St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-05-27
Fire and Waters
Ey LOUISE J. STRONG.
copv-isAt. 1907. by P. C. EASEMENT.

& c.O.O.Cs-Os.Os'OOsOs-OsOsOsO.O
The fever scorched him physically
and befogged him mentally. He tossed
!, hot restless haze. at times bah
Ming chidish,y of mother" - the
notbar whose loss three years before
bod sent him TO the far west to try to
3 ,,rgat his LONELINESS. The struggle to
master the new conditions attendant
on ranch life had taken him out of him
solf and done him good, and as success
orovued his efforts dreams Of home
E ocon made so by the presence of
sweet faced girl wife lighted his toll.
* They were only dreams as yet, for
& to held himself humbly and had hest
t,ted to offer lis love until he felt that
81 his affairs were on firm basis finan-
E collv Il, they would be when his pres
ent abundant crop was harvested.
In bis partial delirium and hazy wan
dprur De muttered now the long re.
messed confession, whispering it eager
IL with feverish Impotence for the re-
sponse his heart hoped for.
At length the silence which lay like
the pall Of Gesolation upon the lonely
pttle shack was broken by heavy foot
stems on the planks at the door, and a
brrly fellow strobe in with a noisy
greeting, Hello Harris! Laid up.
"a hey
The sick man reused to consciousness
and smiled feebly: How do, Lamson.
Glad You came in. Yes. I've been laid
E NJ a bit-cant remember how long
fever nuddles 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
bis sick fancy so much and with such
yyiduess that his bereavement seemed
but few days back. With an effort
de replied:
n Il want nothing but water, and Slade
s. brings NE a paiful mornings, when
a he doesn't forget as he did today" He
81 gesured toward the empty bucket on
"a the chair beside the bed, but the visitor
Il did not notice it-nor the longing In
the fever red eyes and the cracked lips.
"a 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
= ground hog that far from his hole back
Of the hill Everybody's buster than
IN sheep shearing time. you know, har-
Il yeSting their grain. Reason no ones
ID been along. | reckon. I'm through in
fine shape, | tell you, and I've prom
Sed myself and gang to Snyder for
week And, man, you'd ought to be
& boxing after yours. It's spelling fast,
IS noticed He laughed at the startled
= expression that widened the hollow
E eyes. Forgot it, had you? Well, you
want to see to it right away. | must
lAVHV tl Nhl VII n oNNCl Aihhus
Y Got my new house done It's a 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
zes fought shy, but she'll pull steady
when We're tied all right. Ha, hal"
M "LiuieT' Harris repeated vaguely,
bis voice heSitating and troubled.
& Sure Lizzie Bradley Lamson. Kind
o tidy name, take it; something like
"a those swell New Workers. Ha. ha"
He roared boisterously at his fash Of
a wit "WeIl. hope you'll pull up soon.
So long" He stamped away, wills
& Ting leaving the door open
In the silence that again closed upon
llm Harris lay and stared out at the
Qlyerug heat waves and little dust
VI eddleS 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 anaIvZe the torturing inner sense
Z Oh pain and loss which now intensified
Dis bodily distress.
a The crop-the c-r-o-p-that was all
6 burning burning mother-Lizzie Brad
eyLamson.
'Uh you poor, poor boy! Bring some
water quick"
DID some one speak, or was it-again
Tue ltle foolish smile cracked the
paTeled lips lie had known mother
would come-she always did when her
8 Ooys Were hurt even If they did it
voIeleSs.F tAemSelyes-but she did not
Know Lo" big his head was or she
would lot try to lift it. Oh, he was at
'1e oId ~p@ng MISUNDERSTANDING!
lie must not have too much at once.
Tue poor boy" A warm rain fell upon
Ms lace the cup vanished; his cropping,
uelbAug hands could not find it. How
,Ouid be have too much when he was
ulrn'1s: That wasn't fair, Davie,
leA LIS head was so big that he
COULDN'T rum
Inc hrute-the perfect brute, to go
vi a4' leave him like this! Never
Zen get him waterr
NaS That father? No; Tige had not
IAl l'eL II was the fire-and heed
.,SS Joe-"bere was the spring and
Ie cup here, Mother was bathing
I|l D' burning head and face and neck.
a'S u'Aa2 and arms He smiled at her
suu whispered Good" and again the
"o'u Fla dropped upon him, and his
0s. u-oL. head was lifted and laid