Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-02-09

| ing upward through the beds of dry
leaves in the little hollows, when hi
met Ardea. She was coming dowr
with her arms full of holly, and for tn,
moment he forgot his troubles in the
keen pleasure of looking at her None
the less, his greeting was a brotherly
reproof.
I'd like to know what you're think
ing of, tramping around on the noun
tain alone" he said frowning at her.
1 have been thinking of you, iAost
OF the time, and wishing you could be
with me- she answered, so artlessly
as TO mollify him instantly. rs your
mother any better this afternoon?"
She is just the same; lying there SC
still that you have to look close to see
whether she is breathing. The doctor
says that if there isn't a change pretty
soon. she'll die"
20 Tom"
He looked up at her with the old
boyish frown pulling his eyebrows to-
gether
She's been good to God all her life J;
what do you reckon He's letting her die
this way for?"
1t was a terrible question, made more
terrible by the savage hardihood that
lay behind it. Ardea could not reason
with him; and she felt intuitively that
at this crisis only reason would appeal
to him. Yet she could not turn him
away empty handed in his hour OF
need.
How can we tell?" she said, and
there were tears in her voice. I'VE only
know that He does everything for the
best"
Il wish you'd ask Him to let my
mother live!" he said, brollenly. 1--WE
tried and tried, and the words just die
in my mouth"
There is a Mother of Sorrows in ev-
cry womanly heart, to whom the APP
peal of the stricken is never made in
vain. Ardea saw only a boy brother
crying out in his pain, and she dropped
on her knees and put her arms around
his neck and wept over him in pure
transport of sisterly sympathy.
Indeed and indeed l will help, Toni
And you mustn't let it drive you out
into the dark. You poor boy! know
just how it hurts, and I'm so sorry for
you'll"
He freed himself gently from the
comforting arms, got up rather UNI
steadily, and lifted her to her feet.
Then the manly bigness of him sent
the hot blood to her cheeks and she
was ashamed.
20 Toni" she faltered; what must
you think of mel"
81 think God made you-and that
was one time when His hand didn't
tremble," he said, gravely.
They had picked their way down the
leaf-slippery mountain side and he
was giving her the bunch of holly at
the Dabney orchard gate before he
spoke again. But at the moment of
leave taking he said:
How did you know what I needed
more than anything else in all the
world, Ardea ?"
She blushed painfully and the blue
eyes were downcast.
You must never speak of that again.
I didn't stop to think It's a Dabney
failing, I'm afraid-to do things first
and consider them afterward 1t was
as if we were little again, and you had
fallen down and hurt yourself"
Il know" he acquiesced. with the
same manly gentleness that had made
her ashamed. Il won't speak of it any
more-and I'll never forget it the long
est day l live. Good by"
And he went the back way to his
own orchard gate, plunging through the
leaf beds with his head down and his
hands in his pockets, struggling as he
could to stem the swift current which
was whirling him out beyond all the
old landmarks For now he was made
to know that boyhood was gone, and
youth was going, and for one intoxi-
eating moment he had looked over the
mountain top into the Promised Land
of manhood.