish at the sudden, .
Iull recognition of his loss. There was
10 Lizzie for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Iad been-what mattered the crop! |
ct it spoi1.-what mattered anything
zzia-Liz-z-i-e-bird cage Liz I
lie Brad-Liz. He scowled Impatient
Y. He could not get the name right I
is head was so big-he was so hot 6
r? Was she in the fiery lake that Ell :
er Watson had so scared the little )
oys with-he hadn't meant to be
ad boy--mother knew-she would
eep him-but he was SO hot-burn- 9
lg! Wateri-water!-Lf zzie-Liz- I
lie. Brad-ley-Lamsoni Lizzie Brad
sy? Lamson! The perplexed look Y
eepened to a frown of plain, and trou- g
lie; he had found her name, and as
e drifted farther and farther from b
he carried her name y
18th him back to his little boyhood,
angling it with his brothers. but new u
r losing it entirely again. Lizzie t
,radIey- careful Davy-
lother said not to go near the bonfire 9
and now he was burning, burning =
Bradley-Lamson. +
,"Oh, your poor. poor boy! Bring
omc water, quick!
Did some one speak, or was i'll
gain the little, foolish smile cracked
nc parched 1ips-he had known
lother would come-she always did
hen her boys were hurt, even If they