Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-03-19
IN LITTLE
SPRINGS CANYON
By Addison Howard Gibson.

I++t**.%I+-t*+tAs+ +.t-*.+-++ .s.'+.t.*.s
AS the pony picked its way up the
wild, rock bordered canyon Ivy Norris
took in great breaths of the ozone OF
the Arizona foothills.
This Is livingr she cried, throwing
Put her arms. '"The folks back home
would not know me. These three
months spent In this wonderful eli
mate have made me strong and young
again. And this weather. Back In
New Hampshire they are having snow,
while out here 1t Is golden sunshine all
day long. MY heart is full OF the day
Thanksgiving! When I write back
home that l spent my Thanksgiving
out in the foothills all alone the folks
won't believe me. They'll simply say
I'm learning western ways fast-tC
manufacture some big ones to boom
the country"
The last of August Ivy Norris, pale,
thin and thirty, had arrived from the
east to teach the Lone Mesa school.
The cowboys on Mr.. Towers ranch,
where she boarded and lodged, treated
the coming of the cultivated little wo
man as n great joke. Her short skirts,
the boots and the handsome little re
volver and cartridge belt furnished
them material for comment for weeks.
Even Warde Hughes, the foreman, was
amused at her first attempts to mount
and ride Pilot, the gentlest pony on the
ranch, but he equally enjoyed the pluck
with which she persisted in learning
to ride and the use of the little revolver
that looked so comically dangerous in
her small white hand
On this Thanksgiving morning the
handsome foreman had reined in his
COW pony behind thicket of mesquit.
trees and was watching faithful old
Pilot carefully bear his fair rider up
the trail of Little Springs canyon. All
at once he became aware of the fact
that a few months had wrought a
great transformation in the school
teacher of Lone Mesa. The thin form
had rounded out into graceful curves
the pale face had become plump and
rosy, ar1d her awkwardness in the sad
die had given place to an easy manner
novice.
shes like a girl of twenty" he so
liloquized. "By Jove, she's the neat
est edition of her species that eve,
struck these foothills. | wonder if she
knows where she Is going. She's 8
good ten miles from the ranch house
now and still going on. Well, she's
pretty interesting stray, and I'm going
to see that she doesn't get entirely
lost"
With this thought Warde Hughes en-
tered another trail then cautiously
maze ueJour, coming DacK 10 the
canyon just above Little Springs. Still
concealed back of some manzanita
bushes, he watched Ivy Norris come
on up the rugged trail. She was sing
ing stan2a of an old school song that
he remembered, and the notes floated
up to him on the warm November air
sweet and clear as an angels song
Suddenly she ceased, and she glanced
quickly up the slope. Then. catching
up her revolver, she sent a shot whiz
zing off into the chaparral \ tawny
ravine.
"Ah," exclaimed the foreman ad
mirfngly, "she made Mr.. Coyote hi
the dirt as well as soldier could have
done it."
Guiding the pony to the springs, Ivy
dismounted While Pilot drank IN
long, satisfying quafTs from one of the
little springs the young woman looked
about her, noting the steep grants
walls that surrounded her. the dceI
azure OF the sky and the golden glow
of the sunshine enveloping everything
like loving mother keeping winters
chill at bay. Then she saw Warde
Hughes approaching from an opposite
direction.
May I Join you, Miss Norris?" ht
asked.
Certainly, Mr. Hughes" she an
swered. 1T is noon, isn't it?" giving
an odd little squint at the sun as if she
We're already enough of plalnswomar
TO estimate the time by its elevation.
ut is about 1890" said Hughes, with
the old timers accuracy.
Then 1t is time for my lunch, ana
I'm as hungry as that wretched coyote
| shot at. 1t is Thanksgiving day, Mr..
Hughes. | have beef sandwiches,
olives, cheese, crackers and some fig
waters in my saddlebags. With New
England hospitality ask you to help
me eat them"
while 1t is not the custom of us cat
tlemen to take lunch at noon," he re-
turned, looking into the bright eyes of
the little woman before him, II am
glad to break the custom on this occa-
sion by accepting your invitation
Under live oak they spread the pa
per napkins which Ivy had brought
and arranged the lunch upon them.
Hughes soon caught the happy spirit
of his companion, and, throwing his
mask of conscious restraint aside, he
talked and laughed with her with the
pleasure of Il boy.
The spring must furnish us tea,"
she said, handing Hughes her pretty
silver folding cup. He quickly filed 1t
from the spring near by. Then he
passed the cup to her. 81 did not think
of having company" she said apollo
getically, touching the rim daintily
with her pretty lips. II wish had an
other"
I'm glad you haven't" protested
Hughes heartily. II like this one best"