The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-05-13

shooting rouge, unuer the proper conU-
tons, they'll do the rest themselves,
think I'll take care of South. Now,
it's Up to you to have Horton there
at the same time
How do you know these men have
not already met-and amicably?" de-
manded Mr. Bradburn.
Il happen to know it, quite by
chance. 1t is my business to know
things-qute by chance!'
Indian summer came again tc
Misery, Haunting woodland banners OF
crimson and scarlet cTange, but to
Sally the season brought only heart
aohy membranes OF last autumn,
when Samson had softened his stoi-
csn as the haze had softened the hori-
zen. He had sent her few brief let
ters--not written, but plainly printed.
He selected short words-as much
like the primer as possible, for no
other messages could she read. There
we're times in plenty when he wished
to pour out to her torrents of feeling,
and it was such feeling as would have
carried comfort to her lonely little
heart He wished to tell frankly Of
what good friend he had made, and
how this friendship made him more
able to realize that other feeling
his love for Sally. There was in his
mind no suspicion-as yet-that these
two girls might ever stand in conflict
as to the right But the letters
he wished to write were not the sort
he cared to have read to the girl by
the evangelist-doctor or the district
school teacher, and alone she could
have made nothing of them. However,
II love you" are easy words-and those
he always included.
The Widow Miller had been ailing
for months, and, though the local
physician diagnosed the condition as
being right porely," he knew that the
specter of tuberculosis which stalks
through these badly lighted and ven
tilated houses was stretching out its
fingers to touch her shrunken chest
This had meant that Sally had to fore
go the evening hours to study, be
cause of the WEAKNESS that followed
the day Of nursing and household
drudgery. Autumn seemed to bring
to her mother slight Improvement,
and Sally could again sometimes
steal away with her slate and book,
to sit alone or the big bowlder, and
study.
She would not be able to write that
| II, ,,;ct,, 1o%t Thorn ho6 honn fnn
many Interruptions in the self-imparted
education, but some day she would
write. There would probably be
time enough. 1t would take even Sam
son long while to become an artist.
One day, as she was walking home
ward from her lonely trysting place,
she met the battered-looking man who
carried medicines in his saddlebags
and the Scriptures in his pocket, and
who practiced both forms of healing
! through the hills. The old man drew
down his nag, and threw one leg over
the pommel.
| "Evenin', Sally" he greeted.
"Evenin'. Brother Spencer. How air
| ye?"
"Tolable. thank We. Sally" The
body-and-soul mender studied the girl
awhile In silence, and then said blunt
ly:
we've done broke right smart in
the last year. Anything the matter
with ye?"
She shook her head, and laughed
| 1t was an effort to laugh merrily,
but the ghost of the old instructive
blitheness rippled into it.
I've jest come from old Spicer
South's," volunteered the doctor.
He's ailin' pretty considerable, these
days"
whats the matter with Unc' Spi-
.cer?' demanded the girl, in genuine
anxiety. Every one along Misery
called the old man Unc' Spicer.
Il can't jest make out" Her in
| former spoke slowly, and his brow cor
rugated into something like sullen-
| ness. He amt jest to say sick Thet
| Is, his organs seems all right. but he
don't pear to have no heart fer nothin'
and his victuals don't tempt him none.
| He's jest puny, thet's all"
I'll go over thar, an see him." an
nounced the girl. III cook a chicken
thet'll tempt him.
The girl spent much time after that
at the house of old Spicer South, and
her coming seemed to waken him into
a fitful return of spirits.
! Il reckon, Unc' Spicer," suggested
the girl, on one of her first visits,
I'D better send fer Samson Mebby
hit mout do ye good ter see him.
The old man was weakly leaning
back on his chair, and his eyes were
vacantly listless but, at the sugges-
ton, he Strengthened, and the ancient
fire came again to his face.
| Don't ye do hit" he exclaimed, al
most fiercely. Il knows we mean hit
kindly, Sally, but don't we NEEDLE in
my business
81 didn't low ter meddle," fall
tered the girl
| No, little gall His voice softened
NJ t,nYo