11
THE COURIER.
I
, Jf
t
I
THE WELL.
A story of the Gold Findings in Nebraska.
KATHARINE MELICK.
For The Courier
-Eliza satlookingUhrough the trian
gle of clean glass in her window-pane,
at the holly-hock stems. Peter had
just mended the window-jane, and
she, herself, had rubbed the pane of
glass clean. When her wrists were
-stronger, she would wash the whole
window. It was very dingy. But her
mother would not have time. It
would be all that she could do to drag
her rheumatic limbs from the kitchen
to the -bed-room with Eliza'd bowl of
broth or milk.
So Eliza sat thinking how nice it
-was to have a clean corner to look
through. Out-doors was so much
lleasanter than the green and red
quilt, the colorless rag-carpet, and the
rusty little stove, whose pipe was al
ways threatening to fall over on the
bed.
To be sure, outside there were only
the dead holly-hock stalks, falling
down, and the gate, with its string
of stones for a weight to bold it shut,
and a glimpse of country road, fringed
with stunted box-elders. But the gate
was something to look at. Peter had
spent half a day tying the stones, with
curious knots and hitches into the
rope. And the gate swung quite to,
now. It had been an eye-sore to Eliza
all winter, hanging crookedly open.
She could hear it slam shut in the
wind, on stormy nights.
But now she watched it complacent
ly, and finally closed her eyes. She
opened them suddenly, on hearing the
stones rattle and slam against the
gate-post. It was Peter she knew
the muffled thump of his baTe toes
as someone gave the door a quick kick,
to see if it were open, and then turned
the knob, violently.
"Lizy!" he shouted, "Sam Buffum's
found gold in his well, an' there's a
comp'ny started to git it out, an'
they're all goin' to git rich! Now,
what'd I tell you?"
"Shut the door, Peter, an' clean the
mud off'n your feet,-an' don't -yell so,
in my ears. What good'U Sam Buf
fum's gold do us? Fix my fire, can't
.you. It's clean out."
"Ain't got time. It'd do us a pile o'
good, 'f I had five dollars to join the
comp'ny. I told you there'd be some,
somewheres. Dave says the ground's
full of it in streaks all over."
"Why don't you dig.out our old well,
then?" suggested -Eliza-scornfully.
Peter carefully carved a brown tri
angle from his "Star plug," and walked
slowly down the steps. Eliza watched
him march deliberately to the clump of
sunflower stalks, where a pile cT stones
marked the place of the old well. He
sat down on one of the largest, and be
.gan to throw the others off, shying
them carelessly at the sunflower stalks.
She hitched her chair along to the
stove, and poked her fire with stiff
fingers. Then she sat and watched
him.
What if to be sure it was nonsense.
They never could have such luck. She
had used to fancy such things, long
ago, when she scoured the old kitchen
floor on her hands and knees. She
shut her eyes and felt the thick, wet
cloth in her hands, and the ache in
her back. She tossed her head to
throw back the locks of hair from her
eyes. And then she was standing over
the tub, with the steamy vapor in her
lace, and her small Angers wrinkly
and red not white and misshapen
and the ache In her back was harder.
If she could feel it now! Anything
but this horrible numbness, that froze
her knees, and stiffened her wrists.
She opened her eyes and watched
Peter stooping to tear up the boards
that made a crazy platform over the
well. Then he went oft for a rope
which he fastened to the planking, he
had left on one side. How carelessly
he swung, down, like the picture of a
great strong orang-outang she had
seen. If Peter would only care for
work! She -sjiut her eyes again, when
he was out of sight. She did not want
to see the corners of the room, heaped
with tattered garments, and shoes,
and old newspapers. But she knew
they were there, and in the kitchen
there were greasy islands around the
old brown stove, and the window panes
by the table. If she could only work
again! If she-had wrists like Peter's!
She lay-backhand let-herself-think
how it would be if Peter should really
find something in the old well. What
bright specks there used to be in the
clay, when she played there, all day
in the sun! How long it seemed! Ten
twelve years. She tossed her hair
back nervously, and held her twisted
hands in the sunshine, that made the
little patch of glass glitter.
