Gunnison news-champion., 1909-12-17
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Ar LaHiEa ui.lzinnz cll.liI-ae o. ulie
- EEarc auzHr1 Aen nc.rn uaif
SD N slsic
70 hoari~ sa-Tpa q Hs Susfr
-N-ilas 1 claaza alF uiiud In Hoi soHa
Sssausoa. 81 caule rlGisi seer Hg -ssis
and sar ygu,~
= alag hslis.n' So - asiraoics D.
dhose dass.~ rufortaa Nif Laring eisrl
uatarulls Thea kis soioc beoamo ~.
rssEs = has'c youre kecpin' vatch
au iiso ritor. Airs Sasir. l.sst scar
.E0ur hrlithar p-urty aeas ga auated
or aud n Nasrt arvshiuz 10 vh.It D
b. nos Irs raiued fsr Hoarly a ~eck
~ n EiaFIors. ana & tasit bgidze zssrs
well. yosF huusc and crop u 80 Zoo. :"
~I'm nut afraid ~ iong ~ We soH .
got auy rain here. tufarEed Miss -
sic comfortably.
Yea bextar make shat lazy SWctio
keep an eye on the river. and u n
rises aHv ngorc III come over and hrlp
vuu. NeA I must be moViu' aloas
Aftcrus,sa. Miss Susie
Afternoon. retuEued the lady be
bind the usoraiHa niaries
NlNHH EaaIE HNNNNAHat|Aa AANII NINFN HAf "
backwara wave 81 Tefe Loriugs hand
when be- roaehed The coruer Of the last
hcid. hut bis hcad was turned toward
the river whose yellow current was
gradually rising o. the levcl II the
sterp banks once or fwire De- glanced
back a the how hrauHd house wing 50
near the bank and fea some degree
- relief Ia fhc recuiioction thai his
ewu comfortable dwelling was perched
on n kuoli above highest water mark
and must necessarily be place 81
refuge for his less fortunate neighhors
Slx man bs Prev iaus Miss Susie had
come from her eastern home % Hve
with her widowed brother. hut scarce
" three mouths had passed before be
had succumbcd % an atiack u heart
disease and thus had left Miss Susie
mistress n the hundred acre farm and
the well meaning hat sluggish swan
son and his capable wife. Selma
Comely. dark eyed Miss susan had not
lacked fur advice and vigorous assist
ance in managing the farm. for she
found kindly ncighbars an about her
and Pete I.oring had been her chief
HNA irtl III AENhi- Afft Aht fNAltH AhAt
had been planted by the energetic
brother. hut Pete had spoiled an things
by desiring Miss Susie 20 change her
quarters and become the mistress Of
the Ioring home and his quiet per
sistence had vexed the usually ami
able little woman 10 the point Of an
tagOnism
''IIe might know couldn't make up
my mind all of a sudden after being
single fer forty-fve years" she mur-
INJURED as she watched him ride out Of
sight She thought of the miles Of
" whispering grain fields that divided
her farm from Pete Ioring's place.
and her face grew somewhat anxious.
In the northern counties rain had
fallen ahundantly bat IN Painted Rock
the crops were slowly crisping in the
nncrciless heat. and now this swelling
tributary 81 the Missouri. fed by the
copious rains nj its source. threatened
complete humiliation Of the harvest
With a little sigh and sense Of
guilt Miss Susie responded to Selma's
call To dinner As she ate Of the
taothsome viands and tasted the de
icious berry pie she thought of the
hungry little Lorings' dining on mush
and milk. They were lovabe chill
dren. helpful obedient little things.
aud il was too bad that they were
motherless: there was only the busy.
kindly father and the drinking. igno-
rant old Indian woman. Mahona, To
care for them.
Take one of these pies and a pail
full Of the dinner over 10 Mr. Loring's.
swanson" she said. going around to
the kitchen door after dinner. and II
was with some relief that she watc'
ed the slouching figure Of the Sweu
riding down the road. large basket
swinging from one hand.
II was long after midnight when
Miss Susie awoke to the drip of rain
ON the roof and the soft rush of wa
Ter outside her window There was
sickenins motion to her bed. and
she was conscious that the furniture
in the room was creaking and stirring
ominously.
She called Swanson desperately.
There was no response. but she
thought she heard a faint cry from
outside. 1t came from above
"The roof she said dazedly. He
is up there, Why. the house is afioat,'
The floor slanted perilously as she
slipped to the edge of the bed and
tried to stand upon her feet. Some
how she managed to strike a match
ind light a candle by side The
room was in the utmost disorder. The
lighter furniture had gravitated to tine
outer wall aud the heavy pieces rock
ed To and fro dizzily with every motion
of the rocking house. Ornaments and
bits Of china strewed the floor. and
her clothes were huddled among them
She dressed herself hurriedlv choos-