Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-10-27

which divided his farm from the Wid
ow Dcrwent's, lay one Of tho men m
der the shade Of a spreading oak lre'
his hat pulled over hls eyes, and hI
rake lying Oh the green grass besld
him,
A sudden inspiration seized Katie
who, putting her loot on tho jatllnl
stone OF tho wall, sprang lightly Il
the top.
"Alani' she called loudly--"oh
man ! will you please help mo ca'el
my roosteri | know Squire Davi
won't mind II you DO"
The mau thus singalarly addressed
sat up suddenly, his straw hat falling
from his head, and thereby revealing
a wealth OF curly chestnut hair. Hi
clothes were rough and ill-ftting II II
true, but his face refined and hand
some one, and his bearing far above
that of the average hired man.
~ will help you in any way can
he said, after quick glance at the
flushed, pretty face Of the girl on the
stone wall. "Did you say you wanted
mo to help you catch roosler'' hesl'
tating just a little.
ayes, my sister wants him for din
ner, and I've run until I'm tired out.
Do you suppose the squire will scold
If you spend little willis helping
mcW
"Why should he in a tone OF SUR
prise.
"Well, he's very strict, and his
hired men have to work hard, I've
heard. guess hc don't know OF
your resting under this tree, and I'm
afraid he will hear Of it from the other
men. and pay you Your wages and
turn you off,"
"Oh, | see.' said the young man
with q smile.
at is true; you do not know him
as well as l do. / guess you haven't
been working for him long"
"Only this morning"
"You look smart enough to make
something better of yourself than q
hired man in bayfield," pursued
Katie. "But Of course that is your
own affair. Don't let us waste any
more time talking; that rooster is
getting all his strength back"
The young man sprang lightly over
the stone wall, and again the chase
began, the poor fowl succumbing to
his destiny after five minutes of hard
running.
"And now you had better hurry
back to the bayfield," Katie said, after
thanking the young man for his assist
ance, "or you will certainly lose your
place. 1t isn't very pleasant to be
turned off, Oh, dear, I forgot that we
are to be turned off ourselves next
Monday"
"What do you meant"
swell, l suppose you've heard
everybody in the neighborhood knows
it it. that there's mortgage on our
farm. 1t has been due six months,
and now the agent writes we must
leave next Monday. "Oh, how hate
that Mr.. Arle!" setting her small
white teeth together vindic,ive)y.
The young man started violently.
"Is he the holder Of the mortgage?"
he asked, biting at wisp of bay he
held in his hand, his dark eyes bent
on the ground.
eyes, and he is rich enough, if re-
port is true, to afford to make US a
present of the old farm. But 1 must
20, or Hannah will be scolding." and
with repeated thanks for the help he
had given her, she hurried away,
him far superior to any la
borer she had ever previously met, and
hoping the squire would not give him
a scolding for shirking work.
The chicken dinner was much en-
joyed by little Paul. the :only one OF
the family who did not feel troubled
at the impending removal from the
old home, and he, poor child was too
young to know what sorrow meant.
Hannah looked stern and forbid
ding. Mrs. Derwents eyes were red,
and there were traces OF tears on Kat
les cheeks, for she had not escaped a
scoldlng from Hannah for unnecessary
delay in the catching of the fowl.
When dinner was over and she had
helped her sister tidy the kitchen,
Katie took tin pail from the pantry
and her hat from its peg, and started
ont.
llurlu.x a,. .,l,, fvOipn< 9V ockod