Daily globe., 1882-09-17


on the door OF the room where they slept,
and then proceeded to the kitchen,
where he hastily swallowed bowl of
cold oatmeal and milk, and then went
to the barn to saddle the horse he was
to ride.
To his surprise the barn-door was
standing open, and the staple which
held the paddock was wrenched from its
place.
'sLike as not them pesky tramps done
this out O spite, grumbled the farmer.
81 wish to the land the hull O 'em was
in the pen'tentiary for life. I hope they
amt stole old Bet"
But familiar whinny from the mares
stall as he entered set his mind at rest
on this point; and he climbed the barn
stairs TO throw down the hay for the
faithful creatures breakfast.
But scarcely had he filled the rack
when there was sudden rustic in the
hay behind him, and with low cry of
exuitation the two tramps to whom he
had refused lodging the night before
sprang upon him.
"You miserable. sneakin'-" he be-
gan, but the sentence was never fin
ished, for sudden blow ON the head
sent him reeling backward, senseless,
and he fell like log upon the hay.
When he recovered consciousness the
sun was shining brightly through the
cracks of the barn, and it seemed to him
that several hours must have elapsed
since that sudden blow had stretched
him senseless. His hands and feet were
tied fast together. and a ragged hand
kerchief had been used to gag him.
There was dull pain in his head, too,
and he did not feel sufficient energy to
make an effort TO free himself He was
wondering in a disconnected, stupid
way how long he must lie there before
any one came to look for him, when he
heard the sounds of wagon wheels com
ing round the corner Of the barn. Then
came Harry's voice, shouting to the
oxen, ''Haw, Beauty; gee, Bright, and
the door CT tile loft of the barn was
thrown open with jerk.
"Gettin' in the hay as [ told
'em," thought Jacob, and it
occurred to his benumbad mind that
his BOYS never needed his watchful eve
and stirring voice to make them work.
They never shirked anything, either of
them
Being only about five yards from them
he could hear ev cry word they uttered,
| though the immense mound OF hay that
| lay between him and thedoor con-
cealed him from their view. He was
wondering how he could make his stu
Fred say:
"I really mean it, Harry. The day
I'm twenty-one 1 leave this farm forever.
II be willing to stay. and would 10
more for fathaf than any one else if he'd
only appreciate what I do. But he
looks upon us both as mechanics, and
tries to see how much work he can get
out of us.
"He ought to have let us off to-day,
that's fact" said Harry, who was al.
ways little more moderate in every.
thing he said and did than his elder
brother. "He's rich enough to spare
us just one day"
"Lew Gibson belongs to baseball
club, and his father gives him every
Saturday afternoon" said Fred. "1
often wish I was in his place. Every
fellow we know will be town to-day tt
see the fun, while we have to get in this
hay. And last year it was just the same
L moved and you raked just as if wee
never heard of Fourth of July"
"Father'n be sorry for it some day,
said Harry. "I don't Lelieye he's evel
really thought of the matter impartially
He was brought up to work, and he be
lieves in work. Mother says that grand
father was just such another driver"
"Why, old Bet must be in her stall,
cried Fred, as sudden whinny sounded
from the interior of the barn. "I won
der what made father walk to Morris
town! But I don't know as I care
Perhaps as it is so hot he'll get a sun
stroke, and come near dying and Sc
then how he's treated us boys. Nv
heard of such things"S
Jacob Graves heard no more for tn
boys, having got in the hay, drove off fo
another load. But he had heard quit
enough to set him thinking in goo
earnest. And for wonder he was nc
angry. The longer he had listened tn
stronger became his conviction that hi
boys were right; that he had looked VI
on them as machines and worked the1
to their utmost, and that his whole sy!
tenn of management was wrong. Sul
, pose Fred carried out his threat to leay
!, the farm when he was 81? How coul
the farm thrive without him? WIS
, was he, Jacob Graves, working for if NJ
for his boys? And the thought thi
: they both wanted to leave him cut h
heart like knife. He remembered h
own boyhood. How cheerless, how ba
, rem of all joys it had been The reeo
9 lection of the privations. the disaproin
) ments, the sorrows he had endured can
to him as it had never come since /
b had left his fathers home. He, too, ha
4 been anxious to strike out for himsel
to leave behind him the old home wit
: which he had no tender or loving ass
|, Citations. And what had hedone? u
IS Willingly unheeding, forgetting the lie
II sons of his own youth, for his own son
y he had closed his eyes to all signs of r
> bellion, his ears to the gentle reproac
e es of his over-worked wife. He had fc
: lowed in the track of his father becau
no other had been pointed out to hir
r and now his boys cared nothing for hir
1t they were anxious for the dav
IF | ,,,l>A L. l.