The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-03-22
Fire and Water,
By LOUISE ]. STRONG.
Copyright. 1907, by p. C. Eastmcnt. {


and befogged him mentally. He tossed
in hot, restless haze, at times bah
bling childishly of mother - the
mother whose loss three years before
had sent him to the far west to try to
forget his LONELINESS. The struggle to
master the new conditions attendant
on ranch life had taken him out of him
self and done him good, and as success
crowned his efforts dreams Of a home
again, made so by the presence of q
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 on firm basis finan-
cially, as they would be when his pres
cnt abundant crop was harvested.
In his partial delirium and hazy wan
dering he muttered now the long re-
pressed confession, whispering it eager
ly with feverish impotence for the re-
Spouse his heart hoped for.
At length the silence which lay like
the pail of desolation upon the lonely
Sttle shack was broken by heavy foot
steps on the planks at the door, and
burly fellow strobe in with noisy
greeting: Hello, Harris! Laid up,
hey?'
The sick man reused to consciousness
and smiled feebly: How do, 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.
"Ain't wanting to eat much, 1 s'pose,
and good thing that is, too, for an old
bach that's got nobody"
Harris WINGED. Mother had been in
his sick fancy so much and with such
vividness that his bereavement seemed
but few days back. With an effort
he replied:
Il want nothing but water, and Slade
brings me a pailful mornings, when
he doesn't forget as he did today" He
gestured toward the empty bucket on
the chair besise the bed, but the visitor
did not notice it-nor the longing in
the fever red eyes and the cracked lips.
doctor, Of ,courseY' he intimated
briskly.
'No; Slade wouldn't go, for him, and
no one else's been in
"Slade wouldn't go! Ha, ba! Guess
not much! You don't get the old
ground hog that far from his hole back
Of the hill Everybody's buster than
In sheep shearing time, you know, har-
vesting their grain. Reason no ones
been along, l reckon. I'm through in
fine shape, / tell you, and I've prom
Used myself and gang to Snyder for
week. And, man, you'd ought to be
looking after yours. It's spelling fast,
l noticed" He laughed at the startled
expression that widened the hollow
eyes. Forgot 1t, had you? Well, you
want to see to it right away. l must
mosey. I'm out on sweet errand.
Got my new house done. It's beaut,
too, and furnished tiptop. And now the
cage is ready I'm going up to settle
the date of taking home my bird. Liz
zie's fought shy, but she'll pull steady
when we're tied all right. Ha, har'
"Lizzie?' Harris repeated vaguely,
his voice hesltating and troubled.
"Sure! Lizzie Bradley-Lamson. Kind
o. tidy name, 1 take it; something like
those swell New Workers.. Ha, hap
He roared boisterously at his flash of
wit. well, hope you'll pull up soon.
So long" He stamped. away, whis-
Ting, leaving the door OPEN.
In the silence that again closed upon
him Harris lay and stared out at the
quivering heat waves and little dust
eddies that whirled in at times, aggra-
waiting his burning heat and thirst.
But he did not notice them. He was
striving to steady his throbbing brain
and analyZe the torturing inner sense
of pain and loss which now intensified
HIS bodily distress.
The crop-the c-r-o-p-tbat was all
right. 1t was great. He could put up
the dainty cottage he had planned so
often these last months, since the
promise of early summer had shown
such abundant fulfllment in the ripen-
ing fields. The crop-the crop! Who
said 1t was spelling? 1t was all right.
He would begin on it today. when he
had drink. He could drink the we'll
dry. He fumbled clumsily with the
bedding and essayed to rise. but fell
back inertly, little foolish smile on
the parched lips. His head was so
big He had not known ones head
could be so big and heavy. And the
crop? The crop was all right He
would build the cottage-for-for Liz
zie. Lizzie! He cried out hoarsely.
with a pang of anguish at the sudden
dull recognition of his loss. There was
no Lizzie for him-none- none-nor
had been. What mattered the crop?
Let 1t spoil. What mattered anything
now -e-bird-cage-
Tie Brad-Liz? He scowled impatiently.
He could not get the name right. His
head was so big He was so hot
burning.
Mother! Where was mother? Was
she In the fiery lake that Elder Wat
son had so scared the little boys with?
He hadn't meant to be bad boy
mother knew-she would keep him. but
he was so hot-burnlngl Water. water!
Bradley Lamson! Liz
zio Rra1Iavc Tomcnpt rrba vorofo,o,l