Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-09-09
FIRE AND WATER
After the Storm Came the
Calm of Love.
BY LOUISE J. STRONG.

and befogged him mentally. He tossed
in a hot, restless haze. at times bab-
bling childishly Of "mother"-the moth
er whose loss three years before had
sent him. to the far west to try to for
get his home grief. The struggle to
master the new conditions attendant
on ranch life had taken him out of
himself and done him good. and as
success crowned his efforts dreams of
home again. made SO by the pres
ence Of sweet faced girl wife. lighted
his toll.
They were only dreams as yet, for
he held himself humbly and had hest
tated to offer his love until he felt
that his affairs we're on firm basis
financially. as they would be when his
present abundant crop was harvested.
In his partial delirium and hazy wan.
dering he muttered now the long re-
pressed confession. whispering it ca.
gerly with feverish impotence for the
response his heart hoped for.
At length the silence which lay like
the pail Of desolation upon the lonely
little shack was broken by heavy foot.
steps on the planks at the door. and a
burly fellow strobe in with noisy
greeting: "Hello, Harris! Laid up,
hey?"
The sick man regained consciousness
and smiled feebly: How do. Lamson.
Glad you came in Yes, I've been laid
up a bit-can't remember how long
fever muddles my head" His speech
was broken and dragged thickiy.
"Ain't wanting to cut much. s'pose,
and good thing that is, too. for an old
bach that's got nobody"
Harris WINGED. Mother had been In
his sick fancy SO much and with such
vividness that his bereavement seemed
but a few days back. With an effort
he'replied:
II want nothing but water, and Slade
brings me pailful mornings. when he
doesn't forget, as he did today" He
gestured toward the empty bucket on
the chair beside the bed, but the visitor
did not notice it-n0r the longing in the
fever red eyes and the cracked lips.
Doctor, Of course?" he intimated
briskly.
mo Slade wouldn't go for him, and
no one eIse's been in"
"Slade wouldn't gol Ha. ha! Guess
not much! You don't get the old
ground hog that far from his hole back
Of the hill. .Everybody's buster than
! in sheep shearing time, you know. har'
vesting their grain. Reason no ones
been along. ! reckon. I'm through In
fine shape, tell you, and I've prom
ised myself and gang to Snyder for
week. And. man. you'd ought to be
looking after yours. It's spelling fast,
noticed" He laughed at the startled
expression that widened the hollow
eyes. "Forgot it, had you? Well. you
want to see to 1t right away. must
mosey. I'm out on sweet errand.
Got my new house done. It's a beaut,
too. and furnished tiptop. And now
the cage is ready I'm going up to settle
the date Of taking home my bird. Liz
zie's fought shy, but she'll pull steady
when we're tied all right Ha. har'
"Lizzie?" Harris repeated vaguely,
his voice hesitating and troubled.
"Sure! Lizzie Bradley Lamson. Kind
those swell New Workers. Ha. ha"
He roared boisterously at his fash Of
wit. "Well. hope you'll pull up soon.
So longv He stamped away, whis'
Ting. leaving the door open.
In the silence that again closed upon
him Harris lay and stared out at the
quivering heat waves and little dust
eddies that whirled in at times, aggra.
waiting his burning heat and thirst
But he did not notice them. He was
striving to steady his throbbIng brain
and analyze the torturing inner sense
of pain and loss which now intensified
his bodily distress.
The crop-the c-r-o-p-that was all
right. 1t was great. He could put up
the dainty cottage he had planned so
often these last months. since the
promise Of early summer had shown
such abundant fulfillment In the ripen-
ing fields. The crOp-the crop! Who
said It was spelling? 1t was all right
He would begin on it today, when he
had drink. He could drink the we'll
dry. He fumbled clumsily with the
bedding and essayed to rise. but fell
back inertly, little foolish smile on
the parched lips. His head was so
big! He had not known ones head
could be SO big and heavy. And the
crop? The crop was all right. He
would build the cottage-for-for Liz
zie Lizzie. He cried out hOarsely,
with Il rang Of anguish ut the sudden
dull recognition of his loss. There was
no Lizzie for him none - none - nor
had been. What mattered the crop?
Let 1t spoil What mattered anything
now Lizzie L-i-z-z-i.e = birdcage-Liz-
zie Brad Liz? He scowled impa tiently.
He could not get the name right. His
head was so big. He was 80 hot
| burning.
Mother! Where was mother? Was
she in the fiery lake that Elder Wat.
son had so scared the little boys with?
He hadn't meant to be bad boy
mother knew she would keep him. but
he was SO hot-burning! Water. water!
Lizzie-Liz-zie Brad ley Lamson! Liz.
zie Bradley? I.amson! The perplexed
look deepened to frOwn Of pain and
trouble. He had found her name. and
"a he drifted further and further from
the impudent young man. but a board
had been placed across two logs to
make a seat for her. and she instantly
suspected that 1t was his work. She
refused to sit down. For ten minutes,
or while she was getting real mad. she
wouldn't go within fifteen feet Of the
seat
Then the stranger suddenly made
bis appearance from behind the old