The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-04-11
Fire and Water
By LCLlSE ]. STRONG.


o.O.O.O.O.O.Oo.O.O.O.O.O.o
| The fever scorched him physically
and befogged him mentally. He tossed
In hot restless haze. at times bab.
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
sss raaei life had taken him out Of him
self and done him good, and as success
| crowned his efforts dreams Of homo
again, made so by the presence Of
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 fnan
clally, as they would be when his pres
ent abundant crop was harvested
In his partial deirium aud hazy wan
derlng he muttered now the long re-
pressed confession, whispering 1t eager
ly with feverish impatience for the re-
sponse his heart hoped for.
At length the silence which lay like
the pail Of desolatlon upon the lonely
little shack was broken by heavy foot
steps on the planks at the door. and a
burly fellow strobe in with noisy
greeting: Hello, Harris! Laid up,
heyT"
The sick man reused TO consciousness
and smiled feebly: How do, Lamson.
Glad you came in. Yes, I've been laid
up n blt-can't remember how long
fever muddles my head" His speech
was broken and dragged thickly,
"Aln'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
vlyidness that his bereavement seemed
but a 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 beside the bed, but the visitor
did not notice it-nor the longing IN
the fever red eyes and the cracked lips.
Doctor, Of courseT' he IntImated
briskly.
s"No; Slade wouldn't 20 for him, and
no one elsc's been in
"Slade wouldn't go! Ha. ha! Guess
not muchl You don't get the old
ground hog that far from his hole back
of the hill. Everybody's busier than
In sheep shearlng time. you know, har-
vestihg their grain Reason no ones
been aiong. | reckon. I'm through IN |
fne shape. tell you, and I've prom
ised myself aud gang TO Snyder for a
week And, man, you'd ought 10 be |
looking after yours. It's spelling fast, |
I noticed" He laughed Mt the startled /
expression that widened the hollow /
eyes Forgot H. had your Well, you
want to see 10 II right away. must
mosey. I'm out on sweet errand
Got my new house done. It's q beaut,
too, and furnished tiptop. And now the
cage IL ready I'm going up TO settle
the date OF taking home my bird. LIZ
zIe's fought shy. but she'll pull steady
a hen we're tied all right Ha. ha''
"Idxziey' Harris repeated vaguely,
his voice hesitnting and troubled.
"sure! Lizzie Bradley,Lamson. Kind
o. tidy name, take II: something Ike
those swell New Workers. Ha. ha~
He roared bois'eronsiy at bis flash of
.it well. hope you'll pull up soon.
so long, He stamped away, whis-
thing, leaviBg the door oren.
In The silence that aglin closed upga
him Harris lay and starel oui at the
qulYerilg beat waves aud little dust
elties ihat whirled IN at times. agra
ating bis burning heat and thirst
But be did not notice them. He ~e5
striving 10 steady bis throbbing brala
aud nnslyze the tortufing inner fense
y D Ii and lass which now Intensified
h!s hoeii-' distress
The crsp-the crop that was all .
right II Was great He could put np
he dainty cottage he had planned ~
lfien these las, months. Since the !
promise Of early summer bad shown
.ueh abundAn; fulfllnlent 10 the ripen-
ing fields. The crop-the efopl Who