| Show in memory of tom satan by SHANNON BIRCH I 1 J coi C oi b lii Snort stor pub LO co jonas mcferran Mc Ferral had followed the life of a ing man for many nears cais before resigning tl ti e damped clamped quarters quarter of a for or the tha wide acres of a kansas homestead it was mas in the nering of tint that the one time mariner departing front from the se sea a had bad homestead ed tho the north east quarter of section 17 township three south rinse ringe brer east cast in thorn is count kansis algo acres more or less according to government sune at th tint it time lie was mas 40 3 ears old elmeinta rNa was 1 26 6 when allen in the fall of the sune same bear air she hid had left Is nem ew england tor for the west nest and home steadied the south southwest quarter of see sec tion 17 three in the afore said counts of thomas and state ot of kansas containing IGO acres more or cor lew according to goi eminent sune 3 it Is haidl ne feces cesin arn to state slate that joras irish and elkint miner liner ia a yankee both bid been heart m whole hale until this late date A half section of inhabited 1 13 two ONO souls animated hi the slime bime ilm alm should produce in pe bior action cc tion the condi conditions tiong of it i rural romance such were the conditions in this instance an I 1 as m wis is to be expect ejected ed jonis jonas and elninia Eli ilola miner igneri Il neri i fell in loie loe the utilities boener boe Ncr were mere not to be foi gotten ind ohp hi marriage lay day was mas postponed until each should in home language hae hiie pioci up then the would theo then be the owners of a half section i a rich domain tor for thorn them and belr successors between betteen the one crooned white cur tallied cottonwood dm dwelling elling of the S spinster plaster settled and the window less dugout ot of her bachelor lover li ii it a half mile of kansas kanbas prairie and midway intersecting the beaten path ran the solomon a three rod wide stream 0 of clear nater mater with a bottom in patches of sand and pebbles on either bank was mas a growth of willow millow and elm cot conwood and wild plum that made a may ala dai da on the solomon a pleasant epoch in life in crossing this stream as was his dall custom jonas used a ford which la a not as the crow flies bet between veen his abode and that of his beloved but at an angle with mth each dwelling delling this because of the shallow sh alloiN fording at that point tile the time for proving up the claims was as now fast approaching nor isor had the years these two tuo had waited been b bi any means without fruit with gonei mone saved from his seafaring das jonas had fenced his land arid and other othe r wise adad to its I 1 he Is had also broken the soil sod of SO acres for corn planting 10 alminta claim also had been added miny many for from a frugal fund hoard ed ad from aas nears of school tea teaching ebing and the remainder of tills this sum together with the nearh earh meld from an indus flock fleck of hens hen and mell pre served cows cots combined to make for her a degree of that need ed ad only a of i 1 deed tor for her homestead and with jonas fully to round out her ha happiness priness jonas sometimes on a june eien een ing would mould linger along the path to alminta minervah Miner Allner vas dreaming of 0 love his ear intent on the song of the vel low crested mendon lark at such times the air was mas undoubtedly ly transou scent but upon this state of primeval con tenement tent ment and reasonable hopes one blot existed in spite of his love of the sk and sense of relationship mith nature tonas felt an ineradicable dis trust for one of the humblest of all created things namely El ml lill black cat tom satan this too in spite spile of the tact fact that the ant mal was the pet and companion of ills spinster neighbor the satan m was as the addition of jonas wh who ci thus signified his belief la in the animal a laign maign influence upon two lives that were mere meant to be joined it if not upon tv o farms as well anell to be sure his predictions of disaster had not set been verified verl fled hut but what of this marriage in the spring where by all abse lears ears of toll and nailing malting should be crowned 9 who could tell tut lut that tom waited and hun tor for this opportunity 9 it was mas in aln that tom satan would arch his back and rub against jonas boot bootleg leg inviting a friendship that he thought ought to exist after so BO many years of acquaintanceship rhe other ostentatiously repelled all puch advances on this special day jonas remained longer g er than usual and when he started home hom e the sun was mas below ml daft i noon for this reason he be did not take nis usual path but instead iu tead made a bee line through the pasture pl sture striking tipon the he river down stream toi rot the fold upon reaching the bank he be tucked his trousers legs into his boot tops and stepped into the water running riot not more than four inches deep the soft sand yielded slightly but jonas unheeding took a step foiw ird an other then another when but what was waa ho he walking ina something was wrong something was mas