Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-12-04

Nothing. only we have to give up
the claim"
"Then there's no doing any thing
with the agentp"
"Not thing. It's possession or five
dollars an acre with him, and with us
It's possession, OF course"
During tho next two weeks many
personal appeals were made to the
agent, and though Ae was mild and
gracious in his replies. he showed no
disposition to deviate from his first
terms.
81 would be glad TO aid YOU" he
would say, 'but under the circum-
stances can not vary from my rules. "
So in time the people, already sore,
began TO think and speak OF Mr.. Bah
cock rs hard, unfeeling man, whose
whole object was to grind them down.
Finally Felix went away to seek an
other location, and while he was gone
Mrs. Skaggs became sick, and 1t was
necessary to send for doctor. Jennie
Skaggs, the twelve-year-old child, was
sent over to the Cross Roads to ask
some one to go from there.
''lt's a long walk to the store, Jen-
ME. !" the mother said as the child start
ed off, "but you can find the way east
ly, and you needn't be in any hurry
coming back, only so you reach home
before night"
Jennie tripped away and in due time
reached the Cross Roads, where she
told her errand to the storekeeper and
asked him to aid her in finding some
one to go for the doctor.
why, yes, I'll help you, of course
said the storekeeper, "but don't see
anybody here just now as could 60.
There'll be some one here directly.
though, and If you want to go on back
I'll attend to it for you and send as
soon as possible"
Jennie waited, however, fearful that
the storekeeper might forget, and it
was growing quite late when she de-
parted for home SO late, in fact, that
before she had gone half the distance
darkness came on and she lost the
road.
While she was wandering about on
the prairie she heard the clatter OF
horses feet coming toward her. and
waiting where she was buggy drawn
by two dashing horses soon drew up.
The driver caught a glimpse of the
child's white dress and, hating, cried
out (:
Hello, here, what's the matter?"
"Please sir, Pm lost
"Lost, eh P" the man replied, in a
mild, kind tono. "Well, now, that's
bad. Where do you want to go, little
girl P"
my pas name is Felix Skaggs and
want to go home. Do you know where
he livesp"
Felix SkaggsP I'm, why, no, be-
lieve l don't. / haven't been here
long. and I'm not much acquainted
yet"
"Well, it's five miles from the Cross
Roads on the road leading out to the
new coal mines. A little sod house
with new frame house almost com.
pleted."
"Oh. that's it, is itp Well. know
the way there, and as it's very little
out of the way I'll take you home il
you want to ride. Climb in"
Thank you, sir, shall be ever sc
glad, only I'm afraid it will put you to
too much trouble"
"Oh, it's no trouble. Just get in. '
For little ways they went in ST
lence and then the man asked, sud
denly:
"How came you to be out so late
and so far away from homer"
my mother is sick and l went over
to the store to get some one to so fol
the DOCTOR"
where's your pap"
"He's gone away to hunt a place t.
get new home"
Then you're going to move awayP'
Eyes, sir; we have to, but it's awful
bad. Pa and ma both take it mighty
hard, but the agent is too mean to LEI
us stay, so we have to give up the
place and every thing. It's terribly
bad, don't you thinkP"
Eyes, it is. But you may Judge the
agent wrong I'm sure he doesn'
wish to turn you out. He has his in
structions, and he has to follow them
whether he likes to do it or not"
'.Do you know himp"
"Ye-es, to some extent"
do you think he's good manp"
"Well, / wouldn't like to say as t.
that, now, because none OF us are a.
good as we might be. I'm sure
though, Mr.. Babcock wishes to de
right, and his sympathies are with the
poor settlers, and II he could helI
them out OF their trouble he would de
it."
THE people think he is bad and un
feeling"
Yes, know, but they think wrong
OF him. He does not act for himself
but for another, and some other mar
as agent might do worse than h,
does"
Eyes, he might. But it's bad fo
poor pa and ma"
"Will they be quite poorp"
Yes, sir. The wagon and horse
and the things in the house is all tina
will be left"
Perhaps their friends would hell
them to get started again"
mo, sir, think not. You see W,
haven't any friends out here, and p'
has no parents, and mas father won
have any thing to do with her an.
more. So there's nobody to hell
them"
why won't your mas father hav,
any thing to do with herp"
II oughtn't to tell you such things
ought Ip"
"Well, it can't do any harm, and i
may be that ] Can help them som
way"
"Ah. wish you could"
perhaps / can If / know all abOu