The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-12-17
Not Ready to Ride
Double
fcopyright.l
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

~ her today-had my megs al
set for soap MAXIM" Sister Crandall
said through pursed lips, with soul
glance at her step-daughter Nancy.
"Oh yes, you can" said NIFTY
Quarles." What's q day more OF
less3 To you and soap I mean. The
Quiltin's different. Unless l miss my
guess, 1t means wedding long about
June-yon shorely don't want your
own girls to lack quilts when they 60
to housekeepin'. Remember. you've
got i've"
"You mean FOUR" Sister Crandall
protested. .Nancy's got some few Of
her mas things left, and she's 80
handy. Judge she can make plenty
more; don't seem there's any hurry
about settin' out"
Nancy. TALL spare, high-colored
with thick dark hair strained back
from her high forehead, said lazily.
'Td rather have NO stick at all than
. crooked one. I could fling half the
springalds that eat your Sunday din
ners over my shoulder IL I liked, and
dance all tho rest till their tongues
and their shirt-tails hung out"
Shut upl Don't you ever da'ar
talk that way again in my house. :
Sister Crandall cried. Nancy laughed
provokingly, asking: .Now, where
does your house happen to stand7 This
happens to be mine when papa dies,
otherwise 1t would a-been spent like
all the rest, long, long ago."
You'll stay at home for that miss
speakin' sacrilege Of your only par
ent" Sister Crandall exploded.
"Now you see what have to put
up with, Cora" Sister Crandau
sniveled to the Quarles girl. who was
inviting quilters for the morrow. A
leggy sixteen. she stood giggling and
gaping. Il hope Nance comes" she
managed at last.
Byck Beverly, who shortly rode BY,
tall, slim, handsome, exc daredevil,
had a way with him few feminine
souls could Withstand. Nance Gran
dali had withstood him.
She was invisible az he rode past
the house-yet he chuckled family.
q hundred yards ahead, at fash Of
her bright red through the screen Of
q thicket In the woodslot-next min
ute he popped his horse cleverly over
its fence. hitched him far enough in
dde to be invisible, and went plung-
Ing down the overgrown steps to the
spring. They had been much trodden
before wells and windmills had come
to pasA Now only Nancy came to
drink its fair water.
She knelt drinking from her
scooped palms, and dashing crystal
spray over face and head. Byck
slipped behind her, caught her tight
In both arms, crying masterfully:
'.The right woman In the right place
for once. Be q sport, Nancy. dear
just for this time. My Selim IL a.
ready family horse-totes double
IKE q lamb. Hop up behind mo
let's ride on to Squire JONES' and get
this marrying foolishness over and
done with"
Cant" said Nancy: Further
more, shan't- You know why. Daddy
has such a little time to uve-not a
year, maybe-if I leave him to-those
others-Lordl" swallowing hard. 1T
hurts, but he loves his family a heap
better than his stray daughter. but I'll
stay-spite of that"
You will not" from Byck: You'll
DO what / say, onless ye wanter git
yourself drownd-ed Dead" dropping
into local vernacular. Easy to pitch
ye headforemost into the water here"
tightening his hold, land nobody at all
the WISER"
maybe II ye try 1t, that's what'll
happen to you" Nancy returned, sud-
denly surging violently away from
him. A breath's space they struggled,
taking no account Of the springs
weakened marge. that rains had set 1t
running like a mill race. Laughing
gayly Byck tried to kiss her--the ef-
fort sent him backward-he felt the
earth yield under his feet, tried to re-
cover foothold, and went down, deep
er than his middle in the rushing wa
ter, which channeled downward TWEEN
ty feet before turning toward the
bluff. He snatched at projecting
rO0t-it broke In his hand-even the
stump 1t came from was dead. "I-
don't find fOothold." he said huskily.
keeping his head above water with
all his strength.
Nancy was not frightened-she had
no time to be. Slipping out Of her
red jersey she flung 1t over the stump, J.
tied the sleeves together, thrust the
Knot In his hand, crying: Hold
but don't pull-stump's too shaky.
Be still-hug the bank-and walt"
Glancing eagle-wise about she saw
possible salvation, darted up the slope,
almost to the top, slipped out of her
heavy skirt, made running leap that
landed her six feet up the trunk of
hickory sapling, and swarmed up 1t to
he very top. There she hung a min
ute, setting 1t rocking violently, then
'wung In the air, clinging by hands
and feet As the 1.-THE trunk bent wa
she lo0sed foothold and
,ried: "Help With one hand
Catch my ankle-tight."
Inside minute she was In water
% her knees. Swinging herself sack
wise across the sapling she brought
{ within grasp of Byck. "Climb on
9uick!' she adjured him. Never
mind who rides before" Five min
ties later when they had won to
'afety. Byck said shakenly: "You
'aved me-now you've got to take