The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-06-06
CHAPTER V-Continued.

Sure" said Mike. you'll git it right
yet. But | was goin' to put me cauli-
flowers there"
| paid "frind Morrissy"-for the
townlas the far-off noon whistle at
Slab City blew, and took my lunch
down to the brook while the scraper
ratified off down the road.
The brook reminded me of the pool
was going to build, and the pool of
vague dream, last night of the new
boarder, and then. with the patness of
'well-made" play the boarder her
self entered, as it were. That is,
heard the buggy coming. and the voice
Of Bert. lay down fiat behind the
tall weeds and grasses. and remained
hidden till the buggy had passed.
Then | finished my lunch and lay
for quarter of an hour lazily regard
ing the sky, great blue sky with
cloud ships floating at anchor in its
depths. while the indescribable fra
GRANGE of May in moist places filled
my nostrils and 4 song sparrow prac-
ticed in the alders. AS | got up to
return to my work, | saw suddenly
that the old apple trees in my orchard
We're showing pink-iust fraiI hint
Of it in the veil of young green. A
great cumulus cloud piled up like
Himalayan peak in the west beyond
my mouse-gray dwelling To the left,
the new lawn was shiny brown, and as
! climbed the slopes the smell of it
I,,. II.
left my land was already staked in
rows OF packed earth. neatly. The
scene was beautiful to my eyes, and
the imagined beauty of tomorrow made
me almost run through the orchard
to leave my lunch basket in the kitchen
and get my tools for the afternoons
work. At five O'Clock. as Joe was leav-
ing the garden. and Mike had gone to
the barn to milk the COWS, l, too, put
up my tools, resolved to enjoy an
hours loaf-my first since bought the
farm.
| scrubbed my hands and face at
the kitchen sink in a tin basin which
recalled my childhood. took long
draft from the tin dipper filled my
pipCt anu SlioiiCu uON Ii luIOuSu Tue
budding orchard toward the brook
The song sparrow was still singing.
The cloud ships were still riding at an
Choir. Even with my pipe in my mouth
l could smell the odor of moist places
in May. Walking beside the brook. I
suddenly found the green spears of an
iris plant amid the grasses
7 ct T
heard the crackle of footsteps on dead
twigs somewhere ahead of me, and a
moment later the vague form of a
woman was visible making her way
amid the impeding dead branches |
stood still. She did not see me till
she was close up. Then she gave a
slight start and said, Il beg your par
don. l trust l am not trespassing"
looked at her. while my pipe bowl
was hot in my calloused hand. She
was scarce more than a girl, l fancied,
pale and Enthusiastically not OF this
country world. | cannot say how she
was dressed, save that she wore no hat
and looked white and cool But | saw
that she had very blue eyes on each
side of a decidedly tilted nose. and
these eyes were Enthusiastically the kind
which twinkle.
"Trespassing is relative TERM"
said /, after this, l fear. rather rudely
prolonged scrutiny.
''You talk like Hills Rhetoric -
she smiled. with a quick glance at the
incongruity of my clothes.
Naturally" replied at was the
textbook l formerly used with my
classes
There was a little upward gurgle
of laughter from the girl "Clearness,
force and elegance. wasn't that the
great triumvirate?" she said.
Something like that, l believe" said
/. L am trying to forget"
And are these pines yours to for
get in? It should be easy. l was
walking out there in the road, and
spied the brook over the wall and
climbed through the briers to walk be
side 1t. because it was trying so hard
to talk to me. That was wrong of
me, perhaps. but l never could resist
brook-nor pine trees. They are
such nice old men"
ny, then. asked, ARE the little
virgin birches always running away
from tnem?'
Her eyes contracted a second, and
then twinkled. 1.-The birches plague
them" she replied
How do they plague them?" ! de
manded.
''Pull their pine needles when they
are asleep, of course" she answered
THANK you for letting me walk here
Not at ALL" said l, 1T is always a
pleasure to entertain a true natural
ist''
She smiled and made to pass on. |
stood a little aside, in silence And
In that moment of silence suddenly
from near at hand, from somewhere
IN these very pines, there rang out the