Show ir i i l a tJ t 1 1 1 t J t tC C r S t t r rr rl r l 1 t i kiai t c ULLO H Li Sophronia Miranda Powers idlY silting N atop the fence in front of her fathers cabin a faded rc sun sunbonnet sunbonnet bonnet pulled over oer her eyes started so at the unexpected greeting greetin th that t she most tell off hear scat Then as she to took k a fresh hold on the top rail railto railto to steady she looked up in delighted surprise surpriser r at a little girl before her mounted on apon a pony WJ Vy Jane Janc she cried cited how yc e s l mei me 1 t I sneak on you though said Jane Janc She f f slipped from the big mans saddle that nearl covered f her tough little pinto and climbed up beside Sophronia Vat at ye e doin here asked Sophronia edg edginS inS ing along the top rail hospitably to give Jane plenty oi of room hit aint mail day dayI I mow hit retorted Jane loftily tit hit lint aint mail day er cr Sunday Sophronia sari W at that she was bursting with r s sonic ome important news nes but knew that she could not hold in long so wisely concluded not to ask my any more morer r questions Jane settled herself comfortably a and d stuck one bare foot beh behind nd the lower rail to keep from fall fallinS falling inS ing off There was a Ion long pause a woodtick on yet yer II neck cd said Jane finally Sophronia removed it indifferently and dropped it into t the grass There was another Ion long pause Vy ye c ask me wy I come demanded I Jane at last here I be plump in front of er house t I an wy f SoPhronia Sophonia puckered up her mouth thoughtfully It was live five miles to Janes over ocr a mountain trail that was teas wason teason on end cud most of the way and she he knew that it was something very important that could bring Jane out c c t on mail days das s Wand and Sundays Sunday She l e ventured a guess Thir Thies s gat oin e tub tuh be church Nop answered J Jane me I s a new teacher Nap said Jane again l lin r Sophronia tried hard to think of a lother reason I But Jane could not wait She sot got do down n from fr the nce and u d stood in front of Sophronia her yes eyes bi big bigand and J dancing ing with excitement Guess guese sh site I I cried hopping up and down I Sophronia shook her head I bint she said i itell tell hit began Jane lowering her voice lice folks from tit th city at ranch Sophronia straightened up and let her bonnet fall falloff falloff off lite j t uv em Jane went on l 1 gasped Sophronia A mm man an a an two bays bos an a girl rl t tYe Ye down doan I II I do Cn I come an see em Sophronia asked presently answered Jane importantly ye yc aint to today today day persisted Sophronia Jane jerked j up her pons head pt put t one b bare re foot fool I leisurely into the stIrrup md and then halt half turned Soph r 1 Sonia was watching her eagerly Olt Oh will do said Jane She swung herself on by b the pommel and headed the pinto down the valley Im gain goin tull th Three Mile Place z he added tuh tali drive up a fer the stran strangers ers So long She held her head high as she rode away Sophronia looking after her and thinking of the city eity foils She was quite excited over the news of their coming for f since her third birthday she had seen but thirty r persons including the four families in the little valley the mail man who came once a week as far IS as the theE E Three Mile Place Miss ss Freeman the Who spent four months of each cach year in the twelve schoolhouse a I minister who Summer the assessor and preached once a month in j the from the county all at once scat Now she was as to see ie five A fresh breeze from off Mt Shasta across the footh foothills tumbled her hair puffed out her apron md and chilled her But still she sat on 00 picturing the happiness tomorrow would bring until when at last stiff and her mind cold and she climbed down she was behind her herby herby her sunbonnet was so busy that she dragged by one string all the way to io the house as she could l lor after fter supper slipper She went to bed as soon her head a nd have wake for or site she wanted to cover up evening evenin task her regular dreams She even forgot of the digger pines an and of driving the turkeys out the might not into their coops so that coyotes them down and eat cat them She remembered her neglect when late laIc ill in the evening she heard her mother shooing md and scolding young un Mrs f 15 Powers was saying en ent on th ranch think thin t 1 It n s ms like fer all she cares Vent tug tuh ed d jus so go tug tuh grass d cl bout gettin ettin these turks tucks d Then she heard her father futher from the next room defending her I He Ic hail had been ill with wills the chills and fever on for several weeks s He had them every cery Summer though and never bothered to take medicine for them staying g in m one clay to Sh shake lkc and tine t e next to chill and working whenever he could j jus st as the thc theother other men tn in the hills did Of late Ie he hall l beeh been worse than ever bc ore c and often delirious so that thal he talked a gr great t deal His low weak voice at lulled Soph Sophronia Sophronia ronia to sleep I The first two years of odas life were in the POy camp Im to o Cali Calic Dur forma fornia in m a c Dur ng th Sophronia of U lie f t nic me on 1 her fret hoed bad in the site wagon rut and it to her IS as i if f the Jiro