Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-01-12
FRANCIS LYNDE
CHAPTER vi.

when all the silent forest world was
stepped In the deep peace of early au
tumn. Thomas Jefferson was fishing
luxuriously in the most distant of the
upper pools. There were three fat
perch gill-strung on forked withe I'M
der the overhanging bank. and a fourth
was rising to the bait, yhen the peace
full stiffness was rudely rent by Il
crashing in the underground, and q
great dog, of a breed hitherto unknown
to Paradise, bounded into the little
glade to stand glazing at the fisherman
his teeth barred and his black hairs
bristling.
"Oh. pleased Don't hurt my dog!"
said rather weak little voice out Of
the rearward void.
you come round here and call him
off O. me-"
HE is not wishing to hurt you, or
anybody" said the voice. Down, Hec-
tori"
The Great Dane passed from sus-
picious rigidity and threatening lip
twitchings to mighty and frivolous
gambolings, and Thomas Jefferson got
up to give him room. A girl was try
ing to make the dog behave. So he
had chance to look her over before
the battle for sovereignty should be-
gin.
There was little shock of disdain-
full surprise to go with the first glance.
Somehow he had been expecting some
thing very different; something on the
order of the Queen of Sheba-done
small, OF course-as that parsonage
was pictured in the family Bible-a
girl. proud and scornful, and possibly
wearing silk dress and satin shoes.
Instead, she was only a pale, tired
baby in a brier-torn frock; girl
whose bones showed brazenly at every
angle. and whose only claim to sec
ond glance lay in her thick mop of
reddish brown hair and in a pair OF
great, slate blue eyes two sizes too
large for the thin face. A double con-
clusion came and sat in Thomas JEFF
ferson's mind: she was rather to be
contemptuously pitied than feared;
and as for looks-well, she was not to
be thought of in the same day with
hlack-eyed Nan Bryerson. When the
dog was reduced to quietude, the small
one repaid Thomas Jefferson's stare
with level gaze out of the diversified
eyes.
WAS 1t that you were afraid OF
HectOr!" she asked.
HUH" said Thomas Jefferson, and
the scorn was partly for her queer way
of speaking and partly for the foolish
ness of the question. Huh! 1 reckon
you don't know who I am. I'd have
killed your dog IL he'd jumped on me
maybe"
You are Thomas Gordon. Your
mother took care of me and prayed
for me when l was sick. Hector Is &
an extremely good dog. He woult
not jump at YOU"
IT'S mighty lucky for him he didn't,
Dragged Thomas Jefferson, with very
creditable imitation of his fathers
grim frown. Then he sat down on tn,
bank of the stream and busted himsel
with his fishing tackle as if he consid
cred the incident closed.
What is it that you are trying t
do?" asked Ardea, when the silenc'
had extended to the third worm i'm
paled on the hook and promptly alb
stracted therefrom by a willy sucke
lying at the bottom of the pool
Il was fishin' some before you an,
your dog came along and scared al
the perch away" he said. sourly. Then
turning suddenly on her: why don
you 20 autdu anu say II. is IL CduS
you're afeard to-"
II don't know what you mean"
Il know what you're going to say
you are going to tell me this is you
grandfathers land and run me off. Blu
l amt amin to go till I'm good an
ready"
You are such a funny boy" she re
marked, and there was something Il
her way of saying it that made Thorn
as Jefferson feel little and infantil
and inferior, though he was sure Their
must be an immense age difference :
ais favor. II think you are NEAR
meant" she sobbed, with an angr
stamp of her foot. Il want to &
ho-omei"
well. / reckon there amt anybod
holdin' YOU" said Thomas Jefferson
brutally. He was intent on fixing tn
sixth worm on the hook in such fash
ion as permanently to discourage tn
bait thief, and was coming to his ow
in the matter of possession wit
grateful facility. 1t was going to b
notably easy to bully her-anothe
point of difference between her an
Nan Bryerson.
II know there isn't anybody holdin
me, but-but can't find the way"
you want me to show your" h
asked, putting all the ungraciousnes
he could muster into the query.
you might tell me, 1 should think
I've walked and walked"
IT reckon I'd better take you; yo
might get lost again." he said, wit
gloomy sarcasm. Then he consume
all the time he could for the method
cal disposal of his fishing-tackle.
would be good for her to learn ths
she must wait on his motions.
She waited patiently, sitting on tn
ground with one arm around the nee