Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-05-13

TIC Wn1te pike was the worlds great
highway, and Major Dabney it's chief
citizen.
lie was knocking his bare heels to-
gether and thinking idly of Major
Dabney and certain disquieting rumors
lately come to Paradise when the
tlnkltng drip of the spring into the pool
at the foot of his perch was interrupt
ed by sudden splash By shifting a
little to the right he could see the
spring. A girl of about his own age.
oarefooted, and with only her tangled
mat OF dark hair for a head covering,
was Milling her bucket in the pool. He
broke dry twig from the nearest &C.
dar and dropped it on her.
| You better quit that, Tom-Jeff Co.
don. taken sight O. you up there"
SAID the girl, ignoring him otherwise.
Ihats my spring, Nan Bryerson."
ne warned her dictatorially
Shucks! it amt your spring any
more'n it's mine!" she retorted. Hit
on Maize Dabney's land"
Well don't you muddy it none"
said Thomas Jefferson, with threaten
ing emphasis.
For answer to this she put ono
brown foot deep into the pool and
| Wr1ggled her toes in the sandy bottom
Things began to turn red for Thomas
Jefferson, and high, buzzing note, like
the tocsin of the bees, sang in his ears.
Take your foot out O. that spring!
Don't you mad me, Nan Bryerson!" he
| cried.
She laughed at him and flung him Il
| taunt. GU don't darst to get mad,
Tommy -Jeffy; you've got religion"
1t is terrible thing to be angry in
shackles. There are similes-pent vol
canoes, overcharged boilers and the
like-but they are all inadequata
Thomas Jefferson searched for mis-
siles more deadly than dry twigs, found
none, and fell headlong-not from the
rock, but from grace. The girl laugh
ed mockingly and took her foot from
the pool, not in Difference to his ou.-
| burst but because the water was icy
cold and gave her a cramp.
Now you've done it," she remark
ed. THE devil IL shore get ye for say
in that word, Tom jeff"
There was no reply, and she stepped
back to see what had become Of him.
He was prone, writing in agony. She
knew the way to the top of the rock,
| and was presently crouching beside
| him.
Don't take on like that" she plead
ed. Times 1 cayn't hep bein' mean:
looks like I was made thataway. Get
| up and slap me- if you want to. 1 won't
| slap back"
But Thomas Jefferson only ground
| his face deeper into the thick mat of
cedar needles and begged to be let
alone
60 away; I don't want you to talk
to mel" he groaned. You're always
| making me sin! You're aWfully wick
| ed
"'Cause I don't believe all that abort
the woman and the snake and the APP
pie and the man."
You'll go to hell when you die, and
| then I guess you'll believe" said
Thomas Jefferson, still more definitely.
! She took a red apple from the pocket
of her ragged frock and gave it to
| him.
Whats that tor?" he asked, sus-
piciously
You eat it, it's the kind you like
off m the tree right back of jim
| Stones barn lot" she answered.
"You stole it, Nan Bryerson."
We'll. what if I did? You didn't"
He bit into it, and she held him in
| talk till it was eaten to the core.
Have you heard tell anything new
| about the new railroad?" she asked
Thomas Jefferson shook his head. 90!
heard Squire Bates and Major Dabney
naming it one day last week"
We'll, it's shore comin-right thoo'
Paradise. I heard tell how it was goin'
| to cut the old Maje's grass patch
| ,;rr
| tEoo' you-uns peach orchard"
A far-away cry, Ions drawn and
penetrating, rose on the still air Of the
| lower slope and was blown on the
breeze to the summit of the great
rock.
That's nav, hollerin' for me to get
back home with that bucket O. water"
said the girl; and, as she was descend
ing the tree ladder: You didn't s'pi-
! cion why 1 give you that apple, did
you, Tommy Jeffy?"
"Cause you didn't want it yourself
1 reckon" said the second Adam.
NO; it was cause you said I was
goin to hell and 1 wanted comp'ny
That apple was stole and you knowcd
| it,"
Thomas Jefferson flung the core far
out over the tree tops and shut his
eyes till he could see without seeing
red. Then he rose to the serenest
height he had yet attained and said:
Il forgive you, you wicked, wicked
grill"
Her laugh was a screaming taunt
But you've ct the applet" she cried;
and if you wasn't scared of goin' 10
hell, you'd cuss me-you know you
would! Lemme tell you, Tom jeff, IL
the preacher had dipped me in the
creek like he did you. I'd be a mighty
sight holier than what you are. 1 GER
tnly would"
And now anger came to it's own
again.
You don't know what you're talking
about, Nan Bryerson! You're nothing
but "a miserable little heather; nv
mother said you was!" he cried out
after her
But a back flung grimace was all the
answer he had.
CHAPTER III
1t has been said that nothing comes
suddenly; that the unexpected is mere