The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1924-03-20
THESE OTHER WAYS
By RUsY n. MARTYR
%. isas. 10 Mcclure Nsvsps9ss synaiosss
PHEY had slipped onto the wharf at
~ that instant tina wa&chmanss hack

NS$~kw sFa@~~@~'
y HEY had clipped onto the wharf at
Az that instant the w~atchman's back
was turned-a boy and gtri Of the city
aoisam, his ctgarette-seatned fingers
cl.nging to the sleeve Of her fiin1sy
sweater, imagining they would not be
disturbed in the shadow Of that lumber
pile stacked ut the further end. From
behind them came the mingled murmur
VI city sounds that swelIed to q roar
when an elevated trsin runbled along
he tracks at the head Of the wharf,
tearsCmely dark water Tapped and
erbed around the piles under the
planktng, and yonder a lighted ferry
BOAT crept toward Its lighted slip at
he otter side Of the harbor. There
n the shadow the boy and girl were
joung enough to be afraid. Jenny
twitched her himsy sleeve from Joe's
stained fingers.
Then they heard the nearing step
OF the Waterman, whom they had not
eraded, after all. Instantly, Jenny
shrank closer among the shadows Of
the lumber pile. Joe clenched his fists
and took an involuntary step back
ward. The back step broup.t him
over the edge of the wharf, aLA turn
ing upside-down, he was plunged head
first into the cold wash of the dirty
water. Jenny's scream brought the
Waterman into quicker action. But
the tide was running hard that night
and Joe's body wasn't found by the
authorities. What happened 10 Jenny
no n knew or cared.
That autumn a fellow called Brick"
worked at the Eliot farm, and then
stayed on through the winter to chop
wood. At first his back ached furi-
"usly and his hands blistered and the
cieanness of this wide outdoors be
gan to startle him. A nan needed
70 be right with himself and his Max
ar Ii he was TO work the ground and
gather of its bounty; q man wouldn't
iare live in this sunshine and storm
and hear the night winds drawing
through the tree tops. unless he
Leaned his heart When spring came,
Brick" had saved enough from his
rages o make a payment on a piece
If woodland which he meant to work
up for himself the following winter.
There was an old cabin On ii where
he could live. But for this summer he
vas to work at the Eliot farm.
Planting time passed eventually and
the Eliot truck commenced to 60 to
the city market with loads Of abun-
dant harvest. Brick" had been In
nce with Mr.. Eliot when the emer-
gency call came for him to 60 alone.
He could drive the truck and he
needn't lose his way In the procession
that nightly wound it's length from the
fertile river bottom lands to the his
toric market place. The red light Of
the truck ahead glowed at It's dis
lance on straight stretches Of the road
and disappeared around the curves
only to reappear at the next straight
ening of the cement ribbon. Dis
tances between the towns lessened
mere WAS the smaller city across the
river mouth from the metropolis.
Brick" felt his truck rumble out
lDOn the great bridge that spanned the
stretch If dark water; lights spangled
the rails Of both sides; lights ~spangled
the streets Of the sleeping city. A
clock striking somewhere penetrated
the quiet purr of the smoothly run
ning engine. Amid this multitude of
humanness no less than on the fields
ard hil,sides. a m"p needed to he right