The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-11-06

would go Tar toward COuntefDalanclh lh
money received for Mooley.'
"And as tor the horses, said |, "he eats bu
little; and how on earth could we get arounC
the country, even to the postoflice, sucl
weather as this, if it wasn't for old Dobbin
that we have had ever since was Int
tic girl,"
So it happened that, on this special even
ing We had Just come in from attending to The
wants of our live stock.
was in great spirits, playing with pussy
who came to meet US, with her plump tai
erect; but Kitty leaned sadly against the WOO
den nantel, and looked into the fire with
N Ournful eyes.
"Kitty," cried at last, "what makes you
so dull?'
"Tomorrow is the third of March" she
said gravely.
what of that?" demanded.
"DOn't you remember? The interest on the
mortgage on the old farm comes due tomor-
row."
$50 ii does" said |, my radiant face falling
faster than the thermometer on a freezing day
I"Thirty.tivc dollars! And we have nothing
to pay 1t with, except the fifteen dollars Laura
Osgood paid for the old melodeon"
perhaps Willis Avery would wait" sug-
gested Kitty.
drew myself slightly
said |.
Now it happened that Willis Avery, who
held the mortgage on our homestead, was the
son of a neighbor, and an old play fellow and
bcaub boy of mine, who had gone to the pros
porous young city only n few miles north of
us, and commenced business on his own &C
count, and had particular aversion to ask
ing aid or help of him in any way. | might
be poor, but was also proud and Kitty was
quite sympathetic enough to understand me.
but what are we to do, them asked Kitty.
| sat down on the hearth rug with my chin
in my hands, and stared earnestly at the big
cracking backlog. Pussy crept away and
nestled down in the corner. as if she knew by
instinct that there was a change OF tempera.
ture.
Look here, Kitty l said, suddenly.
Those russell apples!'
"Well?'
1--WE can sell them. There are eight bush.
els at least and at two dollars ana fifty cents
a barrel"
my dear Addie, no one will buy them at
oneftth the price. Apples are a drug in the
market
Here grant you but not in the city. II
will take them down TO the city and sell
them
You WILL Addie?"
charge at least twenty per cent commission,
and mako Il favor of it at that | can't afford
I either the price or the patronage. Don't say
anything about II to iather-he would only
fret and raise objections. What must be done
must be- and | am the girl TO do it,"
But Addle, how All this seems wild and
visionary to me-
We'll, it needn't; for believe me, it's the !
most practical thing IN the world. All we
have 10 do is to sort the apples into the bar.
res, nice anG sound can easily do it by |
lantern light TOMS ht-and tomorrow morn. |
ing we II rise early, harness old Dobbin to |
the lumber wagon"
But how are we to get the heavy barrels |
into the wagon
"Goosiem cried /, laughing, cant put
the barrels INTO the wagon while they are
empty ana fill them at my leisure And I'll
have them sold at Napoleon before you've got
the pork and cabbage boiled for dinner
But to whom Will you sell them :" asked |
Kitty.
"Oh, know lots of places. went once to |
town with Obadiah Fairweather, when he |
sold a lot of cheeses. I've pretty good idea
of the locality of all the commission stores,
can tell you"
After all, "hcsltated my conservative little
sister, "it isn't part OF IA womans work"
"Why isn't ii, should like to know, so
long as woman can do it? At all events,
woman must pay her debts-and now il you'll
hurry up the tea III be off to the barn.
and what shall we tell papa"
"Oh, he'll think have gone TO the singing
school with the Dyson girls, and don't think
it Il christian duty to undeceive him, answer.
ed |. II
But notwithstanding the brave face | put
upon my affairs, my heart quivered little
the next day as | drove off toward Mapleton,
with the scarlet stain of sunrise dyeing all the
east, and my own cheeks flushed with the :
keen morning air.
But it wasn't so bad after all. With par
donabe egotism, | supposed that every one
would be staring at me; but on the contrary Il
a young woman selling apples might be the |
cOmmonest sight in the world, so little com. {
ment of surprise did it apparently excite. NJ.
Holloway, Of the firm OF Holloway Brothers, {
produce and commission merchants didn't
want any apples | speedily learned {
Just bought ship.load from Albany" {
SAID he, as careless as if ship-loads of apples {
were as common purchase as ten cents
worth Of tape. And drove on beginning to s
feel enthusiastically small I
Mr.. Loveloy could give me dollar a bar
rel. "Apples wasn't worth no more a. this
season OF the year" And l whipped old
Dobbin up, determined to carry them home
again sooner than sell AT that price
At the next place where stopped pleas
ant looking, middle aged man came out and
critically examined my apples.
"Do they hold out like this all the way
dowR" he asked.
III warrant them" said carelessly
How much ?' he asked
1.-TWO dollars and a half barrel"
lie reflected.
ITS good price, said he as if he were
talking to his own vest buttons; but they
look like good apples, and we have toler.
ably large Western order TO fill. III see what
my partner thinks about it,"
lie went back into the gloomy depths of
his store, and happening 10 glance up, saw
the words printed IN black letters over the
door Hull II avery
My first impulse was 10 drive on, and leave
the chance of II bargain behind me- my next,
to sit still and await my fate as Providence |