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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1899)
KJW, fMfW "W -ST V I . . I ; Fm THE HESPERIAN. ' 1tw. :,v m ?U. : fa : ' -f? 1Mb r,v Vol. XXVIII. LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JANUARY 6, 1899. No. 14. his paws with his rough rod tongue. He enrao up softly nnd put hia white paw on Lisbeth's bare littlo foot. She had for gotten about the kitten and jumpod up so suddenly that ho scampered away and climbed up the cherry tree -awny up to the very branch on whoso tip Lisbeth had counted tho twonty ono cherries. She put her feet gingorly to tho hot ground and walked over to the cherry tree and called coaxingly to tho kitten, but ho would not come down, Lisbeth took hold of tho lowest branch and tried to swing herself up so that she could clasp her feet about tho branch, but she had to give it up. She stood there for a little, out of breath, pushing her yellow hair back from her flushed faco. Then she wont around tho corner of tho house and came back dragging a tub. Sho mounted on this and climbed LISBETH. Mr. Shelley's horse had eaten Lisbeth's corn, and sho sat on the door-step with her brown littlo hands folded in her Jap and her eyes fixed resolutoly on the big cherry-tree. Her whito kitten lay on its back in tho sun and fought with a red carpet-rag. But Lisbeth paid no attention to it. She was trying to count tho cherries. Sho know that if sho turned her head she would seo by tho windmill tho trampled stalks of her corn. Mr. Shelley had stopped there by the windmill that morn ing and whilo ho talked to her father, his horso a groat black old thing, Lisbeth indignantly remembered had oaten ovory ono of the thirteen stalks, and Lisbeth had stood by with a queor frozen feeling about her li9art. As sho sat on the door-stoo counting tho cherries, she re- nimblv ud tho tree. A dry twig caught in ono of her tight memborod that Mr. Shelloy had tried to kiss her when ho little braids. In trying to unfasten it she saw tho ripest, red wont away and how ho had laughed when sho struggled. And dost looking chorry. She wondered if her mother would care thon Lisbeth almost thought sho was dreaming and then, if sho should touch it, just squeeze it the least mite only to sho had slapped him! seo if it wore soft. Lisbeth hol'd out tho palm that had folt tho warm tingle and Her-fingers were just closing on it when tho old Plymouth looked at it curiously. She remembered that Mr. Shelloy had Rock rooster, scratching in the pea-vines, began to crow, put her down and ridden off. That her father had picked her Lisbeth started at tho noise, clambered down the tree, and up and carried her into tho house, put her on tho bed in tho dragged the tub back to tho north side of tho house. As she spare room and shut tho door. Lisbeth had held her eyes fast came around tho corner again, the kitten ran toward her, and closed until father was out of sight. Sho lav thoro a long sho romemberod why she had climbod tho tree. time without moving, listening to tho clatter of tho dishes in the kitchen, the clucking of the chickens scratching at tho morning-glory vinos outside tho window. And thon she hoard tho clank of tho heavy harness as the men rode tho liorses up from the field. Sho did not daro oven to creep to the window to see whether paws with it once or twice when ho seemed too curious. her father wci3 leading old Jennie to water but cowered a wretched, motionless heap on tho bod. When her mother came in, she sat up nnd gnlpingly swallowed somo milk. After that, sho must have fallen asleep Lisbeth wondered how such an unhappy littlo thing as sho could sloop for all at once her father was standing over her, asking whether his "i i i . . l 1 1' ij11i 1 one laughed a iituo snamoraceaiy, put tno Kitten on nor shoulder and wont into tho kitchen. She stood on a chair and, reaching into a big .barrel, brought out a pan of cornmoal took this and a dipper of water out on tho step, where she be gan to mix thorn with a smooth, littlo stick, spatting tho kitten's Thon she brushed tho step off cloan and picked up the pan. She wont bravely past the crushed corn by tho windmill, over to the cuup by tho gooseberry bushes, Tho old hen began to cluck crossly. Lisbeth felt very sorry for the poor, old thing and shook a lot of moal where tho hen could roach it, and thon threw tho rest of tho dough in littlo lumps on tho grass. Tho littlo Lisbeth wanted to go to town with the rest of them, and littlo chickens came rushing out, and Lisbeth pickod up a soft, sue had shaken her head misorably, "JNo. Her futher went out, closed tho door gently behind him. Then Lisboth hoard tho rattle of wheels down tho lane, and after awhile, sho had stolon out for a drink and sat down here on tho door-step. She counted the cherries painstakingly, Thoro wore cer tainly twenty-ono on that twig next tho dead branch. Yes, there wore just little, black and-white one and hold it by her faco. It pickod viciously at her cheek. Lisboth got up suddenly, lotting tho dough-pan fall. Sho put her hand to her chook. That was where sho had slapped Mr. Shelloy. Sho laughed a littlo and rolled her handkerchief up into a bod and hold tho chicken on that. But tho chicken was not as passive as Lisbeth had been and at last struggled freo and ran back between tho slats r twonty-ono. Lisboth wondered whether Mr. Shelloy knew there wore thirteen stalks of corn, and that each into tho coop, chirping excitedly. one had grown from a littlo rod corn that sho had planted her- Lisboth hoard the team coming up tho road and turned and self. She wondered whether ho know that each wash-day she scamporod down tho lano to meet it. Hor father stoppod tho Z A 1 had carried out soapy water to pour over them or that hor father had said that her corn was growing bettor than his, and Mtliat she was his little farmer. Yea, that was what her father had called hor his little K m farmer and now, Lisboth buried her hoad in hor lap. Tho i. "- --. horses and she clambered nimbly over tho whool and sat down beside him. Her mother asked hor whether any ono had been there. Lisboth shook her head, "No," and then sho nodded, "Yes," that she had boou a good girl. Her father put the ends of tho linos in her hands, and sho flapped them contont- jL ,t K, white kitten had tired of his carpet-rag and was soberly licking edly, nestling closer to him. , Gkaoe I. Rushton. at uuuu j. jxxjhjo ipo.uv, vxu, vjxjw tpo.uu. ivuu j wx. , V . I . i . . ' i i fc. v (T V k- vr 'flf1 'ii
