The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-17
RUSSETS.
How the Interest on the Mortgage
Was Met.

A late March twilight. with a bitter
frost in the air, the new moon Just dip
ping its golden horn behind the maple
swamp in the west, and the ground
sounding crisply under foot. We had
Just come in from foddering the cattle
tive" sounds rather singularly when
we reflect that it meant Kitty and me,
two girls of seventeen and nineteen,
but, you see, there wasn't any one else to
do it. Father had been bedridden ever
since that last attack of paralysis, and
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 sad
ly against the wooden mantel and
looked into the fire with mournfuI
eyes.
kitty" cried l. at last. "what does
make you so dull?"
Tomorrow is the third of March"
taid she, gravelS
'What of that?" demanded.
Don't you remember? The inter-
est on the mortgage comes due to-mor-
morrow"
80 it does" said /. my radiant face
falling faster than the thermometer on
q freezing day. 'Thirty-five dollars!
And we have nothing to pay it with ex-
cept the fifteen dollars Laura Osgood
paid for the old melodeon."
Perhaps Willis Avery would wal"
suggested Kitty.
drew myself up slightly.
81 don't choose to ask him to wait"
said l.
Now it happened that Willis Avery.
who held the mortgage on our home
stead was the son of neighbOr and an
old playfellow and boy-beau of my own,
who had gone to the prosperous young
city few miles north of us and COM
menced business on his own account,
and l had particular aversion to ask
ing aid or help of him in any way. 1
might be poor, but Twas also proud,
and Kitty was quite sympathetic enough
to understand me.
''But then what are we to do?" sad
Kitty.
/ sat down on the hearth rug, with
my chin in my hands. and stared earn
-estly 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 temporal
ture.
'.Look here, Kitty. said l, suddenly.
-'IhoSe russell appleSn'
''Well?'
1--WE can sell them. There are eight
barrels at the least Eight barrels at
two dollars and fifty cents a barrel ~
my dear Addy, no one wi Luy them
at one-fifth the price Apples are drug
in the market"
.HeresI grant you; but not in the
CITY. Twill take them to Mapleton and
sell ITEM"
You will. Addy?''
'.AHd why not? Squire Dyson would
charge at least twenty per cent. COM
MISSION and make a favor of it at that.
i can't afford either the price or the
patronage. Don't say any thing about
1t to fathec. He would only fret and
raise objections. What must be done,
must be, and am the girl to do it."
''But, Addy. how? All this seems so
perfectly wild and visionary to me-"
swell. it needn't; for, believe me, it S
the most practical thing in the world.
All we have to do is to sort the apples
out in barrels, nice and sound. 1 can
easily do it by lantern light tonight
and tomorrow morning wei rise early,
harness old Dobbin to the lumber
wagon"
..But how are we to get the heavy
barrels up into the wagon?"
''Goosie!" cried /, laughing. ''can't l
put the barrels up into the wagon while
they're empty and fill them at my
leisure? And I'll have them sold at
Mapleton before you've got the pork
and cabbage boiling for dinner"
.'But where viii you goP" asked
Kitty.
''0h, know lois of places. went
once to town with Obadiah Fairweather
when he sold q lot of cheese. have a
prStty good idea of the locality of the
commission stores, can tell YOU
after all. Addy." hes:tated my con-
sentative little sister. at isn't woman S
work"
why 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 off
to the barn"
'.And whatShall 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 a
little the next day as drove off toward
-Mapleton. with the scarlet stain of sun
rise dyeing all the east and my own
cheeks flushed with the keen morning
air.
Put it wasn't SO bad after all With
pardonable egotism. 1 supposed that
every one would be staring at me but
on the contrary. a young woman selling
apples might be the commonest s ght in
the world, so little comment or surpr Sc
did i. apparently excite Mr.. Hollo-
sway. of tine firm of Holloway Brothers,