The Evening critic., 1885-04-03

FOluen morn bcnlnd inc maple swamp IN
the West, aud the ground sounding crsply
under foot. We bad just come In from fod
derng the cattlo--"we" sounds rather sin
eularly when you reflect that it meant
Kitty and me, two girls of II and 10, but
you see there wasn't any ono else to do IL.
Father had been bed ridden ever since
that last attack Of paralysis, aud we could
afford to hire no one to take his place
about the farm.
was in great spirits, playing with pussy,
who came to meet us with her plumy tail
erect but Kitty leaned sadly against the
wooden mantel and looked into the fire
with mournful oyes.
kitty cried !, at last, what does make
you so dnll?r
Tomorrow is the third of March, said
she, gravely.
What of that demanded.
Don't you remember? The interest on
tho mortgage comes due tomorrow"
| 80 It does" said !, my radiant face fall
| ing faster than the thermometer on freel-
ing day. "Thirty.fve dollars And we
have nothing to pay it with, except the If
teen dollars Laura Osgood paid for the old
melodeon."
Perhaps Willis Avery '"e"'d wait, sug-
gested Kitty.
drew myself up slightly.
81 don't choose to ask him to wait"
said 1.
Now IL happened that Willis Avery,
who held the mortgage on our homestead,
was tho son Of q neighbor, and an old
play fellow and boy-beau of my own, who
had gone to the prosperous yonng city
few miles north of us and commenced
business on his own account, and had
particular aversion 10 asking aid or help
of him in any way. | might be poor,
but was also proud, and Kitty was quite
sympathetic enough to understand me.
But then what arc we to o2' said
Kitty.
sat down on tho hearth rug, with my
| chin in my hands, aud stared earnestly at
| the big cracking back log, Pussy crept
away and nestled down in the corner, as if
| she Knew by instinct that there was a
| change of temperature.
Look here, Kitty" said l, suddenly.
"Those russet apples !"
| "Well?"
I'VE can sell them. There are eight bar
| rels Mt least. Eight barrels at two dollars
and fifty cents barrel"
MY dear Addy, no one will buy them at
onc-ffth the price. Apples are drug in
| the market"
Here, grant you but not in the city.
/ will take them to Mspleton to sell them"
"You will, Addy? 2"
"And why not? Squire Dyson would
charge at least twenty per cent. commits
|
| can't afford either the price or the patron
age. Don't say anything about it to father.
| He would only fret ana raise objections.
| What must be done, must be, aud am the
| girl to do It,"
But. Addy, how? All this seems so per.
| fectly wild and visionary to me-"
well, it needn't for believe me, it's tho
| most practical thing in the world. All we
| have TO do is to sort the apples out in bar
rels, nice and sound-l can easily do it by
lantern light to-night-and tomorrow
morning we'll rise early, harness old Dob
| bin to the lumber wagon"
But how are we to get the heavy barrels
| up into the wagon %
"Goosie = cried !, laughing, can't | put
| the barrels up into the wagon while they're
empty and fill them at my leisure? Aud
| I'll have them sold at AIapleton before
| you've got the pork and cabbage boiling for
| dinner"
But where will you go?' asked Kitty.
"Ob, / know lots of places. ! went once
| to town with Obadiah Farweathor when
| he sold lot of cheese. ! have pretty
| good idea of the locality of the commission
stores. can tell you"
after all, Addy,n hesitated by conserv-
ative little sister, "it isn't II womau's
work"
| "Wby isn't it, ] should like to know, so
long as woman can do it? At all events,
| woman must pay her debts-so, if you'll
hurry up the tea, I'll be OIL to the barn"
| And what shall we tell papa?'
"Oh, he'll think I've gone to singing
school with the Dyson girls, and | don't
| think it's Christian duty to undeceive
him. answered |.
But Notwithstanding the brave face ]
put upon affairs, my heart quivered n
little the next day, as / drove oil toward
| Mapleton, with the scarlet stain of sun
rise dyeing all the East, and my own
checks flushed with the keen morning air
But it wasn't SO bad, after all. With
pardonable egotism, supposed that every
one would be staring at me, but on the
contrary, young woman selling apples
might DO the commonest sight in the
world, so little comment or surprise did
it apparently excite Mr.. Holloway, of
the firm of Holloway Brothers, produce
and commission merchants, didn't want
any apples speedily learned.
Just bought a shipload from Albany"
said he, as caTelessly as if shiploads of ap-
pies were as common purchase as ten cents
worth of tape. And drove on, beginning
to feel infnitesimally small.
MIR. Lovejoy could give me dollar a
barrel. "Apples wasn't worth no more at
this season of the year. And whipped
old Dobbin up, determined to carry them
home again sooner than to sell at that
price,
At the next place whore | stopped a
pleasant looking, middlo.aged man came
out and critically examined the apples.
"Do they hold out like this all the way
down p he asked.
I'm warrant them" said |, carelessly.
How much - he asked.
Two dollars and a-halfa barrel"
| He reflected.
"It's good price," said he, as if he wero
talking TO his own vest buttons "but then
they look like good apples, aud we've toll
erably large Western order to fill. I'll see
what my partner thinks"
He went back into the gloomy depths OF
his store, and ], happening to glance up,
saw thewords painted in black letters over
the door Hull & Avery"
My first impulse was to drive on and
leave the chance of bargain behind mo
my next to sit still and await my fate as
Providence dealt it out to me. Aud pres
emily out came Willis Avery himself.
81 think we will take your load, If
Why |" breaking short oil, its Addy Wal
tersW
! colored scarlet.
" Yes" said /, as Gomposedly MS possible
GOOD morning Mr.. Avery ! snail be
obliged If you will examine the fruit as
speadily as possible, as am in a hurry"
"Oh, certainly" He looked as II nip.
ping frost had chilled hls enthusiasm In
the bud, and J secretly exulted within my.
self
Mr.. Hull bought tho load of apples, and
said If 1 had any more at the same nrica -