The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1910-08-25
The New Leaf


a@A4 ncAEJ DnAAItO4 "@AAc~ N-@"
y alop> the dusty road. his prospect
ing Sools slung over his back. The
hot sun beat down pitilessly and In
tenasned the headache which he had
fairly earned the night before. The
debsuch had not been his first. and he
was too experienced a hand to con-
sider Il his last. And yet he abused
himself roundly as he walked the I'M
familiar road. He had shaken the
dust OF Unknown from his feet. and
hidden goodby forever to that para
disc OF the iniQuitous.
He stepped to one side OF the road.
at the sound OF wheels. without look
ing up
whoa sounded a CHEEKY voice.
As the brake grated on the wheel
~Hev a liit Stranger
John Henry smiled up out OF a pair
Of very honest blue eyes. Wal. !
guess-rather." he answered. flnging
his pack into the wagon and climbing
over the wheel
All setF Queried the driver
No-hoid on q minute. said John
Henry. reaching his long arm for his
battered property. Thank you. ne
said, cordially, as he clamoered down.
The man drove on, mystined. while
John Henry explained his reasons 70
himself. IT was kind Of him 70 oner
II an you didnt like 70 hurt bis
feelings oy gittin' down on. mol
nor your own neither. That war the
principal tLing-your own Now. o
lazy drunken. worthless old repro
oate' MT the trail You lost your
chance for q lit last night Foot Il.
The John Henry who ordered John
Henry to foot IT, smiled whimsically
:. tne ieet OF me one who ooeyed him
-ns SHOES Nnien = aaneea the
-isH' oelore IN bAiy sa
.oon As oaaiy as they mad been ntteo
aor = were yet less ntted Ior a
nalu Anes, - man. z Jonn
nsas Dut pay Up pay up square
mni se Dc a. coward as Wen as every
'nAns eise.
As be strobe along. he thought II
All over What a middle he had made
0f things. Five years Of prospecting
md nothing to show for it-not even
4 decent pair Of shoes Wen. he had
had some fun-ratheri-even II It
had LETT a a taste IN his mouth. and
made a fool OF himself times without
number What had started him on
lis Jaunt he hardly knew-the i'm
preston had been too vague. And his
Wits had not been collected enough
know that q girls gray eyes, look
lng up at him through the smoke IN
.cGuire's saloon, were just the shade
n another girls eyes. though the gfls |
we're as different as light and dark
hess. thank Cod
He laughed a little as he recalled {
he ven Of the preceding night. A ]
big fool he had been-as usual on I
what use had It been. emptyfnx out ,
IFS h~ard-earned gold dust. y re it,
le soiled hand that closed Rreeduv Z
Iver III Imploring her with drunken '
naudIin tears ana paternal embraces =
o take Il and return 10 her fafbar
Well. she would returu-to Ru1v Z
lectures saloon. or some other-ard 3
o would he. At least. as soon a. he q
seen Martha-his little Martha- 4
Is little, brown Martha. with the
lear gray eyes. whose lin knsw no b
uile: who had believed in him when i
ie others had cast him on as the too
crou Of via cas- aonri.hs6 Il
I'D grew tail. Yes. he understood 81
ute wen now the longing that had
zen on him. II was tust to see Mar u
IA thai he had started out-not that ss
e had right or wish TO seek her RI
ut Just to look at her once more n
Imaelf unseen. ard remember forever v,
tier hat God had rade some women OF