Evening star., 1909-05-01

sweep ping across the foothills tumbled her
hair. pufed out her apron and chilled
her. But still she sat on, pictnring the
happiness tomorrow would bring until.
when at last she climbed down. she was
cold and stin and her mind was SO busy
that she dragged her sunbonnet behind
her by one string all the way to the
house
She went to bed as soon after supper as
she could, for she wanted to cover up her
head and have wake dreams" She even
forgot her regular evening task of driv-
ing the turkeys out Of tho digger pines
and into their soops so that the coyotes
might not scare them down and eat them.
She remembered her neglect when. late
in the evening, she heard her mother
shooting and scolding.
Tibet young 'un." Mrs. Powers was
saying, "c'n think wv nothin.' seems like.
Evrything on tn ranch cd JUS go tub
grass fer all she cares. Went tuh bed
thout gettin' these turks daown."
Then she heard her father from the
next room defending her. He had been
III with the chills and fever "off'n on"
for several weeks. He had them every
summer, though. and never bothered to
day to shake" and the next to "chill."
and working whenever he could. just as
the other men in the hills did. OF late
he had been worse than ever before and
often delirious. so that he talked q great
deal. His low. weak voice at last lulled
Sophronia to sleep
The hrst two years Of Sophronia's life
were spent in Missouri. Then the Powers
family came to California in a prairie
schooner drawn by four mules During
the journey Sophronia spent most of her
up ut the cover, and 1t seemed to her as
IL the broad, white canvas was as big
as the roof Of house. To Mrs. Powers
1t was the trip that was wonderful and
she declared that they must have trav-
eled as far as once around the earth.
But then she had never studied geogra-
ply or seen the ocean
In the wagon. on its long. tiresome
travel across the plains. were Sophronias ;
rag doll and doll bed, piled on top Of her
fathers and mothers things. and her
high chair roped at the back. But best
Of all her little. big-eared donkey. the
gift OF her Uncle VIII, trotted along ps-
hind the schooner all day and lay down
with the mules to rest at night. Her
father used to put her on the donkeys
back very often when Mrs Powers was
getting the meals over the campfire, and
around. In this way Sophronia and the
donkey got acquainted early and soon
grew to love each other. He was just
Sophronia's age and had been named
Scraps because he would eat anything
But sophronia called him straps-at first
because she could not pronounce her chs.
Straps was brown on top and dark
cream underneath. In winter his hair was
long and shaggy; but in summer time he
got sleek again. He had a clipped name
that stood up stihly as II he were scared
all the time; and his short tail was
clipped, too. except at the very end. where
there was a bunch that he used as
brush to keep the flies away. His hoofs
were tiny and round and had fringed
cuffs Of creamy hair at the top. His big
nose was very soft, and whenever he
long hairs on the end OF it. But the
most wonderful thing about him was his
voice-which was precisely like the big
saw in lumber mill
When Mr.. Powers reached Trinity
county, he located" in LonE valley,
which lies. shut in by high foothills ex-
actly where the letter ~ 10 on the map.
After clearing q level stretch Of trees and
underbrush he built two-roomed log
cabin with q lsan-to Of shakes where
Straps could be tied while the barn was
going up. for Sophronia would not be
parted from her donkey. and it was too
cold for her out in the clearing.
sophroaia and Straps led free. lazy lives.
and both came In for good share Of
scolding from Mrs. Powers; because
Straps was Of no account on the place,
and scphronia could not do kitchen work
II any one tried to ride the donkey on
an errand he would stop on the way, as
likely as not. to browse-and not even SO
much az flick his tail when ne was hit,
and II the little girl was set to work on
the dishes, 1t took her so long that ner
mother would finally get angry and tell
her TO git out'n tn house. Then Scph-
ronia and Straps would wander away to
gather pine nuts in the woods or to FISH
In the noisy trout streams. or they would
travel and travel. as far as Bella Vista.