The Falls City tribune., 1909-02-05

DA1I.
Winthrope cringed back, and broke
into a childish whine. "Don't-don't
do IT, Blake Oh, | say, Miss Gene
We've, how Fan you stand by and see
him abuse ME like this?"
Blake was grinning as he turned to
Miss Leslie. Her face was flushed
and downcast with humiliation for her
friend. 1t seemed incredible that a
mar of his breeding should betray
such weakness. A quick change came
over Blake's face.
Look here he muttered, Il guess
I'm enough of a sport to know some
thing about fair play. Wins coming
down with the fever, and's no more TO
blame for doing the baby act than
he'll be when he gets the delirium,
and gables"
Il will thank you 10 attend to your
W affairs said Winthrope.
You're entirely welcome. It's what
I'm doing Do YOU understand, Miss
Jenl y"
Indeed, yes; and | wish to thank
YOU. | have noticed how patient you
have been
Pardon me, Miss Leslie rasped
Winthrope. Can you not see that for
a fellow of this class to talk of fair
play and patience is the height of
imnertinence? In England, now, such
"Thatn do" broke in Blake. It's
time for us TO trot along
But, Mr.. Blake. if he is ILL
Just the eason why he should keep
moving. No more of your CAB, Win,
Give our jaw a lay-off, and try wig
Cling your legs instead
Winthrope turned away. crimson
with indignation. Blake paused only
for a parting word with Miss Leslie.
IF you want something to do, Miss
Jenny, try making yourself a pair of
moecasins out of the scraps Of skin.
You can't stay in this gully all the
time. You've got to tramp around
some, and those slippers must be about
done for"
They are still serviceable. Yet If
you think
You'll need good tough moccasins
soon enough. SINCE off the hair, and
make soles of the thicker pieces. II
you do a fair job, maybe I'll employ
you as my cobbler, soon as | get the
hide off one of those skittish antelope"
Miss Leslie nodded and smiled in re
Spouse to his Testing tone, But as he
swung away after Winthrope, she
stood for some time wondering at her
self. A few days since she knew she
would have taken Blake's remark as
an insult. Now she was puzzled TO
find herself rather pleased that he
should so note her ability to be of
service.
When she reused herself, and began
smuggling the hair from the odds and
ends of leopard skin, she discovered
a new sensation to add to her list of
unpleasant experiences. But she did
not pause until the last patch of hair
crisped close TO the half-eured surface
of the hide. Fetching the penknife
and her thorn and eatgut from the
baobab, she gathered the pieces OF
skin together, and walked along the
cleft to the ladder-tree. There had
beer time enough for Blake and Win
thrope to set up the signal, and she
was curious to see how 1t looked.
She paused at the foot Of the tree
and gazed up to where the withered
crown lay crushed against the edge
of the cliff. The height of the rocky
wall made her hesitate; yet the men,
in passing up and down, had SO
cleared away the twigs and leaves and
broken the branches on the upper side
of the trunk, that it offered a means
of ascent far from difficult even for a
young lady.
The one difficulty was to reach the
lower branches. She could hardly
touch them with her finger-tips. But
her barbaric costume must have in
spired her. She listened for a mo-
ment, and hearing no sound to indicate
the return of the men, clasped the
upper side of the trunk with her
hands and knees, and made an EN-
ergetic attempt to climb. The posture
was far from dignified. but the girls
eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she
found herself slowly mounting.
When, flushed and breathless, she
gained a foothold among the branches,
she looked down at the ground, and
permitted herself a merry little giggle
such as she had not INDUCED in since
leaving boarding-school. She had
actually climbed a tree. She wonl
show Mr.. Blake that she was not SO
helpless as he fancied.
At the thought, she clambered on
up, finding that the branches made
convenient steps. h did not look
back, and the screen OF treetops be
meath saved her from any sense OF
giddiness. AS her head came above
the level of the cliff, she peered
through the foliage, and saw the sig
mailbag far over near the end of the
headland. The big piece of white
duck stood out bravely against the
IT, H.. Ill ,I, .Ar aAng,,fn,tntI9 for