Iron County register., 1922-09-07
JACK AND jill
--
BY MoLLlE MATHER

Hdfc peeH CHOSEN 10 make tue steep
trip up the hill, instead of Thompson;
Thompson always did have the easy
commissions. Then, his boredom was
somewhat lessened by the unexpected
sound of woman's voice. singing. 1t
was not so much the song, which
cheered Jack, as the note Of girlish
laughter that went with it.
The laughter and the song both
came from the direction of a big
white farm house.
A girl could be seen, sitting on the
veranda, holding a small boy in her
arms.
Jack and JILL" sang the girl, 'went
up the hill"
"To get a cup of water" shouted the
small boy, gleefully.
This engineering job In the noun
tains brought to him loneliness, and
little of woman's companionship, and
the womans soft laughter brought to
him renewed courage.
Maybe I can stick it out, after ALL"
he reflected, 'if there's honey place
near by, where they'd welcome fell
low. Maybe the girl-no, she isn't the
boys mother, / heard him call her
some name.
Lonely Jack drew up his car, as the
two came near. His wistful smile
brought forth no response from Miss
Jill. He considered some reasonable
excuse for speaking.
"Can you tell me-" questioned Jack.
hopefully, 'if there is road leading
to the right, at the top of this hill?"
Il cannot" the young woman briefly
returned. Il am only a visitor here
myself" She went on her way, but
Jack persisted.
Perhaps Laddie could tell me-" he
suggested.
The girls tone was impatient.
'Dickie is too small to know anything
about direction" she said.
Jack rode on, forlornly, but he made
last effort.
I'D be glad to drive you and the
little boy up" he said.
Walking up" Miss Jill firmly re-
piled, sis part of our game" And the
road, when Jack got there, led neither
to the right nor left, but straight on.
A spring bubbled by the roadside, and
he rested beside its coolness. The girl
arrived presently, leading the child.
Together, and ignoring his beseeching
presence, they filled the tin cup with
water, and sat, to enjoy it.
II hope" said Dickie, shat you
never will go home to the city, Jill,
even when Mamma comes back. You
think up such nice games, and Gran'ma
likes you, too. She says it was pretty
good of you to offer to stay with your
friends child, when she went way off
to California. Did you and my
Mamma used to go to school together?
Gran'ma says you did. And Gran'ma
says she wishes there was some young
company for you out here, so you
wouldn't get lonesome, with only me.
Do you get lonesome?"
"No," denied Miss Jill. "Oh, no, In
deed," but Jack saw the laughing dark
eyes suddenly grow misty. He had
thought them pretty before, but in
their mistiness he was filed with a
wild desire to comfort. To tell the
girl just how he understood. If-he
thought, disconsolately regarding her
from his seat in the cart might only
be possible to meet her properly. But
there were just workmen back at the
camp-all strangers like himself.
"Sing!" demanded Dickie, "sing Jack
and Jill, as we go down the hill" The
girl sang, liltingly, as he had first
heard her. Mischievously, half way
down, with a safe distance between
she turned to wave to him.
Then, Jack never could tell how il
happened-trying to follow hastily
perhaps making too quick a turn II
the deep rutted road-his car turned
turtle, and he knew no more.
Dickie screamed, Hes falling
He's falling down hill! Oh, Janet
what shall we do?"
'sRunl' she ordered. 'Run as fas
as you can, and bring Joe from thu
field" Janet herself was running t
the aid Of the unconscious young man
She was bending over Jack when bi!
Joe came hurrying to drive the In
jured one back to the house. Jane
rested the broken head against her owl
shoulder, her handkerchief stoppet
the flow of blood.
Grandma had the spare bed ready
In his silence, poor Jack could no
know the anxiety Of the small groul
around the bedside when the docto
examined his wounds.
aThank the LordE exclaimed Grand
ma, fervently, when the physician as
sured them that Jack would recove
with good care.
Il will give the good care" offere
Janet, cheerfully.
Truly, Jack had found friends
friends at last on the lonely mountain
side-friends-and the girl he loved
Day by day this love was proven. An
slowly, and surely, in the soft eyes 9
his faithful nurse, Jack read love i
return.
They sat one evening, hand In hant
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