dragging him down then with the force of A lightning bolt the truth struck him he was mas in a quicksand like a lion in toli tells i jonas roused loused himself and mienchen wien mien ched his hia toot foot back in his struggle partly turn ing to the bank from which he had bad entered put but though straining so that at times he be fell prone he wad unable to drag either foot up again inch by inch the awful sand sana gal ice lipin him it reached ills his boot topa top 11 foil fell ohp til cold inlet of sand and N ater III fa the tha death grip of death lie ile writhed and tugged but bill to no adall ile he bilt bill no ansar cime came in i ln hr ahti peered this wa va anti and that dial thre more th re wa was S no one to succor lie JIL I 1 d 0 there hero like a beast I 1 sudI Tily Ms Is rae gaze de J I 1 that libich roused hlin bin to resh fresh f I 1 effort ON er ills his head but far out of 0 reach r c h hung flom the branch of at an elm dm tree iree the sinewy arnis arms of a glint grapevine with will haste lie fie pulled oft off ills his coat and clutching it the end of one sleeve cast the garment with itil al cli 1 li a strength ton arc the he vii aha it tell fell short by at a foot again and again the coat described i frantic but aut without success icess desisting resisting De finally flora this vain rn neuer jonas put all ills his force foice into a mighty cry for or help one two three times ills his oice noice died awo unanswered hut bill to the he fourth appeal there came to him as it in Tn re spouse a 11 shrill mapow and straight nay may there appeared upon file alie bank picking his nay daintie da with mith flaunt ing tall tail and inching in responsive gasps a well knon irli black figure acure it was nitta tom stan the cold cod rimps stood out on jonas forehead 1 ere eie his predictions of the animal s malign influence thus vc veiled i led anti and md lie he creature fol followed loed hn him untie unno thit he might be a i of ills his sufferings Wha teiei at ills his past r motives 7 ion 0 it sa tin tan now scerrel bent only upon cul mating au all intini ac mith walli lie ho man f it the truth nth ahlm he was in quicksand who had so long ions repulsed him but who now lifted up his bis olce with no apparent purpose p other than that of uniting inviting toni tom satan a companionship lie he een mide his wiy with mith i 1 series of little pairing meows to tbt rivers edge and put out one as though to to naj wain tu u joas nut but at the touch fouch ot of the water lie he withdrew the drippin hip pinn member shook it backed away amay and stood tor for a moment foreso lute jut thedas then as though seized bv a sud den inspiration lie he shiang into the tree from which hung the gra grapevine peNine and with the cautious tread of 0 a ropp walker clam clawd ad ills hla way may out nut over the de id boegh s opp I 1 ln n aery now and then hen as tile the banch hr inch bent beneath his aci weight bt 0 o give a reassuring meow apparently tom satan con considered leered the feat eat ot or reaching jonas vii the dead branch and the grap grapevine evine feis ible and the end bit whit might have been the outcome of 0 these ma maneuvers will remain former foree ancer tain for midway miamay in his journey ra y the tha taso unexpected happened the dead dad limb mb snapped and tom satin clutching at the nearest sound bra brater tir was aas left hanging b his tore fore paws i li ii i mid air from this precarious PoRi pouillon poi illon tion ane te fe line acrobat ie covered himself by dint or of frantic gymnastic and scrambling into a coign ot of safety in a fork of the tree branch bianch proceeded after the in consequent manner of 0 his kind to make a vigorous toilet but to jonas thit that th it moment of tom satins gatins peril mas ft as the moment of his own restoration for with the he break ins ing of the jimb a long ions arm of the grapevine had been loosened and tell fell straight into the hands of the despairing man below As to the nerve taxing muscle straining efforts by which jonas at last wrenched himself tree free from the grip of the quicksand and the mingled rejoicings rejo icings and lamentations of elmila ta minerva over her lovers plight that hat 1 ls an outline that ill loers of tho the heroic and romantic can oil fill la in to suit themselves but this much Is a matter of his tory that tho lie faill mansion of 0 seven even rooms mas aa built on a knoll shaded by norwegian pines decorated with flower beds arid and overlooking a halt half section of 0 fertile acres also that it became the peaceful home of tonas elminti minerva Mil lerva and ot of tom satan for to his fe feline ine pro pre server jonas veering to the ther other e ex ot of feeling attributed a such h cour aglious and benignant quail qualities es hit the lescene abed tom silan satan I 1 ched led out his days daya in tho the odor of k anctot and alter after his hia death was mas immortalized by the erection in ia its ills memory of a lofty granite monument which still stands on the knoll under the tha pines in tle tl e southwest of 0 section 17 range three township three in the county of thomas ot of kansas |
