The Springdale news., 1915-06-18

troubled face, cause III go anyways -pappy kain't keep me in this prison no more"
 Stephen took the girls coaxing hand and smoothed it gently. He thought of it scanned and darkened and rough ened Still her eyes commanded him, and he answered hesitatingly:
 The north fortys your'n, Ike, and Retta's mine"
 "Retta-May, yuhre a fool" groWled her father with well-assumed dissatis- faction. "Yuhll wear rags yit. Reek~ on we'd better put this deal in writin right now, Steve There ain't no use O waitin'."
 Hadn't We better fix this door first Ike?" said the young man, regarding with suspicion the black stream seep- ing through Rettas barrier Looks like we'd be swamped perty soon.
 'Hain't nuthin we kin do but let the water run out again. Does that ever time hit rains. Haint never ben swamped yit. Retta-May, climb onto that bench and tuck yer feet under yuh. Now, Steve, write hit in that I gifts y'ur north forty as divided from tho south forty by Big Rock and Sen tinel Gum Tree. Haint no mistakin' that way O putin hit Everythin' north's mine everythin' south's your'n. Write hit in, Steve-write hit in"
 Standing almost ankle-deep in wa ter, the young man bent over the rude table and gravely wrote the document as directed
 As he handed 1t to Pedigrew the cabin tilted sickeningly forward, there was gurgling thrush of the foamy flood, and the fire went out quickly with strong smell of wet ashes. They were in total darkness.
 "Retta,' shouted Stephen. groping for her in the blackness. "Retta. Ret ta,"
 There was gasping cry from among the huddled furniture as the cabin righted itself with hissing outpour of water. and then sprang sidewise like chunk of driftwood in whirl- pool, and In a moment he held the girls dripping. shaking form tightly with one arm while he braced his back against the heaving side of the rough wall and spread protecting hand over the silk of her hair.
 Any minute something might drop upon them-some awful thing reach out of the hideous melee of sound.
 They could hear the old man blun- dering and sputtering furiously among the shifting debris. They could hear the grinding and tearing of rock and tree-the continuous swirl and roar Of angry water bearing them jerkily along in the awful gloom. Occasionally a red flare of lightning showed them the cabins wild interior, with objects heaped grotesquely against the fireplace. By one such flash the old man made his way over to stephen and Retta.
 Devils own night, this'" he shout ed angrily. Ben hyar nigh on to twenty year, and never did see no sieh goin's on before I'll bet we're in the river right now, goin' south like thun- der"
 So he punctuated the awful uncer- tainty, and reiterated raspingly as the night wore on.
 Finally, after what seemed an eternity of tipping and whirling none could guess whither, they felt the cab l in settle firmly and remain at anchor. The storm rested, and through the broken shutters filtered the grateful light of the coming dawn.
 Fighting the obstructing furniture. they made their way through the slimy mud to the door Pulling it wide on its sagging hinges, they looked out on a scene that drew sharp cry of wonder from the young couple and a yell of consternation from the thwarted old schooner.
 They were south of Big Rock and Sentinel Cum Tree, on a firm. root bound clump that had washed safely out into the stream and worked it's way to a quiet inlet in the water side of the south forty.
 The two valuable pastures were mo- whei., to be seen. Undermined and crumbled by the wearing flood of cen turies, they had melted and spread use lessly under the furious yellow stream, and over their coal and gas the water rushed and loaned and swirled; while. freed from it's pentup. Uncovered pools, Stephen Martins southland lay green and smiling on the ridges-rich ly, muckily black where the deeps caught the rosy morning light
 Amazed at the miracle wrought over- night by the storm and the freakish river, the trio stood, silently gazing from the cabin door. Finally the old man spoke:
 Well, Steve" he said matter-of-fact- ly, 'tain't whut I expected. but 'tis as 'tis, and hain't goin tuh squeal about hit reckon the parson1l do as well as the testice, the way things has turned out sides bein sight nearer, lessen he's washed away