Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-05


heat upon the field over which tho cool shad-
ows run. only to make the heat seem the more
intense.
Julia Peterson. faint with fatigue. was toll
ing back and forth between the corn rows,
holding the handles OF the doublc-ehovel corn
plough. while her little brother Otto rode the
steaming horse. Her heart was full of bitter
ness. and her face flushed with heat and her
muscles aching with fatigue. The heat grew
terrible. The corn came to her shoulders, and
not "A breath seemed to reach her, while the
sun. nearing the noon mark. lay pitllessiy
upon her shoulders. protected only by calico
dress. The dust rose under her feet, and az
she was wet with perspiration it soiled hei till,
with womans instructive cleanliness, she
shuddered Her head throbbed dangerously.
What matter to her that the king bird pitched
lovlally from the naples to eaten q wandering
biue-bottle fly, that the robin was feeding ITS
young, that the bobolink was singing All
these things, If she saw them, only threw her
pondage to labor into greater relief.
Across the field. in another patch OF corn,
she could see her father-a big. gruff-voiced,
wlde-bearded Norwegian-at work also with a
plough. The corn must be ploughed. and so
sne toiled on, the tears dropping from the
shadow OF the ugly sun bonnet she wore. Her
shoes, coarse and square-toed, chafed her feet;
ner hands, large and strong. were Drowned, or
more properly burnt. on tho backs by the sun.
The horses harness ''creak-cracked" as he
swung steadily and patiently forward, the
moisture pouring from his sides, his nostrils
distended
The field ran down to a road, and on the
o.her side of the road ran river-s broad,
clear, shallow expanse at that point, and the
eyes OF the boy gazed longinglya at the pond
and the cool shadow each time that he turned
at the fence.
''Say, julie. I'm goin' in! Come can't /?
Come-say!' he pleaded, as they stopped at the
renee to let the horse breathe.
I've let you go wade twice."
But that don't do any good My legs is all
smarty, cause OIL Jack sweats So" The boy
back to his rump. IL can't stand it!' he burst
out. sliding off and darting under the fence.
Father can't see"
The girl put her elbows on the fence and
watched her little brother as he sped away to
the pool, throwing off his clothes as he ran,
whooping with uncomfortable delight Soon
she could hear him splashing about in the
water short distance up the stream and
caught glimpses of his little shiny body and
happy face. How cool that water looked!
And the shadows there by the big bass wood!
HOW that water would cool her blistered feetl
An impulse seized her and she squeezed be-
tween the rails of the fence and stood in the
road looking up and down to see that the way
was clear. 1t was not n main travelled road no
one was likely to come; why not?
She hurriedly took off her shoes and stock
ings-how delicious the cool soft velvet of the
grass! and sitting down on the bank under the
great Eastwood, whose roots formed an abrupt
bank, she slid her poor blistered, chafed feet
into the water. her bare head leaned against
the huge tree trunk.
And now as she rested the beauty of the
scene came to her. Over her the wind moved
the leaves. jay screamed far off. as if answer
Ing the cries Of the boy. A kingfisher crossed
and recrossed the stream with dipping sweep
OF his wings. The river sang with its lips to
the pebbles. The vast clouds went by maiesti-
n al hn frna Tor nd o,,I
buzzing and ringing whir Of July insects made
a ceaseless, slumberous undertone of song SOL
vent OF all else. The tired girl forgot her work.
She began to dream. This would not last al
ways. Some one would come to release her
from such drudgery. This was her constant,
tenderest and most secret dream. He would
be Yankee, not a Norwegian; the Yankees
didn't ask their wives to work in the field. He
would have home. Perhaps he'd live in
town-perhaps a merchant! And then she
thought of the drug clerk in Rock River who
had looked at her. voice broke in her dream,
a fresh. manly voice.
Well, by jinksl lit amt Julia! Just the
one / wanted to see!'
The girl turned, saw a pleasant-faced young
fellow in derby hat and a fifteen-dollar suit
of diagonals.
Rob Rodemaker! How come"
She remembered her situation and flushed.
looked down at the water and remained per-
fectly still.
Amt y goin' to shake hands2 Y don't seem
very glad t see me-"
She began to grow angry. IF you had any
eyes you'd see."
Rob looked over the edge Of the bans,
whistled. turned away. 'Oh, / see! Excuse
me! Don't blame yeh Bit though Good
weather fr corn" he went on, looking up at
the trees. "Corn seems to be pretty we'll fofs
ward, he continued in louder voice an he
walked away, still gazing into the air.--''Crops
is looking frst-class in Boomtown. Hello!
This Otto? H'ysre, y little soampl Get on to
that tn horse ag,in. Quick, r ~ take y'r skin
S Saia aR hang it on the fence What y been
Ben in swimmin'. Jimminy, amt it fun!
When d y get back?'' said the boy, grinning.
Never you mind" replied Rob- ieaping the
fence by laying his left hand ON the top rail-
Get on that horse" He tossed the boy I'D on
the horse, hung his coat on the fence. II
s'pose the oil man makes her plough same as
usual?
''Yup," said Otto.
bod ding man thatll do that! I don't
mind If it's necessary, but it amt necessary in
his case. He continued to mutter in this way
as he went across to the other side of the field
AS they turned to come back Rob went up and
looked at the horses mouth "Gettin' purity
near OF age. Say, who's sparkin' Julia now
anybody
Nobody 'cept some OIL Norwegians. She
won't have them. Por wants her to, but she
won't"
Good FIR her. Nobody comes T. see her
Sunday nights, eh?'
Nope, only 'Fias Anderson an Ole Hoover.
but she goes off an leaves EN-"
"Chk!' said Rob, starting old Jack across
the field
1t was almost noon, and Jack moved reluct-
antiy. He knew the time of day as well as the
boy. He made this round after distinct pro-
test
In the meantime Julia, putting on her shoes
and stockings, went to the fence and watched
the mans shining white shirt as be moved
across the corn field. There had never been
any special tenderness between them, but she
had always liked him. They had been at
school together. She wondered why he had
come back at this time Of the year, and won
dered how long he would stay. How long had
he stood looking at her2 She flushed again at
the thought of it. But he wasn't to blame. il
was public road. She might have known bet
ter.
She stood under little popple tree, whose
leaves shook unsteady at every zephyr and
her eyes through half-shut lids roved over the
sea Of deep green glossy leaves, dappled here
and there by cloud shadows stirred here and
there like water by the wind and out Of IL all
longing to be free from such toll rose like
breath, filling her throat and quickeninp the
motion of her heart. Must this go on forever.
this life of heat and dust and labor? What did
it all mean?
The girl laid her chin on her strong red
wrists, and looked up into the blue spaces be-
tween the vast clOuds-aerial mountains dis
solving in q shoreless azure sea. How cool
and sweet and restful they looked! II she
might only lie out on the billowy, snow-white,