Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-12-30


faee. She turned pink ali over, her
own eyes fell, and she did not speak
again all the evening. Her silence
was notnoticed, however Friend Ruth,
as it happened, was descanting in her
soft, slow way on a new pattern in
rag carpet weaving, and Patience took
refuge under the gentle murmur OF her
words.
The two Quakeresses had been
nearly month at the Nutting farm,
and the dreary place had gradually
begun to assume something ola home
like look, when one evening David
Lorn came over across the sere
stretches of meadow land
"Calphurnia' sent you. a dried
peach pie, said he, carefully setting
down something in a napkin. "Asfor
me. ! moved khem barrels OF cider to.
day"
did thee2" said Friend Ruth. knit
ting composedly away at a gray yarn
stocking, while Patience made haste
to set away the pie.
"But there's one / calculate you
wouldn't they sold il you had known
what was in it, went on David.
II sold them all to thee" said Miss
Plumb, in her gentle, decided way,
tall nine OF them, at dollar and a
half barrel With me, Friend David,
bargain means a bargain
"But one OF them hadn't no cider
in il"
"T'hen," said Miss Plumb, 1--WE viii
deduct that.from the rest, and thee
can give me the change. | think we
need not differas 90 that"
"There WASH. no cider in it," dog
gedly persisted the youngfarmer. "But
there was something else-there was
money!
Money! repeated Miss Ruth, let
ting the knitting needles drop into
her lap.
Eyer, " money, )" nodded David Lorn;
fourteen rolls ofgold halfeagles, twen-
ty in roll, all wrapped up in an old
wooden stocking leg and packed in
cotton batting, so they shouldn't
clink nor rattle, with salt hay wedged
in around EN-, and the eask headed
up exactly like the eight Others Now
| know why old Ezra Nutting used to
be so cranky about keeping his cider
barrels locked up, and why he went
out to look to it himself every night,
long after he wasn't fit to cross the
threshold. That was his bank; that
was where he kept his sayiugs-four.
teen hundred dollars
Fourteen hundred dollarsl" repeat
ed Miss Ruth, her healthy color palina
a little "But, Friend David, | sold
the barrels and their contents to thee.
Hang it alll'' shouted David, rising
to his feet, edo you suppose would
swindle you and Patience that way?
Here is the money" diving into his
pockets, and flinging down the packets
on the table with q resounding clink.
II am no thief, Miss Ruth | never
coveted my neighbours goods until
now"
Friend Ruth's eyes, faded, yet still.
bright, sought his agitated face with.
gentle ques tioning.
keep the money, Friend David,
said she. Poor though am, would
forfeit more than that sooner than
cause q fellow creature to offend.
ut amt the money that covet,"
said DAVID, in desperation. It's Pa
thence. No, little girl, don't run
ds L IittiBtC
turned toward the door. II think you
must havesuspicioned it long ago. The
house is that lonesome since sinceyou
wenta away that lcan't stand 1t no long
er. If l can't have you for my wife,
Patience, III sell the old place and go
to sea. There"
Patienee's lohsAashed eye dropped.
lit would be pity that you
should do that, said she.
And then she hid her face on Aunt
Ruth's plump shoulder.
So Patience went to live at the Lorn
farm house. and Friend Ruth STAYED
where she was, and the money was
equally divided between aunt and
niece. Miss Plumb makes acomiorta-
BILE livelihood out OF the sale OF the
Newport pippins, "Gillillower, " and
Northern Spy apples from the old
orchards planted by Ezra Nutting.
"But sell them by the barrel only"
said she. "Neyer for cider making. !
have prejudice against that sort OF
thing