The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-12-13

and there was no use fishing in the
ripples.
III can't fish, then he shan't!"
was the determination arrived at, and
presently a log came drifting down
to spin around In an eddy. Then
came board. a beam and slab. He
knew the girl was throwing them In
from the other end OF the mill, but
he didn't look her way. He simply
suspended his fishing and sat looking
over the river. Nothing could b. done
with man like that. and after an
hour Miss Kitty went home. When
she had told her story. which she did
almost with tears In her eyes, Uncle
Elijah drawled:
We'll. thar's folks as Is nigh-sight-
ed, and thar's folks as Is deaf. Mebbe
he didn't see nor hear you.'
Didn't see nor hear a girl!"
And a girl like her!" added Aunt
Mary.
I'll make him see and hear tOmOr.
row II have to hit him with club!
II he's In my place again I'll throw
all the old mill into the water to both
er hlm!"
The morrow came and the stranger
was there. The girl had come half
an hour earlier, but so had he. He
was pulling out the suckers the same
old way. No wooden Indian could
have been more needless of her pres
| ence. She walked to the far end Of
the mill. gathered all the drift wood in
sight and heaved 1t into the water.
The deep hole soon became unflsh-
able. She was rejoicing when there
came fash of lightning and a rum
BILE OF thunder. A sudden spring
storm was at hand. Almost before she
could seek the shelter of the mill It
grew dark and the rain began to fall
heavily. A thunder storm was the
one thing Miss Kitty Ravens was
afraid of. She sat down on a beam
and covered. 1t seemed as II night
i had set in for good The lightning
was fierce and the thunder awesome.
In two minutes the stranger was for.
gotten.
Il shall surely be struck dead!"
mOaned the girl, and l know
shouldn't have been so mean to that
man. He didn't know that he had my
place. He ought to have seen a girl
when she stood so near him. but per-
haps he's almost blind"
A tree on the other side Of the river
was struck by thunderbolt, and the
old mill shook and treInbled.
| The girl screamed out. and the next
moment she felt a hand on hers. 1t
must be the strangers.
Say. 1t was mean Of met" she said
as the thunder died away.
No answer. but he held the hand
with flrmer pressure.
! You had my fishing place. you
know, and was mad about 1t. Girls
do get mad sometimes, you know
That Is. l do. stood and stood and
stood. and you wouldn't notice me.
Hadn't a right to be mad?"
No answer.
| But I'm going to be killed, and I
don't want anybody to be glad of It
threw all that stun into the river
to spite you. l Just hated you. II
you we're = girl would you do like
thAt?"
HIN! H'ml" was the reply.
WHAT Can't you talk?"
II guess so, II try"
And can you see and hear1"
Both"
"Will-will the lightning hit the
mill?"
Il don't think so. The worst seems
~ tr d
Then. SIR" said Miss Kitty. az she
pulled her hand away and reached her
feet. III l am not to be struck and
killed l want to know why you didn't
speak to me?"
"Oh. l saw at once that you were
! snippy and conceited and needed TAX
ing down a peg. l am Mr.. Charles
Earle. Of Boston. and l believe you
are Miss Kitty Havens."
mo. sir. | am Miss Snippy Ravens,
and you please to remember 1t! You
can return to your flshing!"
| But. Miss Havens-'
And l. sir. am going home!"
But during the storm"
But the storm has passed and
am snippy! Fish. sir-fsh!"
And two years later, when they
finally became engaged. the snippy
girl said to the artist:
III you hadn't tried to take me down
a peg we might have been married a
whole year ago. That Is. we might
| II there had been a thunder storm and
a preacher together"