Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-11-17
oA&ory of
Today and
ofAnDays

"Yes, perhaps" said Alix thought
fully. Everybody calls him Fatty al
ready"
1t was from Alan that Gerry learned
that Kemp was still in town closing VI
his connection with the orchid firm
Gerry wired him, begging him to comt
to The Firs for few days before he
went West. Alix had told of Kemp's
word of comfort.
After the first excitement of getting
home was over Gerry found himself
restless with the same restlessness that
had attacked him during the days al
Piranhas. He tried for solution in
the same way. Day after day, long
before the rest of the Hill was awake
he was of for ten-mile walk.
At first 1t was with head dropped
and eyes on the ground that he plowed
his way through a dew-sOaked world.
but there came time when he walked
with head thrown back, full lungs and
level eyes.
Then Kemp arrived. Gerry tried to
get him to join him In his walks but
Kemp shook his head sadly.
"Ef yo' can't let me have boss, Mr..
Lansing" he said, "I'll ride the cow"
Gerry laughed. They saddled the
horses themselves and started out On
the top of old Bald Head Gerry dis
mounted and sat down on a rock.
Kemp followed suit.
"Kemp," said Gerry, II want to
thank you for the things you said to
my wife-Alix."
Kemp fushed'and waved deprecat.
ing hand.
You saw things straight" went on
Gerry. "and I want to thank you. too,
for letting me hog-tie myself"
II amt curious about that, Mr.. Ian.
sing" said Kemp, $50 much's about
what you're goin' to do when yo' unite
yo'seff."
"well." said Gerry. 1--WE though,
that out too. For while It used to
break my heart to think about Fa.
zenda Flores but it came to me the
other day that what there is of me that
amounts to anything is just Fazenda
Flores.
when 4 man learns to eat work
just like he does food because he's
hungry for 1t. there's bound to be a
place for him anywhere. 1t has struck
me there are q lot of fields around
here, some of them mine, that are
about ready for resurrection, and res
direction Is my job.
Il don't know exactly how I'm go.
ing to start but it may be planting po
tatoes. You can begin a resurrection
with any one Of a number of simple
things. 1t doesn't matter much which
one you pick on as long as you start
right down at the bottom and spread
yourself In the subsoil of things
Everything that grows starts dowI
deep except your orchids and they are
parasites"
EASY on orchids" interjected Kemp
"Sorry, Kemp. Orchids are ornamen
tai but excepting your favorites they're
not even beautiful. Look at q Cypri
pedium Vexillarium-"
Hybrid" grunted Kemp.
"a man in his d. T's couldn't beai
It for gorgeous horror" finished Gerry
But that's neither here nor there
What I'm driving at is this. II had
never been tossed over the home fence
I would have lived and died an orna.
mental citizen with the girth Of beer
barrel. But now my eyes are Bit
open and l can see that the simple
things Of life are the big things
Growth from the roots is the strength
OF a man and of his people. I've
h L.,
I'm going to send down my roots righ,
here"
Kemp had been whiting. When
Gerry had finished he pocketed his
knife and gazed thoughtfully down
the valley. at seems to me, Mr.. Ian
sing, that you md me have been trav
elm dif'rent trails but come together
at the same gap. You remember The
Pu'ple City'Y
Gerry nodded.
wal, seems to me thet 'ceptin' in Q
mans own mind the amt no pu'plt
cities. What a man'saSot to find ain't
purple cities but the power to see one
when he's got it. You had yourn right
here in this valley an yon side on RED
Hill. You growed up in 1t but yor
never seen it-not till you learned
how. What you been sayin' about tn,
simple things of life-the things the
is at the bottom-has he'ped my seein
parts powerful lot. knowed before
l come to Red Hill that l was goin
out West to stay but I didn't rightly
know why. Now ef you ask me wha
l know I can tell you I know con
sid'able.
"Out In Moo Mexico they's n rancl
in the fork OF Big and Little creel
that's the greenest patch in the shadow
of White mountain. It's mine and it..
got three-room shack on 1t that coult
grow If need was. know girl that
been holdin' a four-hush against al
orchids weak pair till she's iest abou