The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-11-12

doing the chores, Hiram labored with
his father in behalf of the water
trough. It was JOY to both of the
young people when the next day Farm
er Hankins allowed that he guessed
they might 60 ahead with the laying
Of their pipe line The water trough
was duly installed in the barnyard. and
the faucet was attached Then. when
everything was In readiness. on a Ger
tain day the water from the spring
was let into the main. 1t leaped into
the pipe and went rushing down to
give Joy to the townspeople. but not
a single drop Of water came throug,
the half inch pipe which rose up from
the main pipe five feet below to the
trough in Farmer Hankins' barnyard
Farmer Hankins then knew it was a
conspiracy against him and the town
officials never meant to do us they had
agreed. Hezekiah Banks always was IL
rascal, and he might have known bet
ter than to trust him. But at the
same time it was just as much of
puzzle to the water commissioner as to
Farmer Hankins himself why the wa
ter went so scornfully past the water
trough. He went all over the line him
self, peering into the faucet and listen
ing with his ear close to its mouth in
the vain effort to solve the problem
Then. to satisfy himself that the work
Of laying the pipe and making the con-
nections had been properly done, he
ordered that the earth all be dug away
and the pipe thoroughly examined.
Everything was found to be right and
no defect anywhere.
Finally an engineer from the neigh
boring city was engaged. and after
very carefully examining the line he
decided that, the spring being SO much
higher than the trough. the water came
through the main pipe with such tre-
mendous force that 1t had no time to
stop at Farmer Hankins' farm Some
were so skeptical as to this mans judg
ment, however. that another engineer
of still higher repute was summoned
His verdict was that the spring, in
stead OF being higher than the trough.
was, In fact. much lower: therefore
there was not enough force froul the
spring to push the water up through
the faucet.
Nov it's my turn to see what the
law II do said Farmer Hankins-
''They promised me water. and they've
got to furnish IT,
Some one reminded the old farmer
that the commissioner had only agreed
to furnish the trough and the faucet
and that the supplying Of the water
was not in the contract. 1t was very
perplexing situation. The town must
either be deprived Of water or the
trough must be supplied with it, and
Farmer Hankins brought suit against
the town officials. And now Hiram
and Agatha were in trouble again
What would become Of their hopes
and prospects for the future If mat
ters went on like this?
II know there must certainly be
some way to get water into that
trough" Agatha declared If | had
half the knowledge some folks think
they have 1t seems to me ! could fix it :
Agatha suddenly developed Il derid
ed taste for studying water in it's rela
ton to supplying cities and towns
| through the medium Of the gravity
system When all others would b.
sound asleep she would be poring over
books bearing on the subject which
she borrowed from the city library
| Then she made numerous visits to thu
spring She measured the distance M'
tween the spring and another larger
farther up in the village. on the bill;
side, as accurately as she could Will
her eye.
Still further to complicate matters
Farmer Hankins forbade his son Hi
ram from ever visiting Agatha again
I'VE will have nothin to do with
Them" he said. They're bad lot
don't know as | really ever heard ol
anything that Hezekiah Banks hat
done before this. and | used to think
I'd like well enough to have Agatha
for daughter. but this things enoug!
to convince me that you never woult
have minutes peace if you marie,
her-a chip of the old block"
Hezekiah In the meantime declare;
that Hiram never must darken hi:
doorstep again. "Good enough fellow
but what's bred In the bone will sural,
tell"
So matters remained thus for severa
weeks until It was almost time for tn
trial Of Farmer Hankins' suit On th
night before the day of the trial Farm
er Hankins was very restless ant
could get no sleep. He had alway
boosted that he never sued man o
had been'sued In his life. but now tn
record was to be broken While toss
ing on his pillow shortly after tn
clock had struck II he heard YER
peculiar noise that seemed to be nea
the house. upon the hillside. The OF
tener he heard Il the more mystitic
and curious he became. He looked otl
Of his window. and the full moon wa
shining brightly. and by the aid OF it
beams he could clearly distinguish
mans form standing near the snrin
on the side Of the hill. while from th
ditch he heard the sounds whicf, di!
turhed his slumbers. He dressed Il
quickly as he could and went on
creeping along the fence until he wa
within bearing distance.
"NOw. Agatha. it's about time 70
get out Of that ditch he heard a voit
say That's too hard work for you :
: "All right, Hiram. but ] think 70,
! hands are too sore to dig any more