The west shore., July 01, 1889, Page 383, Image 34

THE WEST 8H0RE.
383
OHUOK OLALLA."
HE was only a shoemaker. He was short and lame,
limping painfully when he walked. Hit face
was ugly, red and freckled, and his coarse hair and
coarser beard were almost scarlet, while small, light
eyes and shaggy, sandy brows added the finishing
touches to a face that was positively repulsive until
one came to know it welL
His name was Waterbury, and the Indians had be
stowed upon him the sobriquet, "Chuck Olalla,"
" chuck " signifying water, and " olalla," berry. He had
been homeless and friendless as long as his memory
reached backward. If ever a father's pride or a
mother's tenderness had been lavished upon him, they
were of the things of which he knew not.
He could neither read nor write, and he cared
little for men; but he had his old, brown pipe, and he
used to sit out on bis back porch, deriving infinite
pleasure from the changes in the sky, and fancying
that the winds whispered all kinds of fanciful stories
as it stole through the yarrow and golden-rod and
bore the down of the dandelion away.
It was a lucky day for Jamie Waterbury when he
drifted into the little mining town on Cracker creek,
in Eastern Oregon. Here he erected his little " double
sided " shop, with a " living room " behind, and paint
ed a big, red boot upon a rough board for a sign.
Then he fitted up a hard, uncomfortable bed in
the back room, and bought an old stove and some
pans and kettles, fastened a gorgeously illustrated
newspaper over his small, high window, and laid in a
few necessary provisions. Out in the shop he placed
his tools neatly on the bench, hung bits of leather
here and there upon the rude walls, put his beloved
pipe where it would be always handy, and declared
himself ready for business.
" Not as it's very comfterble," he said, looking
about him, when his simple arrangements were com
pleted, " nur vury han'some nuther. But still," and
Jamie gave a long sigh of content, "it's homo, an'
thet means a sight to a man what's never bed one.
Me an' my pipe oughter be sorter happy here together
ef on'y my business '11 be sorter lively. I wisht I'd
hev a cuat'mer the first day, jest fer luck, like."
And Jamie's wish was unexpectedly fulfilled.
8ome one did come in the first day his shop was open ;
came, bending gracefully, with sweet lips and a light
step, through his low door; some ono who was tall
and slim, and who wore a loose white gown, with a
wide blue sash tied about her waist, and no covering
over her soft, brown curls. But whether her coming
m for luck-ahl Jamie, it is best to not meh-
in this uncomfortable world-it would be didicult
to discover.
At all events, the young person in the whita gown
gave a little start of disappointment when she saw
him, but immediately recovered her self possession
and smiled kindly at Chuck Olalla, who was covered
with blushes, the victim of visible dismay at this
charming apparition.
" I'm your next door neighbor," she said, pleas
antly. " I have the postoflioe and confectionery store,
and mamma and I have rooms behind -the same as
you-so we must be good frieuds. I've brought In
my slipper for you to mend. Can you do it nioely? "
She looked away from him as she spoke, pitying
his confusion, not from any innate refinement of fool
ing, but because she had been taught at boarding
school that it was the correct thing to do. And Chuck
Olalla had not expected any such visitor as this, and
his lips were dumb.
Miss Deane sat down on the rude, three-legged
stool, which he awkwardly offered her, and chatted
graciously while he stitched away at the slipper. She
had lived there six months, she told him proudly, and,
besides the postoflioe, she had done very well in the
candy and cigar line. Hhe was glad he was to live so
near, for sometimes she was afraid of tramps. It waa
very silly of her, of course, but still she thought she
would sleep more soundly to know that there was
some one near if ever she needed help. Then she
paused and bit her pretty lip, for the thought cams to
her quite suddenly that he, with his stunted body and
lame foot, would be but a broken reed to lean upon.
Perhaps the same reflection came to Jamie, for he
sighed and looked wistfully awsy at the mountains a
moment, turning the dainty, bigh-heolod slipper over
and over in his hand in an abtent-minded way. Fin
ally the work was finished.
" Very nioely done, too," Miss Jennie said, giving
him a brief, sweet smile. Then she paid him and
went sway.
The ugly, but tender-hearted, follow took np the
little silver piece she had given him, pierced it with
one of bis tools, and, putting a stout leather string
through it, hung it about his Deck.
" It's my good luck piece," he said to himself with
wonderful lightness of beart-and he wois it there
until the day of his death.
Thitt was the one happy summer of Chuck 01 all a' s
life. Mil Jennie was a very oommonplacs young
woman, indeed; but in bis eyes the was an angnl st
noon a high, unapproachable throne. In reality, shs
wu a girl who had bwn born In the west, and knew
no other life. She had lived always In small country
town, but hundreds of cbesp novels, returnable at
half price, and six months at an equally cheap board
ing school, had spiled her for bing an honest, In
doitrious farmer's wife, while It left her nnflttfld for