uJ was ar bi IS as the ro rook k of a hoe Io 10 Irs Powers it r f rr A was the trip that was wonderful and she declared that the they must have traveled as far IS as once d the thc earth But then she had never studied geography or seen the ocean In the wagon on its long tiresome across the plains were rag doll and doll bed bcd piled on top of her fathers an and mothers things am and her high chair roped at the hack But Ul best of all her little lillIe donkey the g gift ft of her Uncle Will trotted alon along behind the schooner all 11 day da and 11 lay down with the mules to rest at night Her father used to put her on the donkeys back very cry often Mrs Powers was getting the meals over oer the campfire and hold her there while the donkey walked aroun around In this way a Sophronia and the donkey sol got acquainted early earb md and soon grew to love oc each other He was just age and had been named Scraps because he would eat cat anything But Sophronia called him first because she could not pronounce her and afterward because she had the habit Straps was brown on top and underneath In winter his hair was long and shaggy but in Sum Summertime lie he got sleek again He hind had a clipped mane malic that stood lip up stiffly as s if he were scared all the time and his short tail was clipped too except at the very end cud where there was a bunch that he used ns as a brush to keep the flies away Ilis I hoofs were tiny md and round and had fringed cuffs of creamy cream hair at the top H His is big nose was very soft and whenever he Saw Sophronia coming he hc wiggled the long hairs on the cud of it But th moll won wonderful erful thing about him was his was precisely like the big saw in a lumber mill When Mr Powers reached Trinity County he lo 10 Gated in Long Valley ralley which lies shut in by high hiSh foothills exactly where the letter N is on the map After clearing a level stretch of trees and underbrush he built a log t with a 1 leanto leahto of shakes where straps could be tied while the barn was going up for Sophronia would not be parted from her donkey and it was too loo cold for her out in the and St Straps led free lazy lives antI and both came an for a good Pow Po ors ers because Straps was of no account on tic the place and Sophronia could not do kitchen work Ii If any anyone ny one tried to ride the donkey on an errand he would stop on the wy way ns as likely as not to not even een so much as flick lic his tail when he was hit and d dif if the little girl was wa set to work on the dishes it took her so long that hint her mother would finally get angry and tell her to git thi th hou house e Then Sophronia md and Straps would w wander away to gather es pine nuts in the woods or to fish in the noisy sy trout streams Or they would travel and travel and as far as asella Bella ella Vista a i nigh high point down the valley from which the they could view the world worldOn worldOn On these journeys to the s entrance and back Sophronia often wondered wonder d if H sh she did didiot l Ot love loc Strops Straps better ban her father and IId r But Bu when this thought crept into her heart site hc put it f out for site she felt elt that it was wicked How However cr site she was certain site she mere for or him titan hap she did for Miss Freeman who ho had imd once told od her how Strap s came cameto to to have i long dark sri s ri c e lown hiG hie bacK md and another across his oth forming a crr cross s Ard after she he lid harf heard about Bethlehem and nud the manger she loved Straps more than ever I The day by after Janes call Sophronia awoke so carl early that lint she saw the sun come up nip over Twin Peaks and when Mrs Powers entered ithe kitchen at six she found her washed and combed and trying vainly to button her best pink apron tIp p the back Vall rall she said wat at on earths struck ye e Is Mount Spastic goin to stan scan on hits mead head Sophronia kept on trying tring to button her apron Come said Mrs Powers Sophronia walked slowly lowy over to her mother and stood quietly while her apron was being fastened Mrs Powers scolding all the time and giving a jerk now not and then that threatened to snap off all the buttons I spose yer goin to gad she said Sophronia nodded and then went out to saddle and bridle Straps before break breakfast ast She ate her bacon and potatoes hurriedly and ro rode e away aay toward the Kooser Koose ranch For the first mile of the trail Straps loped Then the path began to ascend the mountain and he settled down to a slower gait Sophronia let him go as lie he wished for she was wag so 0 bus busy tI thinking inkins that she did not even een push the chaparral out of the way when it hung across her path When she reached Kooser came out to ask her into the house But Sophronia would not get down So ye came tuh see sec Ik Ih cil city folks said Mrs lr Kooser nice Hows pa an mn ma Sophronia Sophroni told her how sick her father was Lan laughed Mrs Kooser ye re call th shakes do ye re Hell I be all right soon I reckon answered S Sophronia phronis Then she md Janc sitting straight in tHeir big saddles their toes thrush into the loops above the Ion long stirrups rode off alfalfa pasture to see the thc city folks As AI thc they neared rad the camp their madrone switches sent Straps and the pinto in at a gallop