The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-08-23

An II l go, who's to take care of hiiol
Deed an she doesn't make him happy
even now"-which was true enough, az
the most casual could observe.
Myrtle, aiming at the witcheries OF
coquetry, achieved pertness and
habit OF nagging, and kept her lover in
state of irritation far enough re-
moved both from the blissful uncer-
tainty which she intended and the
comfortable assurance which he re-
garded as his right.
BY and by the March gales began to
beat along the coast. The waters of
the bay rose and dashed themselves
with oceanic fury. The winds threat
ened the houses, the piers, the railroad.
One morning there came telephone
report to the station that the trains
! from the region west Of Falmouth Cape
would be unable to reach the cape sta
ton and to go on to Falmouth Town
on the other side of the bay. Floods
had washed away bridges and road
beds in the interior, and for 4S hours,
at least, there would be no traffic. Fall
mouth Cape settled itself to the ex-
cited security of a mere watcher or
calamities but in two hours 1t ceased
even to watch, for the storm had
wrought havoc with the telephone
wires, and it was cut off from the
world.
Two things drove Larry stubborniy
to town that morning. One was boy
.,% hot hA hnh
never missed days work since he OBJ
tanned position; the other was that
Myrtle had been uncommonly trying
the night before with her weak CO.
quetries and her bad temper, and he
wished to escape her neighborhood for
while. He harnessed the old horse.
wrapped himself well, and drove
across the road bridge that paralleled
the railroad bridge across the bay and
into Falmouth Town.
In the afternoon the section of the
road bridge next to Falmouth Cape
, succumbed to the strain OF the winds
and the rising pillows. Cracking and
: crushing, 1t was swept away, and the
7 flooring of the structure terminated
abruptly over the seethlng, tar-black
/ waters an eighth of mile from the
: cape shore. The arch still stood, and
7 the wooden Orders on which the floor
S ing had been laid.
All that afternoon Mrs. Doherty
rushed about beseeching some one to
go and save her boy. Every one an
4 swered that her boy would not at
e tempt to make the journey home that
r evening. In the morning, perhaps, the
d wires would be working again. and the
= town end of the bridge could be
e warned Of the damage at the cape end.
e Any way, they said, there was no
8 practicable way of reaching her grand
l. son.
Myrtle, to whom the old woman
u went in final appeal, scoffed at the no
ton OF Larry's attempting to return
L in the evening.
u HE wouldn't be such fooll' she
!" said conclusively. .,s-'.t.r -.s---
"Fool?' cried his grandmother, II
anguish and evaporation. TITS US tina
- knows the bridge Is broke, not him
"a All was safe an well whin he wen
over this mornin'. Why wouldn't h
De COIull uOme lOulEAAl Ic Al otuA
r. oil in the dark an the wind, an he
drive, an there1l be no SEEM the en-,
IL an'-are We goin' to do nothin' at al
ss at all?"
~ "What could / do?" demande
.. Myrtle, sullen, but sufficiently reason
~ able.
az 'If 1t was the man I was goin'
bn NJ xayff
red spots in the wrinkled hollows Q
~ her cheeks, and glittering points 1
'e her eyes, ''Pd crawl along the broke
wood, over the pillars there, till
IL could reach the boarded part of tn
IT. bridge. An thin I'd walk an run, ar
run an walk, till l came to Falmout
ca Town, an there I'd stand to wait ar
II warn him u
la, Mrs. Doherty, you certainly d
ei make me tired" retorted Myrtle.
ie amt so dead set on keepin' beau d
~ you'd be. If you had one!"
Something in the brutal egotis1
III which she had uncovered silenced Mr.
u Doherty. She started and shook he
as head in dumb uncomprehension, the
VI turned and walked back to the cabil
Maybe l was meant for the ga.
l. afther ALL" she said as she move
'e- about putting the cabin to rights. The
ne she went out, quaint and sturdy fiji
IL ure with her tight, white cap, ht
100 short, quilted skirt, and her red shaw
oe crossed on her bosom and tied at hi
waist In the back. Down to the plat
lal where the bridge had been she trudge
'oK Later, one of the cape children can
ing home screaming that old Mrs Doher'
al was crawling along the Orders TIL
remained on the demolished section
she the bridge-he had seen her red shaw
ian
tu- "A nice notion Of lovin' you've got
rt' stormed Myrtle, angry tears in h
up. eyes. 'Throwin' me over for an 0
the woman-an old scarecrow Some CIR
an wouldn't put up with it, They'd NAL
boy you suffer, you an her, too. But
, l..