Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-12-16

| III hiSleu the motive power Tor Its air.
blast More, it stood for him as the
summary of the worlds industry, as
the white 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
| Dapney and certain disquieting rumors
lately come to Paradise, when the
tinkling drip of the spring into the pool
at the foot of his perch was interrupt
ed by a sudden splash. BY shifting a
llttle to the right he could see the
spring. A girl of about his own age,
parefooted, and with only her tangled
mat OF dark hair for head covering,
was filing her bucket in the pool He
broke dry twig from the nearest ce-
OAR and dropped it on her.
| You better quit that, Tom-Jeff Co.
aon. 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
noren It's mine!" she retorted. Hits
on MAZE Dabney's land"
wen, don't you muddy it none"
SAID THOMAS Jefferson, with threaten
ing emphasis.
For answer to this she put one
brown foot deep into the pool and
Wr1ggIed her toes in the sandy bottom
Thlngs began to turn red for Thomas
JEFFERSON, and high, buzzing note. like
the tocsin of the bees, sang in his ears
rake your foot out O. that spring!
Don't you mad me, Nan Bryerson!" he
cried.
She laughed at him and flung him a
taunt You don't darst to get mad,
Iommy-Jeffy; you've got religion"
IL is a terrible thing to be angry in
shackles. There are similes-pent vol
canoes, overcharged boilers and the
hke-but they are all inadeouata
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 oug-
burst, but because the water was lev
cold and gave her a cramp
Now you've done it." she remark
ed. The devil II shore get We for saw
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 agonv. Sha
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 I cayn't hep bein' mean.
looks like l was made thataway. Get
up and slap me, if you want to. / 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
Go away; don't want you to talk
to mel" he groaned. You're always
making me sin! You're awfully wick
ed"
"'Cause don't believe all that about
the woman and the snake and the ap-
pie and the MANI"
You'll go to hell when you die, and
then guess you'll believe" said
Thomas Jefferson, still more definitely.
She took red apple from the pocket
of her ragged frock and gave it to
him.
What's that for?" he asked, sus-
piciously.
You eat it; it's the kind you like
off IN the tree right back of Jim
Stones barn lot" she answered.
You stole it, Nan Bryerson!"
We'll. what if 1 did? You didn't"
He bit into it, and she held him in
talk till 1t was eaten to the core.
Have you heard tell anything new
about the new railroad?" she asked.
Thomas Jefferson shook his head. 81
heard Squire Bates and Major Dabney
naming it one day last week."
We'll, it's shore comin'-right thoo,
Paradise. heard tell how it was goin'
to cut the old Majes grass patch
plumb in two, and run right smack
thoo' you-uns' peach orchard"
far-away cry, long 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 I give you that apple, did
you, Tommy-Jeffy
"'CaUse you didn't want it yourself.
I reckon" said the second Adam.
mo; it was cause you said 1 was
goin' to hell and I wanted comp'ny.
That apple was stole and you knowed
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:
I forgive you. you wicked, wicked
grill"
Her laugh was screaming taunt
But you've ct the applet" she cried;
and If you wasn't scared of goin' to
hell, you'd cuss me-you know YOU
would! Lemme tell you, Tom-Jeff, If
the preacher had dipped me in the
creek like he did you, I'd be a mighty
sight holier than what you are I GER
t'nly would"
And now anger came to its own
again.
You don't know what you're talking
about, Nan Bryerson! You're nothing
but "a miserable little heather; INV
mother said you was!" he cried out
after her.
But back-fiung grimace was all the
answer he had.
CHAPTER III.
1t has been said that nothing comes
that the unexpected is mere
ly the overlooked. For weeks Thou-