Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-09-02
~ ~. Fs'.F > = 2 ? sFHsF 3
A Fire In
The Woods
When 1t Was Over There
Was a Change of Heart
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES:

since they had been married twenty
five years before the Sunday afternoon
ride had been a regular proceeding.
Their daughter Beth waved them a
farewell as they drove out of the big
gate.
Beth looked anxiously away toward
the woods that bordered the distant
wheatfields. Behind them rose a pale
gray cloud now and then fecked by
flying cinders. Rain had not fallen for
several weeks, and the woods were
like tender, and the paths were thickly
carpeted with dry leaves fallen from
last year.
The kitchen windows faced the
wheatfields. and Rebecca's red face
was pressed anxiously to the pane.
Then she saw Beth and came to the
door.
1.-THE woods are afire, Miss Beth"
she said excitedly. Your pas wheat
will be done for if the wind don't
change pretty SOON
The wheatfield was an undulating
sea of pale green blades six inches
high. The dry weather had slightly
parched the tips. and Beth bent down
to assure herself that the grain was
too green TO be affected by the fire
even if it should reach the fields.
When she looked up again several men
were running across the field. One of
them saw her. paused and turned back.
Slowly she walked through the
wheat. her light tread scarcely crush
Ing the young shoots. Her fair cheeks
took on the rose tint of early dawn,
and her blue eyes We're yelled under
a thick fringe of lashes. The man
watched her coming toward him, his
handsome eyes drinking in her fresh.
spring-like beauty. Her pink gown fell
softly about her slender form as the
green wheat rippled about her feet
At last Beth lifted her shy eyes
and saw his good looking face with
its reckless, smiling lips-saw the
immaculate wilderness of his collar
and cuffs and the trim neatness Of
his handsome clothes. He carried his
coat on his arm and slipped into it
as she came up with him. They had
smiled a greeting into each others
eyes, and their first words We're com.
monplace enough.
THE woods are afire," said Ralph
Clinton. Don't YOU want TO 80 along
ana see the fun, Beth?'
y look of disappointment crept into
the girls face. Aren't you going to
fight it, Ralph:" she asked.
1 The young man laughed good ma
turedly. 1T isn't necessary. There
are half hundred trying to kill it
with sand or back fire. but it's got
too big Roadway. Besides, the wind
is strong from the southwest and
nothing can stop it until it dies out
for want of something to burn"
Where is it now, Ralph?" ques-
toned Beth quietly.
"Out in Deep Hollow woods-a
spark from the railroad started the
blaze and away she went. There were
five miles burned over at Wayneville
yesterday"
Deep Hollow woods belong to my
father He owns right through to the
farm here. 1t means q serious loss to
him." said Beth.
ITS too bad, Beth. but nothing can
save it, so there's no use in worry
ing" returned Ralph carelessly.
"Come; let US go and see the fun. The
woods are great at this time, you
know. Perhaps you may find n moe
casin flower"
"Wait moment" said Beth, and
she turned and with flying feet re-
crossed the field to the barn. When
she returned she carried q shovel In
one hand.
There" she painted, thrusting the
utensil into his unwilling grasp.
'Take that along. Ralph. I'm ashamed
to have you appear there unprepared
to fight the fire"
Not in these clothes-not on your
lifep' calculated Mr.. Clinton inele-
gantly. I'm carry the shovel for the
looks Of the thing, but if l fight a
forest fire 1t will be by proxy! Some
of the negroes from the hollow will
be smoked out and glad of a Job to
take my place for a consideration,
eh?"
'Those poor negroes" cried Beth.
disregarding his selfish speech. 81 for
got all about them. Their little homes
will be ruined, Let us hurry, Ralph.
In spite of your joking I am sure you
are going to help in time of need like
this
Without further parley Ralph helped
Beth over the fence and into a wood
land path, through which they hurried
ut greater speed than the young man
fancied. Given this time and oppor-
tunity, he felt that the April woods
were an ideal spot in which to ask
Beth the momentous question that had
been lowering on his lips for weeks.
He was quite sure of her answer, for
she had shown her preference for him
during the past winter, and his clever
ness and wit had quite thrown Ben
Wyatt into the shade-raw, country
pumpkin that Ben was!
Ra1Dh'o Inns ourla6 In 1itfIa eroiIa