The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1926-09-04
Not Ready to Ride
Double
BY MARTHA M. WILLIAMS

set for soap MAXIM" Sister Crandail
said through pursed lips, with sour
glance ut her step-daughter Nancy.
"Oh yes, you can" said NIFTY
Quarles." What's a day more or
lessf To you and soap mean. The
Quiltin's different. Unless I miss my
guess, 1t means wedding long about
June-you shorely don't want your
own girls to lack quilts when they 10
to housekeepin'. Remember. you've
got FIVE"
you mean FOUR Sister Crandall
protested. "Nancy's got some few OF
her mas things left; and she's 10
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,
'rd rather have no stick a. all than
q crooked one. I could ding half the
springalds that eat your Sunday din
ners over my shoulder II I liked, and
dance all the rest till their tongues
and their shirt-tails hung out"
shut upl Don't you ever da'ar
talk that way again I'm my house"
Sister Crandall cried Nancy laughed
provokingly. asking: Now, where
does your house happen to standf 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 Crandal exploded.
''Now you see what have to put
up with, Cora" Sister Crandall
snivelsd to the Quarles girl. who was
inviting quilters for the morrow. A
lsggy sixteen, she stood giggling and
gaping. II hope Nance comes" rho
managed at last.
Byck Beverly, who shortly rode by,
tall, slim. handsome. she dare devil,
had a way with him fsw feminine
souls could Withstand Nance Gran
DAN had withseood him.
She was invisible as no rode past
the house-yet he chuckled family,
q hundred yards ahead. nc fash Of
her bright red through the screep OF
q thicket I'm the woodslot-next MIN
ute he popped his horse eleveriy over
its fence. hitched him far enough In
side 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 pass. Now only Nancy came Do
drink its fair water.
Gha nsat, Drinking from hsf
seooped palms, and dashing crystal
6pray over face and head. Byck
clipped behind her, caught her tight
N both arnA crying masterfully !:
s1ha right woman In the right place
for once. Do q sport. Nancy, dear
Just for this time. My Selim Il al
ready q family horse-totes double
like q lamb. Hop up behind me-
let's ride on to Squire Jones, and get
this marrying foolishness over and
done with"
Can't" said Nancy: Further
more, shan't. You know why. Daddy
has such a little time to nve-not u
year, maybe-if L leave him to-those
others-LordI" swallowing hard. 1T
hurts, but he loves his family heap
better than hin stray daughter, but iii
stay-spite Of that"
you win not" from Byck: you'll
do what ! say. onless We wanter git
yourself drownd-ed dead" dropping
into local vernacular. Easy to pitch
We headforsmost into the water here"
Tightening his hold, "and nobody Mt all
the wiser"
Maybe IL We try It. that's what'll
happen to you" Nancy returned, sud-
denly surstng violently away from
him. A breath's space they struggled.
taking no account Of the springs
weakened marss, that rains had set It
running like q mill race. Laughing
gayly Byck tried to kiss her-the o.
Fort sent him backward-he felt tho
earth Yield under his feet. tried to TO-
cover foothold. and went down. deep
or than his middle In the rushing wa
ter, which channeled downward TWEEN
ty feet before turning toward tho
bluff. He snatched Mt n projecting
root-it broke I'm his hand-even the
stump 1t came from was dead. ''I-
don't ind 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 It over the stump.
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 wait"
Glancing eagle-wise about she saw
possible salvation, darted up the slope,
almost to the top, slipped out OF her
heavy skirt, made n running leap that
landed her six fest up the trunk Of N
hickory sapling. and swarmed up II Co
the very top. There she hung q min
ute, setting 1t rocking violently, then
swung I'm the mir. clinging BY handa
and fest. An the 1.-the trunk bent wa
terward, she loosed foothold ana
cried; "Helpl With one handI
Catch my ankle-tight"
Inside a minute she was In water
TO her knees. Swinging herself sack
wise across the sapling she brought
IL within grasp OF Byck Climb on I
Quick r. she adJured him. Never
mind who rides before Five min
utss later when they had won 20