It was better for Peter to be there,
where she could see him, than loung
ing around with Black Dave. She
watched his old felt hat rise out of
the black hole , among the sun-flower
stalks. Locks of hair stuck through
the crown, and cley and bits of leaves
clung to them. She wondered how
iie would look in a new store suit of
clothes.
"It'd make a man of him," she mut
tered. "He'd git .some pride inter him,
an' try to fix-.hings up, an' git in the
corn fore everybody else fd begun to
cultivate."
Wfien Peter came irto the kitchen
at night, she pushed her door ajar,
and listened.
" T looks is' .'ikp'tl:e dirt in Buf
fum's well." he was ?aylng, between
va&t bites of jonnny-cake. "All kinder
clay, with yeller streaks in it . I be
lieve mebby it's gold. I'm go'n'ter
tnke some over there in the morning
n.see."
"They say there's lots of it in the
ground, all over, only you can't hard
ly see it, it's so thin. Now, if it'd a
ben put all in a lump soniewnere's "
'Peter's mother- stoppeti-belplessly.
"I wish it'd 'a Den put in a lump in
our well," said Peter.
"We don't know what's in store for
us." Eliza heard her mcther talk
painfully over the floor she heard
the oven door open, and there was the
sliding sound nf a pan, lifted out. She
could smell trie "johnny cake," hot
and ste? my, with a strong odor of
soda.
"Jonas allays said he was sure we'd
see better days."
" 'F've found gold :n that ere well"
something hot "johnny cake" pre
sumablyhere muffled Peter's words
for a moment "W'y, we'd build a new
barn, an' put up a win mill, an I'd
buy a wite shirt an go to meetin'."
'But you wouldn't get proud, Peter,
an' look down on them as wasn't so
fortunate."
Peter shoved back his chair, noisily.
"Did you water old Darb?" called
Eliza from her room.
"I don't believe he did," she said
to her mother, who was coming in
with the yellow bowl of milk. "Won't
you tell him to?"
Eliza's mother put up one thin hand
to catch the loose coil of black hair
that was falling down her back.
"I don't like to be allays lecturin of
the boy never givin' him a minute's
peace."
There was a splash in the bowl that
Eliza was taking, with painful slow
ness, into her hands She pushed it
back, quickly, and began to cry.
"Well, now, Lizy, that ain't nothin'.
I kin git it out in a minute. It's on'y
one o' them little bone hair-pins. I'll
git you some more, 'f yer so perticler."
Eliza shook back her hair, and drew
ono misshapen wrist over her eyes.
"I don't want none."
Eliza lay back on the green and red
'quilt', -but It was dark.- She .could
not see the ugly squares. Her mother
was talking, in the kitchen, and some
of the words came through the closed
door.
"I don't know why I should 'a ben
so afflicted," she was saying in fretful
tones. "One o my children with no
ambition, an' the other with so much
she's as good as killed herself. You'd
orto look after-things, an' kind o take
an interest. Lizy's allays worryln'."
" F she'd let a feller alone" there
was an emphatic "spat" in the empty
wood-box "but she's naggin', the
minute a feller comes in sight"
There was a sympathetic silence,
and presently some words that sound
ed indistinctly.
"Darb's all she's got now," came in
the mother's dragging voice "Darb
an' the cart."
"He'll fall down, some day, 'n break
the cart, 'n then she'll wish I'd a
turned 'im out on the road, 'stead o'
waterin' 'im, wen he can't drink
more'n a cupful."
There was a longer silence. "Guess
I'll have to git some sleep," said
Peter's voice, presently. " 'F that there
gold pans out, I'll git some cellerloid
rings to put on Darb's harness."
Eliza's fingers loosened their clutch
of the frayed quilt. She remembered
how strong. Peter's arms were, when
he lifted her into the shaky cart
"He ain't had no chance," she said
to herself. "I wish he would find
something in the well. Buffum's did."
She woke, late in ihe night, and list
ened. It was a horrible sound, so like
a human shriek, and yet not human
tho terrible death-voice that breaks
from dumb creatures. Eliza sat up in
he. bed, as she had not lifted herself
for a year. She waited, with the sweat
starting from her hands and forehead.
