The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-09-27

PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION or J. r. DowSEY
Co., PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO.
CHAPTER xyIII-CoSTrSUEp
When this was all settled between
them. and memorandum of the whole
matter made and carefully deposited in
the pocket-book of Mr. Blake. that gen
tlcman returned the pocket book to his
pocket, buttoncd up his coat, and
mounting his horse, rode back To town.
When lie was gone Mrs. Parsons gave
n sigh of relief
.'Well, am glad it is all fixed up"
she said, land shall feel better still
when the deed is made and We are i'm
possession. All the time he was here
was afraid that the trade would fall
through some way, and can not begin
to tell how anxious am to -, away
from here, or how dreaded having to
rent place. Id rather live in a hut
and have it nv own. than in a palace
that belonged 10 another, and | am like
Johnny; ! begin 10 eeel rs ii tais awful
mass that is about It's might raise sud
denly and swallow Us all i'm 4 moment.
Yes" replied her husband. ii, is
better that we Go, though its mortal
hard 10 leave this place, which was the
pnrtiest and best in the valley. But it
don't make much odds, S pose. where
one is, so they have enough to eat; and
/ guess we can ct that up there.
"Ill load up tonight. an start to-
morrow with the first load. 1t II take
he, t,.s,S
an hard days at that, but I'll put Oh all
four of the horses and take all | kin
pile on the wagon. Then I'll get
Richie to help with the next load an
we'll take Johnny in the carriage an
make ii all in two trips with somebody
to drive the cows. You'd better write
Jennie and Lucy, mother. an tell 'em
to come to Phippsbnrg. SOS to meet us
there when we 90 with the last load.
lhat'n save comm after EN-, an
they'll be thar to help You fix thing,
when we git thar"
..Poor things. what homecoming it
will be to them sighed Mrs. Parsons.
Nevertheless she wrote telling the
girls what had occurred and how they
must take the boat on the night Of the
day on which they would get the letter.
They were to get off at Phippsburg in
stead of the old landing and wait at
the hotel until their parents called fol
them on their way to the new home NJ
in the mountains.
This letter John Parsons mailed the
next day, while his teams We're eating
and resting from the pull over the
hills with their load of household goods.
That night he slept in the shant,
upon the place which he had bough,
and the following day returned to hi,
family aud the doomed cottage.
With the help 81 a neighbor he loadet
the remainder of his worldly posses
sions upon the two wagons, the heavy
one and the spring fruit wagon. Ihi:
neighbor was to drive one team and Mr.
Richie volunteered the use of anothel
animal TO attach to the carriage il
which was Mrs. Parsons with john,
proppca up among his pillows.
1t was sad leaving Of the old home
The muddy water was now cntcrin.
over the front steps and leg ming t.
form pools on all tie lower floors
Only the topmost twigs Of the apple
ard pear trees, which We're in lowe,
ground than the house. and portions 0
cyergreens in the front yard were abov,
the deposit. Every other green thin:
upon the valuable portion of the rancl
had disappeared entirely from sight.
Martha Parsons wcpt as she took :
last look at the place, and yet she wa,
III heart glad 10 get away.
II was like a nightmare. staying there
and seeing that mass of mud and wa,el
rise dav by day. And besides, howeve
poor their home might be, it was hence
forth the onl y one they were C know
and she was anxious to Get into t an,
begin the work of improvement.
As for John Parsons, he looked neithc
to the right nor to the left. lie i no
even turn his head for II last Look IT tn,
old place as he rounded the hill tina
shut il from their view.
Pride and ambition were w, II nigl
dead within him, and he hoped TO
nothing hey nd Il bare existence tor til,
rest of his life.
lie would come back, he thought
when the roads got good again, and j
the buildings were not burned down
would tear off some Of the boards iron
such portions as were not buried b. tin
overflow, and use them to help patel
UP with, on the new ranch. Rcyon.
that the place was absolutely worth es>
and probably some trampin- mine
would carelcssly set fire to the build
ings after having camped in them Owe
night
The fleeing family had perhap
pla ed distance of three m e. be
tween themselves and their ruined Eom
when from the other direction & 1pcarc
two horscmen.
As they came opposite the cottage
they looked for evidences of the pres
ence Of its former inmates, but did nc
pull up their animals.
Evidently, they, too, have pulle
out" remarked one of the horsemen I
his companion. II say, Jobbers, it
pretty hard. now. OH the poor rancher:
and I'll be hanged if don't wish thcr
was some way Of getting out the gol
without running their homes. Loo
there now: finest ranch and finest fami
IN tug whole country. Ranch gone 4