The bee., 1908-11-26
NEAR TO
NATURE
When Toms Enthusiasm Was
Damponed.

IL thlnk IL was aWtully FOOLISH OF Tom
to go. hope he will give It up and
come back to his law work In theory
It Is not so bad, but It really doesn't
appeal to me as practical proposi-i
ton"
The girl with the coral dinner ring
looked superior. 1T is all a question Of
temperament" she replied. Doubt
less a person with frivolous aspira-
lions would feel buried alive on
western claim, but can sympathlze
with Tom In his viewpoint. To per-
son of depth and soul there is nothing
more glorious than life close to the
heart of nature. am glad that strong
ly advised him to 90. 1t Is delight
fully poetic"
We'll, the land can't be worth very
much, or It wouldn't be given away
said the girl with the pearl eardrops,
with badly suppressed yawn.
"of course, you pay little for IT,"
explained the girl with the coral din
nor ring. Just about SO cents an
acre. Then you have to live upon IL
six months and grow fruit trees and
grain and such things. and it's
yours.
Il had q letter from Tom yester-
/ day" she went on, "and he Is wildly
enthusiastic. His tent was pitched
and he was living the freest kind OF
life, He catches rabbits every night
for his dinner, does his own washing
and cooking, and every day brings a
supply OF water from the river, three
miles away. Can you imagine any
thing more glorious than to live out
there in communion with the beauties
Of nature?"
"Of course, he hasn't been there
long" remarked the girl with the
pearl eardrops.
Long enough to appreciate 1t all,
though" retorted the. girl with the
coral dinner ring. Tom says he can
ters for miles and miles on his horse
across the country, with the exhil-
arating breezes from the far-off noun
tains tanning his cheeks, and the sun
sinking like a ball OF fire in a bed Of
endless green landscape. He comes
back with ravenous appetite for
broiled rabbit, cooked over the camp
ire."
Il should hate to peel the rabbit for
cooking" mrumured the girl with the
pearl eardrops, giving a squeamish
shudder.
We'll, there are some people who
never can rise above dances and din
ners and automobile parties.' Person
ally can see nothing in such empty,
pastimes. Just think Of Tom work
ing there in that glorious, primitive
wayi"
It was little over q week later that
the girl with the pearl eardrops
dropped in again to see the girl with
the coral dinner ring. my dear
isn't it lovely that Tom il coming
back so soon?" she exclaimed by way
Of greeting.
What do you mean?" asked the
other girl.
why, had letter from him this
morning and he said he was coming
back to civilization as fast as the
train could carry him."
The girl with the coral dinner ring
looked amazed. But ne was so
charmed with the lifel What has hap,
pened? In his last letter."
We'll, In his letter to me he says
he cannot imagine how he could have
been such q donkey. He says he
wishes he had listened to NY advice
Instead Of some other peoples"
But what has haDpened?" demand
Cd the girl with the ring.
Everything" replied the girl with
the earrings, comprehensively. In an
exultant tone. Then she condescend-,
ed to explain. tom said the novelty
Of 1t all kept up his enthusiasm for
the first week in spite of the fact that
be had become an animated bunch OF
polka dots from the mosquito bites
The next week il started to rain. One
night there was such a storm that his
.ent was torn. up and he was nearly
drowned Well, it kept on raining for
he next two days and Tom couldn't
get dry twig to build a fire Every
thing he had was simply drenched.
His blankets and clothes were wet
and soggy and he felt a dreadful cold
starting in his system. He couldn't
get his tent pitched again, for the
pole was broken. and Of course he
couldn't cook anything. He just sat
IN a box with his tent wrapped around
aim and sneezed and coughed and
wished that the rain would stop"
"Why didn't he take his horse and
ride to the town" asked the girl with
he coral dinner ring.
1T kept on raining and raining.
pursued the girl with the SArdrops. re-
Ientlessly, not needing the question.
The crisis was reached when his
horse broke its grazing rope and got
away Tom realised that he had to
get to the town somehow, so he walked
20 miles in the pouring rainl He said
about rattlesnakes. too"
20 DON'T Poor Toni Where ia he