Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-01-26

had thought coldly of the disciples
calling and was minded to break away
and be a skilled craftsman, like his
father Now he was aghast to think
that he had ever been so near the Drink
of apostasy. With the river OF the
Water of Life springing crystal clear
at his feet, should he turn away ana
drink from the bitter pools IN the VIII
derness of this world? With prophet
ic eye he saw himself as another Boan-
erges lifting, with all the inspiring
eloquence of the son of thunder, the
Baptists soul shaking cry, Repent We:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!
The thought thrilled him, and the
fierce glow of enthusiasm became an
intoxicating ecstasy. The tinkling drip
of falling water broke into the MONDAY
silence of the forest like the low-voiced
call of sacred bell. For the first time
since leaving the mountain top he took
note of his surroundings. He was
standing beside the great, cubical boul-
der under the cedars-the high altar In
natures mountain tabernacle.
Thomas Jefferson had the deep peace
of the fully committed when he rose
from his knees and went to drink at
the spouting rock lip. 1t was deci,'ed
now, this thing he had been holding
half-heartedly in allegiance. Thele
would be no more dallying with temp
tation, no more rebellion, no more IT.
reverent stumblings in the dark valley
of doubtful questions. More especially
he would be vigilant to guard against
those backslidings that came so swiftly
on the heels of each spiritual quicken
ing. His heart was fixed, so irrevoca-
bly,, so surely, that he could almost
wish that Satan would try him there
and then. But the enemy of souls was
nowhere to be seen in the leafy arches
of the wood, and Tom bent again TO
take a second draft at the spouting
rock lip.
He was bending over the sunken bar
rel A shadow, not his own, blurred the
water mirror He looked up quickly.
mani" he cried.
She was standing on the opposite
side of the barrel basin, looking down
on him with good-natured mockery in
the dark eyes.
Il lowed maybe you wouldn't have
such back load of religion after you'd
been off to the school a SPELL" she said,
pointedly. And then: Does it always
make you right dry an thirsty to say
your prayers. Tommy Jeffy."
Tom sat back on his heels and re-
garded her thoughtfully. His first i'm
pulse was out of the natural heart,
rageful, wounded vanity squirting it on.
1t was like her heathenism imperti-
nence to look on at such a time, and
then to taunt him about it afterward.
But slowly as he looked a curious
change came over him. She was the
same Nan Bryerson, bareheaded, bare
legged, with the same tousled mat of
dark hair, and the same childish in
difference to a whole frock. And yet
she was not the same. The subtle diff
ference, whatever it was, made him get
up and offer to shake hands with her
and he thought it was the newly made
VOWS constraining him, and took cred
it therefor.
You can revile me as much as you
like now, Man," he said, with pridefnl
humility. You can't make me mad
any more, like you used to. I'm older
now, and-and better, 1 hope. I shall
never forget that you have a precious
soul to save"
Her response to this was a scoffing
laugh, shrill and challenging. Yet he
could not help thinking that it made
her look prettier than before.
you can laugh as much as you want
~ ooN Il iiCdil lic lllSlSleu. AM,
besides, Nan-of all the things that
I've been wanting to come back to.
you're the only one that isn't changed"
And again he thought it was righteous
guile that was making him kind to her.
''D'ye reckon you shorely mean that,
Tom Gordon?" she said; and the lips
which lent themselves so easily to
scorn were tremulous. She was just
his age, and womanhood was only a
step across the threshold for her.
"Of course 1 do. Let me carry your
bucket for you"
She had hung the little wooden pig
gin under the drip of the spring and
it was full and running over. But
when he had lifted it out for her, she
rinsed and emptied it.
Il just set it there to cool some," she
explained. I'm goin' up to Sunday
Rock afte' huckleberries. Come and
go long with me, Tom"
He assented with a Willingness as
eager as it was unaccountable. If she
had asked him to do a much less rea :
sonable thing, he was not sure that he
could have refused.
And as they went together through,
the wood, spicy with the June fra
grances, questions like those of the
boyhood time thronged on him, and he
welcomed them as return of at. least
one of the vanished thrills-and was
grateful to her.
When they were fairly under The
overhanging cliff face of Sunday Rock
she darted away, laughing at him over
her shoulder, and daring him to follow
her along a dizzy shelf half way ur
the crag; narrow ledge. perilous fol-
a mountain goat.
This he rernenahered La ter.