There was not another sound. But
surely she had heard it It came
she strained her eyes through the dark
toward the window, and the old well.
Old Darb! Poor old Darby! Peter
had not watered him. He had broken
down the crazy stall again. He was
in the well.
She cried with all her strength,
"Peter!" and "Peter!" again and
again.
Her mother answered, from her tiny
room on the other side of the kitchen.
"You can't make him hear. It's no
use, Lizy. What'd you want?"
"Darb's in the well!"
Eliza's mother groaned. "I knowed
it! I heared him But we can't make
Peter hear. If that ain't waked 'im,
nothin' can."
Eliza wrung her hands, in the dark.
"He sleeps like a barn-door. Noth
in'II wake 'im. An I can't climb them
stairs, Lizy."
Eliza lay back on her pillow. There
would be no rides, now, in the shaky
cart. Peter would not have to lift her
in, anymore. She would never see
Darb arch his poor old neck, and trot
stiffly down the slope between the box
elders, jolting the cart with stiff little
jerks. There would be nothing, now,
but the green and red quilt, and the
rag carpet, and the corners piled with
rubbish that lay from one day to an
other. Only out in the pasture, in the
rosin-weeds at the foot of the hill,
there would be poor old Darby!
How he had held up his head, the
day the new cart was brought home.
And how proud Peter had been to take,
the lines from her for a little while.
He was only seven, then. And now he
was sleeping up there, and Darby was
First Pub Deo.. 1.-IJ
Notice to Creditors.-E 1496.
Id the county court of Lancaster county. Ne
ruskn. In ro estate or Ilobnrt Vun Amlel. de
ceased. To the creilltors of said estate: Take notice
that the tlnw limited (or the presentation of
claims .aealnst laid estate N July IS, IMll and
for the payment 'of ilebU is January IS, twri.
XUat L.wtll Kiuu.thocoun.tv court room In suld
county on April IS. itol, and oh July 1.VI90I. to
receive, examine, allow and adjust all claims
duly filed; notice whereof Is ordered published
four successive weeks In Tho Courier of Llu
coln. Nebraska.
Witness my hand and seal of said court this
1 1th day of December, I9UU.
13BAL.I FltANK It. WATMS,
County Judge.
Hy Waltkk A. Leehk, Clerk County Court.
First Pub. Dec. I5--3
Notice of Petition for Letters.
In the county court of Lancaster county, Ne
braska E 1507
In're'estate of-Gena Leonard, deceased.
Tho State or Nebraska, to the children, hells
at law and next of kin of said deceased and to
any other persons interested in said matter.
Take notice that a petition signed by II. D.
Leonard praying said court to trrant letters
of administration of said estate to H.D.Leonard
has been Hied In said court: that the same is set
for hearing on the 7th day of January. 1901.
at ten o'clock A. M., and that If you do not then
appear and contest, said court may irrant ad
ministration of the said estate to H.D.LconarU.
Notice of thii proceeding ho been ordered
published three week succeasUely in The
Courier of Lincoln, Nebraska, prior to said
hearing.
Witness my band and the seal of said court
this Uth day of December A. D. 1000.
(seal.) Fkask B. Watkks.
County Jttdtre.
Hy Walter A. Leesc
Clerk County Court.
First Pub. Dec. H-4-Notice
to Creditors.-E 1502.
County court of Lancaster county. Nebraska,
in the Kstatc or Christian Heidecker, deceased.
The creditors of said estate will take notice
that the time limited for presentation of claims
npalnst said estate is July 1. 1UUI. and for thr
payment of debts Is January 1. l'AUzlhat I will
sit at the county court room In said county, on
April 1. 1901. and on July 1. 1901. to receive, ex
amine, adjust and allow all claims duly Hied.
Notice whercor Is ordered published four con
secutle weeks in The Courier, of Lincoln, Ne
braska. Witness mv hand and seal of said court this
."th dav of December. 1WW.
(seal) Fka.nk It. Watkks.
County Judue.
Hy Walter A. Lkesb. Clerk County Court.
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