The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-07-26

my old bob-tailed Shanghai against
your bantam rooster. and If tho banta
ticks. you shall have them both and I'll
get you jack-knife in the bargain, and
II the Shanghai whips Ill have the
banta and the white ducks! What do
you say; will you do it?''
This was poser to Johnny. He had
been very certain that his bantam could
whip the big, clumsy Shanghai, whose
cowardice was proverbial among the
members OF the family, and who was
only kept for the ridiculous appearance
which he cut with his long legs and
tailless body, for which latter old Bose
was generally held accountable, but the
ready assurance with which Erastns
offered to back .'old Bob as they called
the Shanghai, against the bantam,
aroused fear of tine result: and much
as he coveted the jack-knife, he feared
to risk losing the bantam and the ducks,
and no amount Of bantering could in
duce him to agree to the wager. He had
a better scheme in his head. He waited
until the chickens were turned loose in
the barnyard, and when he had actually
seen the Shanghai in full retreat before
the vicious attack which the bantam
made upon him, he claimed the jack
knife and refused to remember that he
had not accepted the offered wager.
The vacation between the fall and
winter term of school was SO short that
Jennie and Lucy did not attempt to
spend it at home, but remained in San
Francisco, and thus were absent fully
six months without seeing any member
of their family They wrote every week.
however, and often more frequently,
and were SO well pleased with their
school, and the family in whose house
they were was 50 kind, that those at
home had no especial anxiety about
them. They were kept supplied with
money. and occasional boxes of home
baked pies and cakes. or a Jar of fresh
sne et butter was sent them by steamer,
and every few days Erastus or Mrs. Par
sons wrote to them, thus keeping them
full; advised as to all that was going
on upon the ranch or among the young
people in the neighborhood.
Their father did not write-he had
never been much accustomed to write
let rs unit / he left the States and went
to the mines; and here his opportunities
for sending letters had been SO few as
to prevent frequent exercise of what
little talent he possessed in that direc-
ton, 50 that now he felt no inclination
to apply his stiffened fingers to the use
of the pen, but was content to hear read
the letters received weekly. and with
sending messages of love in those of
Erastus and his wife; but as the time
approached for the return of the girls
for the long vacation he was eager for
their coming. and was at the landing
waiting for them more than an hour be-
fore the steamer was due: and when she
came, hurried on board the instant the
gang-plank was lowered.
..How'd do, Jennie; how'd do, Lucy
glad you're back again. Give your old
father hug" and he gathered them in
his arms and put his bearded face down
to theirs for kiss, and then turned
away and drew the back of his hanG
across his eyes and led them on shore
and helped them into the spring wagon
''Mother'll be monstrous glad to SCI
YOU he said. as they drove homeward
land soil Erastus and Johnny. An
the young folks in the neighb0rhood arr
arrangin for picnic an dance in the
woods for one day next week. pur
pose SO you can all see each other agin
aspect the young fellows are mighty
anxious to have you back in the neigh
borhood. bein' there amt hardly gir'.
enough to go around anyway. l wa.
! just a-tellin' mother only yesterday tina,
!, if you girls hadn't got your heals sci
on goin' to school another year, Id 4
heap ruther you STAYED to home and
| helped her to make the house CHEEKY
like, but if you want to go back ain't
a-goin' to 'bject. l reckon 'Rastus will
be gittin' marcel fore long. An may
be he'll bring his wife home; I'm sure
there's room enough in tho cottage fel
all of us, even if we were all to home,
and s'pose We cant always keep you
! girls. Even ef you was to leave school
for good, some of the young fellows
would be coaNin' you away from us.
"Oh, no. pa; ] am sure neither Luc,
nor have any thoughts OF getting mar
! RED, have We. Lucy?' laughed her sis
ter.
"You don't mean to say Ras is il
love wi h any of the girls though, d,
you?" she continued. Il wonder VIII,
it can be. Funny, isn't it9 but neve
thought that he could ever get married
had you. Lucy?''
Lucy said she had never thought @
it. though of course Erastus would mar
ry some time. she supposed; nearl
everybody did.
Then she tried to talk of somethin
else, but Jennie insisted on KNOWN
who it wGS that Erastus was counting
"Oh don't know as anybody in pal
ticular.* her father replied. .'only he
ridin' around with the neighbors' girl
some, and it's natural he should MARI
afore many years. He is man now
and he knows we are savin' money
/ buy him ranch with after spell"
1T will be mighty lonesome" h
, added, IF he should marry and leav
mother and me; specially if you girl
should go, too
The girls both protested that the
never meant to marry; had not though
/ Of such thing.
, "You mus: not talk so, pa" sal
Lucy, because we arc never going
! leave you; but just us soon as We g
: through school will come home an
, stay always with you and mother"
Jennie noticed that her sisters yoic
had little suspicion OF tears in it whe
. she said this, and that she turned he
head aad looked the other way whe
. She spoke, but forgot it Immediately i
wondering il it were true that Ras real
, ~ had any one picked out to marry
; and if SO. whom? She thought owe
. all the girls in the neighborhood. an
fin lty decided that it was Mary Jones
Mary. she knew. had always like
Er..stus. She liked Mary herself, an,
the two had been together a great deal
and if Erastns was going to marry any
body she hoped it would be Mary.
There 5 Johnny coming to meet US,
said john, Sen, as they came over tn
. hill and struck the little stretch of levt
ground in front of the cottage.
: ''Yoa bet he's got good eye for SCI
in things. 'Spcct he's been watchir
for us for an hour. He thinks hea
: Of his dad, don't you, Johnny?' h
! said, as he pulled up the ponies, an
reaching down, lifted the youngest.
t into the wagon where they could g
y ut him. as the girls said; and straigh