The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-04-29
CHAPTER yI1l-continued.

lthe, without nat or wrap, her hair
ivory black-an intense feck of colour
clad In a plain working dress, her
hands holding two buckets dripping
from the instant only. but
TO Tom like a camera snap. He lodged
automatically-he had not been stalk
ing game like this-and took several
noiseless steps. 80 as not to startle the
girl. 1t was useless, however,; escape
was impossible. She was coming
straight toward him. and in a moment
more would be around the rock and
face to face with him.. He wheeled
about, and began to whistle. as he
were strolling up the glen and had not
seen her. A moment and they calne
full upon each other around the rock.
She did not start or cry out, but stopped
Instantly and looked at him with wild
eyes,. az a deer will When one comes
upon him on a forest path.
"Why-hello-o-o-o!" he said, bluff
surprise in his voice. - didn't know
any one was down here!"
Her eyes. intensely black, had long
lashes: her cheeks seemed a pale olive
against the jet of her hair. She did
not speak: h made a movement as IL
to get by him.
"Oh. I see; you are taking EN- up to
Poppy Miller's3"
"Lct me carry 'em. Til carry EN-
for You"
She put them down on the instant
and started ahead. Involuntarily he
stood and looked at her. She was tall
n straight and full-fgured. and she
sprang up the rocks as agile as a fawn.
Wait, don't run away" he called.
picking up the buckets and trying to
follow, but I'm a moment she was out
OF sight.
The girl was undoubtedly Iona He'll
or. He had sever' seen her before. but
he had heard OF her as a strange, shy
creature. whom no one, knew much
about. There was q beaten path all
the way to the cabin: 1t was evident
creek, n that the girl carried 1T.
Neither old Poppy nor Grannie
Miller was fit for such a task.
He crossed a rail- fence that lurched
drunkenly across the glen. and came
out into a Uttered yard. A ycllowish
horse, harnessed to an old wagon,
dozed before the house, but there was
no movement anywhere. The wildness
OF the place. with it's chaos of rocks. it's
ragged trees. and It's strange architec-
ture did not impress him. He was
looking for the girl. What should he
do with the bucket? AS he stood de-
Nberating. the old man himself, hoary
white and much bowed. appeared at
h door.
Leave 'em set right there" he quav-
cred. Are yeh going down the road
Wurst? Chump right in." Tom
Jumped in, and the old man laboriously
followed. There was a movement out
by the barn.
Huh! Tat peeg's already. wuts,
wuts. w,uts, wits! Here. peggy! Hey,
Ioney! Lo-ney-y-y-y! HUH! She
can't hear nothing still. Let I'm go it.
Cup, tere!"
He slapped the reins viciously on the
old creatures back. and, after awaklng,
II began to shambie down the moderate
slope. Tom watched the house mar
rowly. No sign of life. They reached
the n OF the yard: by a sudden i'm
pulse he turned again.
All! the upper window was open and
he caught the glimpse of a face. AT
that homer the sun. Just over the
ragged tear the gap, broke through
the cloudbank. and a slanting ray fell
full upon the girl OF the brook. lighting
UP her face with a strange momentary
TRANSPORTATION. An instant, and she
had disappeared.
Clear t'nlorrow." observed the old
nan oracularly. The shambling horse
lost.
1t was not far to the Heller's Gap
road, and little was said. that little be-
Ing from the old man and about the
W~ayWardness perversity Of "peegs."
Tom heard little and cared little. He
went home and. after the manner of
young fellows OF twenty, dreamed
o black eyes and q certain picture
framed in a window. And Poppy Miller
resumed his reflections on pegs just
as Il he were o a pow-wower and
didn't know that something had hap
pened.
The circle, about the squirrels stove
greeted the old man warmly. He came
to the store but seldom of evenings.
and when he did come it was an event.
" Is always comforting to have an UNI
disputed authority on things superna-
tural close at hand for ready reference.
that's q fne day. Poppy. Already"
Mmh-huh!'-a sharp accent on the
hrst syllable, which meant mo-" 9th
erwise accented 1t would have been
yes" 'Tis amt no saplin'-bender;
rs the onion 81 snow already, n
Drooth and trouble and a plenty"
"Mh-h-h-h-h-h!"
Gut your garden planted, Poppy"
"Mmh-huh! Signs amt right still"
Right for onions, amt 1t? Yas?"
down SO t'ey'l strike down wunst.
on, pshaW. this moon business
makes me tired!" burst out Amos
Harding. He was sitting or a chair by
the stove, both of his legs folded up
before him. his heels on the front Of
the chair seat. In this position he re-
sembled nothing so much as q long
geared letter q which has been sat
upon.
Heb? heh?" The old man bristled
UP and turned shabby.
II plant by the sun. not the moon"
.'Spose I'm blind. do We? 'Spose 1
hain't been seein' t'ese 60 year, heb?
You plant by tie moon, young man,
and you plant by tie signs IL you want
to reap. Mh-h-h-h-h-h-h!"
What are h signs for planting,
Poppy? Tell Amos"
Plant you taters and turnups In
the sign of tie scales If you want 'em
to weigh. Plant cowcumbers in tie sign
o tie twins. but don't yeh dast to plant
taters ten or t'ey'n all be runty and
scrotchy, and don't. for tie Lords sake,
plant 'em in tie fishes wunst, or t'ey'll
be SO watery you can't eat 'em still. /
done 1t wunst and l knows. Every
sing tat strikes down you must plant
in tie unnergehende. but beans and
peas n such truck must be put in
when tie moons in tie up. l wouldn't
plant beans in tie down Of tie moon
more'n I would clean out a stovepipe
In tie down-not a bit more. Plant
cabbage in tie lion still, so tie Juice of
the krout'll rise in tie crock. And you
uns ell remember tbs: tat all kinds of
vegetables and garden truck Is best II
Sey'9 PLANTED Inv n man Mh-h-h-h.hlH