The Red Cloud chief., 1885-06-05
CHATTER VII

thing for us after all that they driv US
of Of the Suscol Ranch,' said John
Parsons to his W f. ~ morning. Is he
came under the rough porch that had
been put up in front Of the shauty.
He had just finished helping ..rastus
get ready to start TO market with the
usual load OF fruit which they were nov
selling daily.
Il IN sure fruit and poultry-raisin' is
a heap plcasanter than raisiD' wheat,
| and there's more money into il, too.
..Only think, we've been here less
than i've years now and we've got all
the fruit CROWN iha. we kin ali of US
tend 10. and the money is just q rollin'
III. II the rest Of the crop pans ont a.
We'll rs il has so fur. W. Kin build \
new house with a verander all around
il next vea-, and have money LETT to
send the gIris do gn to Frisco 10
scho1..'
Yes, we are getting along very nice
v" replied his wife" .'ani ought 10
be thankful, I'm sure"
As soon rs we GIT q new house
built" continued ar. Parsons, 1--WE
must begin To save up money TO buy a
ranch som'cr. nigh about here for
Rastus, fer spo,- we cant in reason
expect the boy To STAY with Us Away.
Human natur' don't change mucf, |
reckon; il the same on tle Pacific a
IL Is On the Atiant c coast. and | ham I
forgot that ! was mighty anxious 20 get
a place OF my own lore ] was as old as
Rastus Is; specially after / got &C.
4uaipted with "a certain girl with cheeks
the color of them there peaches a hang
in out there in the sun. and eyes that
sort of made me hot aud cold by turns,
a wonderin' whether they was cncour-
agin me. or takin note of the size OF
my cow-hi1e boots. whenever they
looked my way.
Not he continued, las I've no.
ticed that 'Rastus seemed particularly
took with any OF the girls round here
leastwise them as lives far around
here" h. added. looking hard At his
wife, Is if ~endeayoring 10 read her
thoughts.
Ii Mrs. Parsons understood what her
husband was thinking OF, she made no
attempt TO reply. aud alter waiting a
second or two. he began again:
Il don't see as Kastus appears to
take particular to any of the neighbor-
ing girls. bat whether he does or not:
whether h. takes a wife from close by
or furdcr of. it only fair that We help
him 10 a start. He's Deen true rs steel
and AS kind rs if he was our own son.
and I'm u reckonin' if he and one Of
the girls should sometime take q no
ton to hitch up and work in double
harness. there wouldn't BE- any objcc-
tons; ell, mother"
The girls are not old enough To get
married. john" returned Mrs Par
SONS. Jennie is not sixteen yet and
Lucy is two years younger still. l hope
that neither Of them vii, think of such
a thing as marriage for n good while.
Erastus himself is not quite twenty-one,
and although many young men marry
rs Young a that, / do not think that
Erastus has any snch intentions. Not
that he has ever said anything TO me;
but as yoq say l have not noticed that
he appeared partial to any of the neigh
boring girls. although he is a ~favorite
with all; and rs for Jennie and Lucy,
they probably seem to like him like Sis
tiers: indeed, he seems like a son TO Tie.
and whoever he may choose for n wife
when he does marry will get an honor
able man for a husband and one who
will be kind and loving. ! am sure"
That's So" replied John. "'Rastus
amt a fellow that will ever go to knock
in his wife and babies around. If he
ever has any. But l'spo>e it amt nc
use TO try 10 fix things up for the young
4 x.tE, lNAII have fn LOT Ann YaI.. tt.niv
own head. which'n be just rs the heart
dirocts 'cm. l reckon An wOuldn',
want EN- to do no other way. for unless
the heart goes with the hand it amt no
use for TO try TO pull together. Well.
now. here's a youngster that ain
botbering his head about the girls. any
WAY. nor won't be for some years yet,
will YOU. Johnny? He'll be bossin' the
hull ranch. though, if his mother and
don't look out. afore he's big enough 10
hunt hens eggs or tie up a grapevine.
And reaching down he drew upon his
knee and gave a great hug to a sun
tanned. tow-beaded boy that had just
entered; the child of their Old age. born
the year the shantv had been put up
and the first grape vines planted.
u i phu hou-h AZ aio3t W. hV'.
retorted the little fellow. squirming to
release himself from his fathers I'm
Il did found a whole hes full out u
der the roses bush. and you've broke
EN-: see"
And he ran his hand into his poke,
and withdrawing II covered with the
yolk of the eggs stood holding il up,
while the liquid dripped down over hi:
clothes.
..You shouldn't have put the eggs Il
Your pocket" said his father. laughing
at the spectacle which he presented
You might have known they wou.c
have got broken and spoil Your new
pants.
What's e use Of pantses IL on tam
put esids IN e pottits. I'd lite to know
replied the youngster As he waddled o.
to his mother to be Cleaned up snd fit
ted for some new adventure. 'Des
tan put edis in my own potts IL ] ant;
to" he added. by way Of elincher, q.
his father playfully stopped to chuel
him with his finger rs he passed out Il
his work.
When the seasons fruit had all beer
gathered it was found that the last hal
Of the crop had 'pazned out all right
as compared with that marketed earlier
and it was decided o send the girl
away to school for. the winter instea.
of waiting until spring. when a new
house WAS to be begun. and when theil
services would he much more needles
br the r mother. But instead of goin.
TO San Francisco tacy would only go 4
Sacrameato. where there was q very
good school uader the charge of Prof