Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-07-03
Fire al Water
E, LOUISE J. STRONG.
!, copyri.;at, 1867, ~ p. c. Eastrnent.
E, LOUISE J. STRONG.

| The fever scorched him physically
and hefoe sed him mentally. lie tossed
| in hot, restless haze. at times bab-
bling childlshly of mother - the
mother whose loss three years before
| had sept 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 Il home
again. made SO by the presence of a
| sweet faced girl wife. lighted his toll.
They We're only dreams as yet, for
! he held himself humbly and had hesi-
| tated to offer his love until be felt that
| his affairs were o. firm basis fnan-
| cially. as they would be when his pres
ent abundant crop was harvested.
In his partial lelirium and hazy wan
| aeriug he muttered now the long re-
pressed confession. whispering 1t eager
| ~ 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
little shack was broken by heavy foot
| steps on the planks at the door, and q
| bury fellow strobe in with a 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
M a bit-can't remember how long
fever rnuddles my head" His speech
was broken and dragged thickly.
"Ain't wanting to eat much. / 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 a few days back. With an effort
| he replied:
Il want nothing but water, and Slade
brings re a pailful mornings, when
he doesn't forget, as he did today" He
gestu-ed toward 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 the cracked lips.
Doctor. of course?" he intimated
briskly.
NO; Slade wouldn't go for him. and
| no one else's been ill.,"
"Slade wouldn't go! Ha. ha! 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. reckon. I'm through in
| fine shape, tell you, and I've prom
ised myself and gang to Snyder for a
| 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 it. had you? Well. you
want to see to it right away. I 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. ha"'
"Lizzie?' Harris repeated vaguely,
his voice hesitating and troubled.
Sure. Lizzie Bradley-Lamson. Kind
O. tidy name. take it, something like
those swell New Workers.. Ha. ha"'
| He reared boisterously at his fash Of
wit. well, hope you'll pull up soon.
So longw He stamped away, whis-
| Ting, leaving the door open.
| In the silence that again closed upon
| him Harris lay and stared ont 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-that was all
| right. 1t was great. He could put UP
the dainty cottage he had planned SO
/ promise of early summer had shown
such abundant fulfillment in the ripen,
ing fields. The crop-the crop, Who
said 1t was spelling? 1t was all right
He would begin on 1t today. when he
had a drink. He could drink the well
dry. He fumbled clumsily with the
bedding and essayed TO rise. but fell
back inertly, little foolish smile or
the parched lips. His head was SC
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-no
had been. What mattered the crop
Let it spoil. What mattered anything
now -e-bird-cage-Liz
zie 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
I nod . ! l.