The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1910-10-21

was very III at ease till heard that |
my little chum was out of danger |
and that she would suffer no lasting |
Ill effects from her fall. for at first |
it was feared she had been killed and !
later that she would be q cripple.
occupied my mind by going out to the
wood and cutting the other letters to
the name ! had begun on the beech
from which she had fallen.
i l was not allowed to see my little
girl friend again. Her parents con-
sidered me very bad boy indeed. and
was forbidden to come to their
house. My own parents probably
agreed with them. for they sent me
to a boarding school for little boys.
Before | went home for my first
vacation our family had changed our
residence. SO that the childish asso-
citation betwe Nellie and myself was
ended.
forgot all the children with whom
had played at that early age except
Nellie. 1t is mistake to suppose that
children have no love affairs. did
not know when suggested to Nellie
that we 60 up In tree and build
nest like the birds that was obeying
law Of nature. That something
which draws the birds to mate and
provide for their young was In me-
At any rate. considered Nellie my
sweetheart. and my sweetheart she
remained.
will admit that fifteen years later
whatever remained Of this childish
affection lay dormant. Nevertheless.
II was In me and. like spark. needed
to be famed into a flame. had
prospered for youngster of twenty
four and. though was far from
Nellie, longed to see her. At last
she had lived. and determined to go
and discover il she was still there.
Upon inquiry on my arrival
learned that she had not yet left the
parental home-the home she had oc-
cupied when ! had seen her last. It
was a bright summer morning. and
strolied up a familiar street and stood
before the house ! sought. | did not
wish to make formal call. SO ]
loitered IN the neighborhood till
young lady came out into the front
yard to water some plants. Approach
ing her. asked:
II believe a family of Ashursts once
lived opposite you In that house over
there. Do you remember themw
"IndistinctY. was very young
when they lived here"
| in1 how -, no
rigible young rascal. | suppose you
were too young to remember him?"
II remember him. There was cir.
cumstance that fixed him in my cbild's
brain. was with him one day In that
wood back yonder. or in what is now
left of 1t. and we climbed tree to-
gether fell and was severely hurt"
THAT must have been Jack Ashurst.
He was always trying to break his
neck or inducing his playmates to
break theirs. What became of himw
Il don't know. never saw him aft
er my fall. May ] ask II you are a
connection Of the Ashursts?'
"A very near connection. Jack told
me about this escapade you mention.
He said he cut your name on a beech
tree out In the wood. Is that tree still
standing"
at is. The letters are barely distin-
guishable."
I'm going out to see It,"
..T'll show you where It Is" she re.
piled. and. opening the gate for me,
we passed through the yard and over
open ground to the wood. She led me
to a tree and showed me the name
Nellie on Its trunk. The N and the
two rs were the only letters distin
guishable.
$50 Jack Ashurst cut those letters
Well. well. well. He must have beer
between eight and nine years old, and
you. ! suppose. were
"About seven. believe"
II understood Jack to say that he
had cut only the letter N on the day
you fell"
"When was recovering he came out
. here and cut the others. They told me
he was broken hearted at having sug
gested my climbing the tree"
"Why did he wish you to climb it?'
HE suggested that we play we wert
DlTuS duU Uuliu ucSl. ne IOuHu 7
, place for one and called me to 60 vi
. where he was and see it. In doing 81
! fell"
Il think Jack never recovered from
the shock Of that fall. AS he grew
older he realized his responsibility IL
the case He should not even have
permitted you to do that climbing
much less to persuade YOU"
. Nonsense! | did 1t Of my own &C
cord"
There was silence between us To-
awhile, at the end of which I said:
"You have not built a nest YETI"
She looked at me with puzzled ex
preston. repeated the remark II
another form. 81 mean you have no
married and made home of you
own"
She still kept her eyes fixed on me, ,
bit of surprise following her want o
comprehension. why did you express
II the other way?" she asked