Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-12-11
THE RUSSET APPLES.
How They Helped to End Addy
Walters Trials

How They Helped to End Add
Walters Trials.
A late March twilight, with a bite
frost in the air; the new moon just dir
ping its golden horn behind the mapl
swamp in the west, and the groun,
sounding crisply under foot. We ha
just come in from foddcring the cattle
''we" sounds rather singularly when yol
reflect that it meant Kitty and 1, tw,
girls of seventeen and nineteen; but yol
see there wasn't any one else to do il
Father had been bedridden ever sine
the last attack of paralysis, and we coult
afford to hire no one to take his plac,
about the farm.
81 don't pity them gals" Neighbo
Dyson said. "They might sell the hors,
and cow"
Neighbor Dyson had generously of
fered us something less than half price
for them, thinking, no doubt, we would
be thankful to jump at the chance
But Kitty and 1, after taking the matter
into consideration, thanked him, and
declined politely.
"We couldn't keep house without old
Mooley, could we, Addy?" said my sis
ter. "There are so many nice dishes we
we can make for poor father, if we have
plenty of good, rich milk and cream
And the butter that we would have to
buy at Neighbor Dyson's city prices
would go far to counterbalance the
money we should get for Mooley.'
"And as for the horse" said l, ''he
eats but little; and how on earth could
we get around the country, even to the
post Office, such weather as this, if it
wasn't for old Dobbin, that we have had
ever since can remember"
So it happened that on this special
March evening we had just come in
from attending to the wants of our live
stock.
l was in great spirits, playing with
pussy, who came to meet us with her
plumy tail erect; but Kitty leaned sadly
against the wooden mantel and looked
into the fire with mournful eyes.
kitty" cried l, at last, 'what does
make you so dull?"
Tomorrow is the Sd of March," said
she, gravely.
"What of that?" 1 demanded.
"Don't you remember? The interest
on the mortgage comes due to- morrow"
$50 it does" said L, my radiant face
falling faster than the thermometer on
a freezing day. "Thirty-five dollarsl
And we have nothing to pay it with ex-
cept the fifteen dollars Laura Osgood
paid for the old melodeon.'
perhaps Willis Avery would watt"
suggested Kitty.
drew myself up, slightly.
81 don't choose to ask him to watt"
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 a few miles north of us and COM
menced business on his own account,
and had particular aversion to asking
aid or help from him in any way. l
might be poor, but was also proud, and
Kitty was quite sympathetic enough to
understand me.
.'But, then, what are we to dor said
Kitty.
sat down on the hearth rug, with my
chin in my hands, and stared earnestly
at the big cracking back log. Pussy
crept away and nestled down in the
corner, as if she knew by instinct that
there was change of temperature.
"Look here, Kitty" said l, suddenly.
"Those russell apples!'
"Well?"
"We can sell them. There are eight
barrels at the least. Eight barrels at
two dollars and fifty cents barrel"
'My dear Addy, no one will buy them
at one-fifth the price. Apples are drug
in the market"
"Here, grant you. but not in the
city. will take them to Mapleton and
sell them"
"You will, Addy?"
"And why not? Squire Dyson would
charge at least twenty per cent.commis-
sion, and make favor of it at that.
can't afford either the price or the pa
tronage. Don't say anything about it
to father. 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-"
"Well, it neeed'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-I can
easily do it by lantern light tonight
and tomorrow morning We'll rise early,
harness old Dobbin to the lumber wag-
on
"But how are we to get the heavy bar
rels up into the wagon?"
"Goosier" cried l, laughing. "Can't
| 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 will you go?" asked Kitty.
"Oh! know lots of places. l went
once to town with Obediah Fairweather,
when he sold a lot of cheeses. I've pret-