Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-10-07

almost let the better part of him get
the upper hand. That made him sur
lier thar ever when he finally recov-
cred his string of fish from the stream
and said: We'll, come on, If you're
comm"
He told himself, hypocritically, that
ships she would have to face If she
should try to tag him, that he dragged
her such a weary round over the hills
and through the worst brier patches
and across and across the creek, doub-
ling and circling until the easy mile
was spun out into three uncommonly
difficult ones But at bottom the mo-
tive was purely wicked. In all the
range of sentient creatures there Is
zone so innately Inc ~barbarously cruel
as the human boy-child; and this was
the first time Thomas Jefferson had
ever had q helplessly pliable subject.
The better she kept up. the more de-
termined lac became to break her
down; but at tn very last, when she
stumbled and fell In an old leaf bed
and cried for sheer WEAKNESS, he re-
Tented enough to say: II reckon you'll
know better than to go projectin' round
in the woods the next time. Come IN
we're most there, now"
But Ardea's troubles were not yet at
an end. She stopped crying and got
up to follow him blindly over more
hills and through other brier tangles;
and hen they finally emerged in the
cleared lands, they were still on the
wrong side Of the creek.
Its only about up to your chin;
reckon you can wade it?" asked Thorn
as Jefferson, in a sudden access of
heart-hardening. But it softened him
a little to see her gather her torn frock
and stumble down to the waters edge
without a word, and he added: Hold
on: maybe we can find a log, some
where"
There was a foot log just around the
next bend above, as he very well knew,
and thither he led the way. The dog
made the crossing first, and stood wag-
ging his tail encouragingly on the bank
of safety. Then Thomas Jefferson
passed his trembling victim out on the
log.
You go first" he directed; so t
can catch o If you slip"
"Oh, you please go first, so I won
have to look down at the water!"
No; I'm coming behind-then I car
catch you If o get dizzy and go tc
fall" he said, stubbornly.
will you walk right up close, so
can know you are there"
Thomas Jefferson's smile was cruelty
misleading, as were his words. "Al
you'll have to do will be to reach you
hand back and grab me-" he assured
her; and thereupon she began in incl
her way out over the swirling pool.
When he saw that she could by nj
possibility turn to look back, Thoma!
Jefferson deliberately sat down Of tn
bank to watch her. There had nevel
been anything in his life so tigerishl!
delightful as this game of playing OIL
the feelings and fears of the girl who's
coming had spoiled the solitudes.
For the first few feet Ardea wen
> steadily forward, keeping her eyes fxe,
on the Great Dane sitting motionles
at the farther n of the bridge of peril
+ Then, suddenly the dog grew impatien
and began to leap and bark like a fool
l ish puppy. 1t was too much for Ardei
l to have her eye-anchor thus trans
formed into a dizzying whirlwind O
gray monsters. She reached backward
for the %reassuring hand; it was no
there, and the next instant the hungr
pool rose up to engulf her.
In all his years Thomas Jefferso
r had never had such a stab as tina
I which an instantly awakened con
science gave him when she slipped an
fell. Now he was her murderer, be
= yong any hope of future mercies. Fo
a moment the horror of 1t held hir
: vise-like. Then the sight of the grea
e Dane %plunging to the rescue freed hin
e Good dog!" he screamed, divin
n headlong from his own side Of III
pool; and between them Ardea wa
y dragged ashore, a limp little heap {
O %saturation, conscious, but with he
teeth chattering and great, dark cir
" cles around the big blue eyes.
!, I'm awfully sorry!" he stammere,
a IF you can't make out to forgive m
I'm going to have a miser'ble time of
q after 1 get home"
n ut will serve you quite right. No
h you'd better get mt home as quick 6
% ever you can. I expect I'll be sic
again, after this"
Il He held his peace and walked her
fast as he could across the fields ar
o. out on the pike. But at the Dabne
gates he paused. 1t was not in huma
10 courage to face the Major under exis
IS ing conditions.
II reckon you'll go and tell 20,
:. gran'paw on me-" he said, hopelessl
"Why should I not tell him? And
u never want to see you or lear of ye
h again, you cruel, hateful boy!"
ID Thomas Jefferson hung about Il
l. gate while she went stumbling up Il
1t driveway. leaving heavily on the gre
1t dog. When she had safely reached II
house he went slowly homeward. wa
lie ing in trouble even as he waded in Il
TX white dust of the pike. For when o.