The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-12

'iioSe miserable days, teaching and
coming home to smiling mother.
ready with fresh greens and berries
She struggled never to talk to AM
prose, she hid from him, lodged about
MIN, fed before him, and then, after
all, at the erd of the fifth day, as she
piodded home the long route through
the woods she came upon him sudden
iy. seated on a rock by the path.
No, ye can't hide from me this
time he said, stepping in front of her.
l lowed yed come this way less we
went home by Nineveh an thet's ten
mile
Good afternoon. Ambrose"
The mans face softened. Honey,
ye're sickv'
NO"
Then ye're plagued bout somethin'.
Ye tell me what, an I guess we kin fix
things up so it'll be all right"
Nothing"
He took both her hands in his and
drew her close to him. Her miserable
eyes implored his help, but she would
not speak
I'VE poor little girl What is it,"
Saloam trembled pitifuily. He was
so near, so comforting and strong!
Then there slipped in among the ferns
and grasses a little old figure, her sin
full, loving mother.
She Wrenched her hands away, she
spoke with all the last shreds of her
WORKOUT strength. "You take a great
deal for granted, Ambrose Treadway
never said ] cared for you. / don't.
My affairs amt yours. Let me byr'
She ran stumbling along the path for
fear he might follow her. But Ambrose
did not stir. CHANGING back as she left
the woods she saw him still standing
in the path, his eyes on the ground.
That night the rain, long prayed for
by the farmers, fell in sheets. Saloam.
dragging through the dreary, sleepless
hours, shivered as she heard it on her
roof.
The sun was shining on an earth.
| sweet and new washed, as Saloam
started next morning for school. At
the gate she met Cap'n Wisdom Dicky
I-Samuel in baptism, but rechristened
by neighborhood unappreciative of
| what it called them chucks O. wis
DOM graciously offered by the an
cient mariner
| "MOrnin'. Saloam; mornin'. Cinthv
Ambrose TreadWay he's asked me ter
go long o him an his hired men over
ter Bashan Center. Ann she's got ter
go over ter Pond Meader with her bur-
ter, an though Melissy's a-gettin long
consid BILE smart, yit her legs don't
sarve her much. So 1 come over ter
see eff ye'd go set with her a spell,
Cfnthy. till Ann gifts back
III be right long, tell Meissy,"
called the Widow Judd down the path
in answer TO Cap'n Wisdom's cheerful
shout 'Ye an Ambrose air settin'
out on consid bic Of a jaunt. | view ct
We won't be hum till come night"
That day, the last of school. SaIoam
| rewarS~- the faithful few still in the
| benches by closing early. She hurried
| home through the woods that she
might cast her tired body on the bed
out of sight and sound of all the world.
At the edge of the Judd farm she
stopped suddenly in sharpened misery.
| She had caught sight of her mother
stealing under the apple trees toward
| the Treadway farm. She remembered
| that Ambrose and Nathan would both
be gone all day. and that Sarah Fran
| ces never stirred further than the well.
Unable to go either forward or back,
| she crouched in the shadow of the
| barn.
The Widow Judd made but hasty
| pickings. Perhaps she feared the un-
! expected in the form of a neighbor:
| perhaps her own act, viewed i'm the
sunlight. wore a different face than
when Wreathed about by the moon
| beams.
| When t'ce kitchen door closed with
| don t-care bang, SalOam started to her
| feet, then sank down in horror with
quivering cry. There. in the ounce
bushes where she had hidden the first
night, was Ambrosei He leaped the
wall and stood beside her
Don't you say word against my
mother" She was up on her feet and
backed against the barn, at bay
Il amt goin'-"
Don't you say a word against my
mother" Her voice was a shrek.
| Ambrose gently opened her clenched
hands and drew her down on log be-
side him. The angle of the barn hid
them alike from his house and from
| hers.
I've known this before Saloam,"
his voice was only serious, not tragic.
| The girl rocked herself back and
| forth. "Oh. oh! oh, l tried to keep it!
| tried to keep 1t! I tried to keep itr'
she repeated necessarily.
| With one hand Ambrose held her
hands. with the other he stroked her
| hair tenderly Poor little girlr he
said once to himself. his voice deep
with pity.
Soothed in spite of herself, Saloam
gave him a quick glance. He was
smiling down on her with infinite love-
How come you to be here?"
Mis- Wren took one o her poor
| turns with her head. an l promised I'd
| stay with her till Nate could raise her
daughter long Bashan road. So, not
ter put Cap'n Wisdom out on his
cruise, sent him an Nate on together
| he'd jest come out ter look at the
ounces when I see your mother
How did you know first?" Saloam
| turned her face, white with suffering,
TO him.
! Ambrose. still stroking her hair, an
swered in his quiet drawl:
Twas a night last week, Old Bully
warn't well, an I'd come out en- the
middle o. tn night ter tn barn, fur
thought l heard him kickin' l think a
sight O tibet horse, though he is so old
for father always drove him. When I
come out o tn barn / see somethin'
movin' over here. / dunno jest what I
expected ter find, but 1 crep over kind
o. careful hidin' en- them same bushes,
an pretty quick l made out your moth
| er-"
oh" Saloam struggled to rise
| Ambrose held her back gently with
nicr hon do