The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-11-18

"Wllllam, she said desperately,
chow many years will it be before you
can buy the lots?"
"Years? The lots?' in unfeigned
amazement. Elbow on earth can
you understand business?"
It was the first time she had ever
spoken in this way.
II don't know. But I'm afraid I will
not live to see it. It is so long
She went back to the kitchen. The
dishes stood untouche ed upon the table
and Lefty was seated upon the steps,
a basket of red peaches beside her,
which the boarder brought down from
his room.
He was a young man, teacher in a
Virginia country school, who had come
up to these hills geologizing in his
summer vacation.
II brought them from the Mcbride
farm, Mrs. Taney," he said. "They
are a very common kind in the Shen-
andoan Valley, handing them to her.
"Mrs. Taney's features grew warm.
II remember tree just like these at
home" she said, "by the old MILL My old
nurse used to hold me up to pull them
for myself"
Your little girl tells me that you
came from Fauquier county. 1t is a
fine country"
ut is the most beautiful in the
world" said Mrs. fancy.
She stopped and Went in hastily. She
felt the tears choking her. She could
hear Mr.. Burke tell The child that his
school was in Fauquier, and that he
had often passed her grandfather's
house. 1t was for sale now, with a
dozen acres about it; would sell very
cheap, no doubt. Land had depreciat-
ed since the war; "a quiet comfort
able little homestead, too," he said, cas-
any in the state"
Mrs. fancy paused in her work
"Oh, if | could only show it to Lefty"
she said to herself. "The dear Old
farm. The sunny porches, and the
Bourbon roses, and the great oaks cen
turtles old. She had never spoken Of
her old home to her other children,
but to Lefty she had talked of it often
when they were alone. Lefty was like
herself; the others were all Taneys.
She came to the door.
do you know, Mr.. Burke, if there
is an ola negro On the place-a gar
dener?"
''Uncle Tod? Oh, everybody knows
the old man. And his stories about
Clevelands, de family, as he calls
them"
owe were the Clevelands. And old
Tod is really living yet?' she laughed
for the first time in a year.
When Lefty had gone in, Mr.. Burke
paced up and down the porch. He
was manly, large-natured fellow, and
his heart ached with pity for the poor,
pinched lives Of this child and her
mother. All he could do to show kind
ness was to lend books to Lefty, which
she devoured eagerly, for she was fond
of reading; in fact she had obstinately
persisted in staying at the free school
until she had educated herself.
William fancy waited until the
young. man had gone, and then he
went into the pantry where his moth
er was straining milk. Something in
his manner made her set it down, trem-
bling:
"You have bad news to TELL" she
said.
NO" with an uneasy, stricken
laugh, "most folks call it good. Fact
is, mother, I've made up my mind to
"Oh, William" her old cheeks color
ing;
II made up my mind three months
ago: And the girls courted, and the
weddings to be tomorrow. There
now. No need for you to look in that
way. | am generally pretty close
mouthed about my own business; you
might know that. And I don't choose
to have the matter cackled over at
home. The girl is Miss Sophy Craw-
ford"
His mother came toward him. He
was her son after all, and this was the
turning point of his life. She put her
arms about him and kissed him. "God
bless you, my boy" she said.
But he stood as immovable as a log.
'Don't let us have any FUSS" he
said. "You had better sit down,
You're shaking all over. Well, that's
all. Therell be no wedding hubbub
here. 1 don't hold to spending money
in feeding a lot Of guzzling fools. The
Crawfords have regular blowout in
the morning. But you don't want to
go, Ireckon?" uneasily.
II should like to see you married"
she said, timidly.
"Oh, nonsense. There's no sickly
sentiment about me. I'll have Sophy
home by supper time. You'll have to
see to things here.'
He lighted his candle and turned to
go.
"By the way, she was here a month
ago."
eyes" Mrs. fancy remembered
distinctly the cross-featured, black
eyed young woman who had staggered
through the farmhouse in her oh cap