The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-23

for it
1t was effectual, too. Lemuel Wheelock, who
was handsome young man, with thin. black
beard, who threw his shoulders well back when
he walked, turned pale, gave stiff nod and
went by quickly
.'Confound himln growled David. Minty said
nothing for minute, then she went on with the
talk which he had interrupted.
They formed plan for the future which they
set at once about carrying out
Three days later, early in the morning before
any of the neighbors were up, Minty and Davi d
started forth n a hundred mile tramp.
Coming through her little dewy garden Minty
stopped and picked an enormous bouquet of
zinnas, and marigolds, and balsams. Then she
swiftly pulled up the finest OF the others by their
roots
There" she said. "the new folks shan't have
nay flowers. They shan't."
why, Minty," cried David, aghast.
II don't care; I'd pull up that maple tree if I
could and you'd carry it,
I'D look kinder queer startin' out on hun
dred-mile tramp with maple tree over my
shoulder" said David with chuckle.
Minty could not help laughing Beside her
basket OF flowers she carried basket with
some eatables in it. In the pocket of her blue
dress were her chief treasures-her little stock
of cheap jewelry, and her two keepsakes which
she had for membranes of her father and
mother. These last were a Greek Testament
and a tiny pin-cushion made of bit of her
mothers wedding dress. Of course she could
not read word of the Greek Testament but
she kept it lovingly. She called it Fathers
Book
David carried the few Clothes which they
could not do without, in a carpet bag. He had
about $40 in money. He had tried to persuade
Minty to use it to defray her expenses by rail,
while he made the journey on foot, alone, but
she would not hear to it. White River, the
town where they hoped to find work, was a
hundred miles distant; if not successful there,
they would 60 fifty miles farther to Waterbury
and fhov met eir efn of
for food. She laughed at the idea of the jour
neys hurting her; it would be fun, she said.
They got out of the village into the woody
road before anyone was astr. Saundersvlle
was a tiny rural manufacturing town, skirted
very closely by forests 1t was a cool morning.
though it was midsummer; they went along the
dark, dewy road gayly enough: They were not
half as sad as they had thought they would be.
Now they were fairly on the mountain OF their
af1ct,on, they found out there were flowers on
They were young and strong, and walking was
pleasure. 1t was enough sight better than be-
ing cooped up in the shop, David said, looking
ahead between the green, dewy boughs And
Minty said she was glad not to be In the house
washing dishes such splendid morning.
She even began to sing, as they went along,
Sunday school tune. The Saundersvlle folk
sang that kind of music principally. Mr.. Saun-
ders kept little church and Sunday school
running vigorously in his domain. David would
not sing but he listened to his wife sympa
thizingly. She had strong soprano voice and
and was not afraid to let it out
They walked about twenty miles that day.
They ate their dinner and supper from their
basket by the roadside, and slept that night in
an isolated barn, on pile of fresh hay.
The next morning they were little tired and
stiff, but they were too young and healthy to
mind it much, and they rose ard went on.
That day they stopped in a village on their
way and spent, cautiously, a portion of their $40
for food-bread and crackers. They could pick
plenty of blackberries to eat with them along the
road.
So they kept on. When they reached White
river, David could find no work there; the shops
were full There was nothing to do but to go
farther to Waterbury. So far their courage had
not failed them, but when they reached Water
bury, and found no work there, they did not dare
to look each other in the face
They sat down disconsolately on stone wall
on the edge of a pasture, little out of the
village, to rest 1t was getting late in the after
noon.
s'Weve got to find some place or other to stay
to night, said David, moodily.
Minty said nothing. She sat staring straight
ahead There were dark hollows under her
eyes.
They rose YEARLY after little while, and kept
on. They hoped to find barn somewhere which
would shelter them for the night But they
walked some miles farther along the
country road without finding any sort of build
ing by the way.
space and house on the east side of the road.
No one lived in it, there was no installing that
It's desolateness looked out of it's windows as
plainly as faces Where the glass in the front
windows was not broken out, it reflected the
sunset in blotches of red and gold
1t was large square building; it had never
been painted. and the walls, as we'll as the roof
were shingled. The shingles were scaling off
now, and good many of them had green film
of moss on them. The front door stood open
with a drearv show of hosDitaiitv
Minty looked in wistfully, when she and David
stood on the old door stone
'Spose we he'd some folks in there watin' for
us, an supper was ready. said she.
BE pretty nice, wouldn't it darling"
"Spose there was curtains to the windows,
and there was bed made up white and clean
but there amt use talkin' this way. It kinder
come over me, that's ALL
Minty went in then, laughing She and
David explored the old house, going through the
dingy, echoing rooms There was not much in
them but old rubbish. There was a great barn,
which had once sheltered good many head of
cattle, adjoining the house Minty and David
found few old rusty tools in there, a heap of
hay on one of the dusty scaffolds, and the very
phantom of an old sulky. There it stood, totter
ing on its.two half spokeless wheels, which had
borne 1T over so many OF the steep New England
hill roads in its day. Its seat was gone; its COW
ering hung in ribbons it looked as if it would
crumble to dust in a moment if drawn out of its
stall, like an old skeleton if lifted out of it's
coffin.
MY, what an awful lookin' old carriage" said
Minty, peering at it
Guess I'd better hitch up, an we'll 60 to ride.
said David, and they both laughed merrily at
the poor joke
Back of the house had stretched the vegetable
garden and apple orchards A great sweet
apple tree stood close to the kitchen door; some
OF its branches brushed the roof The tree had
deteriorated like the house; some of it's limbs
were dead and its apples were not the fair,
large things which they had been. They were
small and knotty. Still they were eatabe, and
they were just ripe now. The short grass back
of the house was covered with them. The for
lorn young couple gathered up some, and carried
them into one of the front rooms. They sat
down on heap of hay, which Davil had
brought in from the barn, and supped off sweet
apples and crackers.
Before Minty began to eat she pulled her
fathers book and her mothers pin cushion out
of her pocket and laid them down beside her