The strangers came out to watch them canter up tp Jane got off her pony when they Ito t stayed in her het saddle She yas ryas e m muc interested in n five e hummocks that SW A bet r n s trees rl cs d f tl r I I IV 1 t tt V r i I Ii t r i 1 1111 i N tl I I a r r r I c I If j f J a Ili 1 nl la t l 11 1111 1 1 V t d t 7 3 C 4 r i b f fI fI I I i I I l 1 1 t tl A DIM trots c AT OF TILE rED AU 1 tR IT ON t IIER FACE I in the great pile of things tear the SU suar pine that was the kitchen The city lad lady who WitS was not nota a bit stuck up Sophronia thought s saw w he her looking at the canted goods and gave her and Janc echa each a tin of sardines Jane ane thanked her several times but Sophronia could not open her mouth Cats got cr tongue Jane glib glibly md and the city boys laughed Sophronia shook her head slowly and put out a tiny bit of her ton tongue sue to show tint that Jane was wron The boys laughed louder loader th than n ever But did that just just then she sight of the dearest l little fellow jn the world with long yellow curls and nd big br brown hn eyes Ile He was I looking kin qt at her donkey y spoke and then site he kr w that lie he little girl not a bo boy boynt nt all Papa called thc little litte girl running behind the wagon Site She carne came I back lck talking very excitedly a and d lead leading leading ing a tall fall gentleman ln in funny knee trousers t this the lie dearest donke donkey you ever ever saw lV sh slid said aid Her papa looked at Straps wish I J f could have hae one she l c cant nt I papa We could ride it too said her brothers 1 cc rr The Thc little girl went up to 10 St Straps raps and put her hand handon on oil his nose lIose Is he tame she asked Sophronia did not answer anser Does Docs he kick said the little girl Nag Naw answered Sophronia for she did not want an any one to think hard things of Straps Oh sighed the little girl I wish wih I had him Papa buy him for me wont you eyes ces grew very big and she pulled on her bridle reins Papa urged the little C girl rl please buy him for forIne inc Ine The cit city gentleman smiled up at Sophronia What will you take for him he said lid eyes ees got still bigger and her face gre grew T Tred red She pulled on 01 her reins again gave Straps a sharp blow with her switch Gup she said gup gupIll gupIll Ill give gie you n a twenty for him said the city gentleman as lie he held up a big Sol piece Sophronia never looked nt at hint him Before anyone could stop her and with Jane Janc shouting for her to come hack she was off across the alfalfa ns as fast a as Straps could carry her herIt herIt It was late that lint night when Sophronia sol got home She t over oer the fence carrying ng the bridle in one hand and her sunbonnet in the other oilier Afraid lest the city gentleman would cone come down during the lie day and try to bu buy Straps she had stayed away until dark and to make mak sure that he could not get hint him she had sane gone to the Three Mile Place hidden the donkey in a pasture and then toiled back home alone over ovel the trail The house was very ery quiet when she opened the kitchen door and thought she was hungry she un for bed But before turning down the quilts she hed open op n the door leading into the front room to see if her father and mother were awake Her heart stopped beating for a moment as she looked in A dint dim tight light was burning at the herd head of the thc bed bcd and near it ott on a chair sat her mother her face buried in her hands Beyond lay her father looking very cr 1011 long and still his face show showing ill plainly plain I against be white She saw that he was either much worse or dead 1 She waited watching them sa sadly ly before she spoke M alp he whispered n at last Mrs Powers lifted her head and looked around Site She had been crying and her eyes were swollen Ye back she asked also ill in a whisper Yes Is pa na worse Sophronia had conic come in herlong her long flannel nannel night ni trailing about her herH H Iler r mother nodded and aid they berh tiptoed out Mrs Powers the They sat down at t tine 1 kitchen table Ics I powerful sick said Mrs Powers an weve got Gol tull tuh get him tub tuh a doctor as quick ez we cn or hell die dic She began to cry holding her apron over oyer her face and moving her head froth from side to side Sophronia Sophron 1 watched her wIth a fri frightened face Olt Oh dont cry ml ma she said Mrs Powers looked up easy tub tuh say she answered but hore lion re we wc gain goin huh git him to Vew The Thc mules is is on tit th range an hit ud take a t uh tug fun fin cm An I taint got gol it a dollar tali hire my any one tuh tali pad pack lr pa or tilt tuh pay fee fer a days sta stay when I got gol she began to cry again Soph Sophronia Sophronia ronia shivering in her thin dress wished she were grown liP up Ye lied hed supper bet hev ye c asked aske her mother Yell be sick the next Sophronia the cupboard clipboard and took out o lt sonic food Then she remembered the sardines and gent ent to tg her pocket for them and put them on the table li I r mother caught si sight ht of the tin tinYe tinYe Ye been hey hev ye Naw answered Sophronia a lady at Koos rs give hit t tuh roe me m an I saved hit for pa h J Iler He mother took the can up an and turned it over ocr and andover 1111 I I over UI m her hand |