The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-10-03
FIRE and WATER
After the Storm Came the
Calm of Love.
By LOUISE ). r o

In q not, restless maze. III times DAD
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
q home again. made SC by the pres
ence of a 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 were on a 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 a 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 thickly.
"Ain't wanting to eat much. l 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 efort
he replied:
II want nothing but water, and Slade
brings me a 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-nor the longing in the
fever red eyes and the cracked lips.
Doctor, of courseY" he intimated
briskly.
mo. Slade wouldn't 60 for him. and
one else's been in"
"Slade wouldn't go! Ia. 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. l reckon. I'm through in
fine shape, l tell you. and I've PROM
ised myself and gang to Snyder for a
week. And, mar. you'd ought to be
looking after yours. It's spelling fast.
l noticed" He laughed ut the startled
that widened the hollow
"Forgot it. had you? Well. you
want to see to it right away. must
mosey. I'm out or a 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. Ia. ha"
"Lizzie?" Harris repeated vaguely.
his voice hesitating and troubled.
"Sure! Lizzie Bradley Lamson. Kind
O. tidy name, I take it, something like
those swell New Workers. Ha. hal
He roared b%oisterously at his fash Of
wit. well hope you'll pull up soon.
So long" 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 wave 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. It 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 fulfllment in the ripen.
ing fields. The crop-the crop! Who
said it was spelling? It was all right.
He would begin on it today, when he
had a drink. He could drink the well
dry. He fumbled clumsily with the
bedding and essayed to rise, but fell
back inertly. a 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 a pang Of anguish at the sudden
dull recognition Of his loss. There was
nd Lizzie for him - non none nor
had been. What mattered the crop?
Let It spoil. What mattered anything
nov
xie Brad-Li51 He scowled impatently.
He could not get the name right His
head was 30 big. He was 30 hot
burning.
Mother! Where was mother? Was
she In the nery lake that Elder Wat.
son had 90 scared the little sboys wHith7
He hadn't meant to be 4 bad boy
mofhor knov-aho womb kaen him INT