Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-03


to look at the wild red waters that ragged
underneath. Bushes drenched her as
she struggled UP the hillside to the
pasture. OLD Cream ought to have been
at the bars an hour ago, mooing to be
MIXED. In fact. she should have come
down to the bars before the storm broke.
AS she was always punctual Sarah was
alarmed.
A slender, dark woman wifi grazing
was Sarah Fenton. Two years before
her husband, Tom Fenton, had died of
q lingering sickness, leaving her with
three young children, many debts and
only the tiny place, half in the creek
valley, half on the hillside, to look to
for support. Very brave and determined
was Sarah, skillful In making one penny
40 the work of five. She had been D
teacher before her marriage to Tom
Fenton, who was something of an ex-
perimentalist In agriculture, and her
education had bred In her splendid re-
sourcefulf1eSs that had not yet failed
any test. Nevertheless, her heart sank
now as she thought of what might have
happened to Old Cream, who contribute
ed nightly to the children's wellbeing.
The black rock; Her eyes sweeping
the confines of the pasture came to rest
Upon the great boulder which lowered in
grim isolation upon the hillside. Be-
side 1t stood tree withered and dead.
lightning had struck 1t last Summer.
Old Cream was nowhere to be seen.
With horror gripping her heart Sarah
went To look on the other side of the
rock. There lay the COW dead, killed
by lightning.
1t was indescribable misfortune. To-
night there would be no warm milk for
litCle ailing Ellen, no cream tomorrow
for the morning coffee and Richard and
Julia's toast Sarah's lips quivered and
she sank down upon the rock, covering
her face for moment with her hands,
regardless Of the moisture that was yet
falling.
Old Cream was gone. She had per-
haps been wandering past the bleak
rock when the first bolt sped from the
menacing cloud overhead. 1t snnote her
where she was.
Sitting there Sarah remembered all
the times lightning had struck in that
place. A calf had been killed like Old
Cream, a tree blasted and once Tom
had been stunned before he could get
away from the vicinity. Only that
Spring she had stood at the window
with Ellen In her arms and had seen
the flaming lances of the lightning
strike again and again at the lightning
boulder. There must he something there
besides innocent trees and beasts. She
would put her mind to work upon the
mystery; it would keep her head steady
in the face of this new calamity.
She went down to the house and got
spade and buried Old Cream and
shed some bitter tears in the process.
Then she went on quite as usual. There
was no money with which to buy new
COW and every day she sent Julia to
neiehbcr's for a pail of precious milk.
After much thought Sarah wrote q
letter to John Mills, an old schoolmate
of hers. who had made something of
success in 1nineralogy. She told him all
about the black rock and the lightntngs
love for it.
A week passed and then Sarah was
surprised to see a car f1ounderirg up
| the rough creek road. John Mills had
come himself in answer to her letter.
He was a fine-looking man with stu
dent stoop, spectacles. a gentle abb
stractness Of expression. They visited
the black rock. sat upon it, discussed
it and John Mills Clipped specimens
from the ridge. Sarah gave him the
best meal she could set forth, thanked
him for the trouble he had taken and
| let him go, with only a slight lingering
regret. He had told her nothing
Summer was passing and Sarah rea-
liZed that her worst trial awaited her
with the coming of Winter. She decid-
ed to sell the place If she could md
anybody to buy it. It adjoined the flne
farm of Samuel Herrick and she OF
fered it to him for pitifully small sum
MY good woman" the man said with
a laugh that was little short OF a sneer.
IT wouldn't give you Is cents for the
whole premises. The buildings are fall
ing down and your pasture isn't safe
place for cattle. No. don't want it"
Sarah put a pitiful little advertise
ment in the village paper, but IT at
tracted no attention. Everybody knew
that poor Tom Fenton had been woe
fully cheated when he bought the place
and consequently prejudice against II
was great.
Creaml Sarah drew deep breatn
clenched her small, hard hands and re-
solved that, for her children's sake she
would not Succunb to what was SO
obviously the inevitable. a.,
Then little Ellen, always fran, feu III
and Sarah's heart was wrung as the
doctor. coming again and again, failed
to put color into the childs cheeks OF
light into her blue eyes.
"I'm afraid it's the water, Mrs. Fen
ton" he said land certain insanitary
ARRANGEMENTS about the house. II you
could take her away. -.
TAKE her away! Where? Toms rela-
tives had never made themselves known
and a few cousins, all she had, were In
the Far West. ,,.,
She sat one hot afternoon holding
Ellen in her lap trying to sootne mel
with an old song while her heart was
close to breaking when there came 9
knock at the door. She arose ana WIZ
the child in her arms admitted JonI
Mills and another man, MI. Graham
They had come to look the place over
Sarah could not leave Ellen, SO tneS
vent across the creek and up the hn
\ alone, when they came back john wa
"I wouldn't tell you until was sure
Sarah" John said. But I've inVsstl'
gated carefully and find particu!aL..
fine quality Of iron ore mere on YOU you,
place. Mr.. Graham knows all apou
s,,ch things and he wants to make yot
an offer for your farm just as 1t Is.
For the next hour Sarahs ears puz'
zed with strange terms such as con
tracts and royalties. She had been Oh
Tered a sum that astonished her ana !
was not to end there because sne va
to have a yearly income as long as sll
lived. Then John Mills brought !dS
ver who explained things still furthe
and drew papers which Sarah ana MI
Graham signed. I'M.
Next morning she went to the villag
and hired A house and before night wa
moved into it. Constant attention IRON
the doctor, better conditions and danI
food soon restored Ellen to health. A
| this tended for happiness. but ns'
element had entered Sarah's life. on
was Astonisted at herself for caring 10
John Mills when her husbands deaf
was still such a poignant memory
II was Spring before she saw JON JON
again. She was working In her littl
aarden when ne appeared suddenly De
"I've tried ana tried to keep awaj
Sarah" he said.
"And I've tried to forget you, Jonn'