The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-06-22
Good Fish in the
Sea
By ROSE MEREDITH

Mrs. Merton Fixed her hard bright
eyes On Rgfh'E pale face Don't pine
after Arthur Bent. Ruthle-he Isn't
SOrth one single tear from any giril-
Il am not shedding tears, Nrs- Mer-
ton.- said the girl proudly. The en-
gagsment Il brOken--and he has gOne
back east
i heard there was another girl out
there
Il heard 20 too retOrted Ruth. 'and
II you DO not mind. Mrs. Merton. sup
pose xe talk about something else
Glad enough. my dear. for he was
~ mean as all get-Out 10 steal Jour
heart away and then 70 or-but re-
member, there's as good hsh 10 the
seas a. ever we're eaughtT
Il suppose 10. said Ruth lis;lessly.
as she picked Up her knitting. 4 am
afraid I am not much Of q fisher
woman"
Ruths mother came back to the
room and glanced al the weil-meaning
nelghbor. She suspected that the
trend Of conversation had been toward
the llght-hearted Arthur Bent. She sat
down and briskly threaded a needle.
Rivers rising. they say" she began
Il want L knOwi / heard Little
Greek was way over the banks. but
didn't know II had broken lOose-lf
the river keeps on rising and the dam
breaks-tben good-by TO Blue River
and all our homes"
The women looked out at the swiftly
running Blue River and talked about
/ how the small streams were full 10
overlooking and that the spring
freshets were due.
I've always been afraid Of Blue
River. even II I've lived on its banks
/ for twenty years." remarked Mrs. Mer-
ton as she went
Il am more worried about those
poor folks In the Little Village region
along Little River" declared Mrs. HOl-
ton. She stood awhile In the doorway,
enjoying the fragrance Of apple bios
SONS and the fresh, earthly smell from
the newly pIOwed fields Then her
gaze turned to her pretty daughter
and the anxiety In her eyes deepened
as she noted the swiftly flying fingers.
what are you knitting. RuthT' she
asked at last.
The girl smiled Don't laugh ct
me, mother dear, but am knitting n
scarf-lt starred out to be a muffier
for Arthur-and since he has gone
away, have kept right on knitting
away, using up all the stray bits Of
yarn In the house-see the crazy-qullt
effect1 Some day. when / have used
the laat bit Of wool. II will be com
pleted and all my trouble will be knit
ted into lt-see. II Is six yards long
nowi"
"My dearl Don't you think you
have done eBoughT"
"Yes-I begin to feel that I am
nearing the end-I am caring less
every dny!'
"What blessed scarf that will be !
II Is a good plan to knit our troubles
into useful things like that Ruthie
| do believe the river Is rising-see.
can catch the CLINT Of II between those
trees never saw II before. am
glad we are on high ground here
your pa says he believes In building
his house on a hill"
Ruth got up and went TO the back
door. They watched the brlmmlng
river In It's rushing movement toward
the distant sea.
~ am afraid OF the flood, mother" ("
said the girl softly. "and yet some
how, | am waiting for II. | have a
feeling that things Will be different
after that"
"Dear child, / hope they will be
happier for all OF us, but remember
the food means death and destruc-
tIon to many poor people up the river"
II know--I am not wishing for that
i am praying that the bridges will
hold and that the dam will not break,
but | am excited" and she went back
to her knitting.
The next morning the river was stll
rising and all the men folks departed
hastily for Little River to see what
aid they could render TO the menaced
homes along its banks.
Ruth and her mother wandered un.
easily around, watching the brown
water and marking Its rise; suddenly
debris began to appear In the water
then chicken coop, then young
trees. and all the movable articles
about a fsrmyard. A boy rushed In
TO shout that the dam had burst and
that the whole village OF Little River
was floating down stream. Below the
Holton farm men were gathering to
save any threatened lives, TO stop any
floating buildings.
Now the river was allve with
strange craft OF every description
Chicken coops, one with a defiant
rooster growing Justify from its peak
wooden tubs, woodsheds, smpii build
Ings. bobbed past on the tide; then
house fioated down, the inmates
looking out OF the second-story win
dows. waving chrelessly TO the help
less women on the bank; they could