Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-05-09

ing noes, auu hau n'Iou I"o S0u"S
fellows, Sam Drake and Tall
Smith. JEFF found the two young
fellows easy to get along with
worked side by side when the
weather was 80 hot that blisters
arose on the horse. .pond-they
Graded the wheat and cut the hay
singing the while the sweet song
of countented labor.
The crops were all gathered and
the three men went into the woods
to split rails. 1t was an October
afternoon and the grasshopper had
began to grow stiff iD his joints.
The lizard, knowing that winter
was almost at hand, bathed in the
sunshine, and the horse fly With
one wing ragged and torr. buzzed
where the warm light fell on the
dead leaf. The boys having telled
a large tree had sat down to rest,
when JEFF remarked 81 am
mighty glad that the end OF the
year is so close. / am tired of this
hard work, and if [ could 1 would
rest today, for ant feeling so
we'll"
81 reckon you would lay off to-
day if you want afeered the old
man would dock you,' Sam Drake
answered.
Tall Smith sat on a stump, chew
ing a ssssafras twig.
"No, | ant altered Of beln' dock
ed nur nothin' OF that sort, boys"
JEFF replied. "Ssy," he continued,
"you boys won't say nothin' if L
tell you something, will youf"
The boys said they would not
and jeff continued: "I'll tell you
why 1 amt Altered of beln' dock
ed. 1 promised to work here one
year If the old man would give me
Minnie-fact-what's the matter
with youi Promised not to have
anything TO say to the girl durin'
the time am
"HoId on !" Sam yelled. "That
was my contract with the old
man."
Tall spat out the sassafras twig
sprang to his feet and exclaimed /;
"That was my contract, and |
want you to understand 1t !"
Then there arose such a cOntro
versy that neither one could have
his say. They quarreled, fought,
and then finally agreed that the
old man was the criminal. "Let
us 90 to the house and one of US
talk to him at q time and not let
him know that the other ones are
near" said JeE. "Let us under
stand what right he has to make
us work for him while he sets back
in the shade,
They hastened to the house.
Minnie was singing IN the kitchen,
boiling a cabbage and taking care
that the cat did not snatch a piece
of salt pork that lay on the table
The old man sat in the family.roou
easing his rawhide boots. jeff
entered first.
"Mr. Barnes, am to have Mn
ME at the end of the year?' the
young man asked.
"Of course, Jeffy. How are you
gettin' along with the rails?"
"Never mind the rails, old man
] I want to know if the girl is u Inc.
"Of course. We want rails
enough to fence that new ground,
Jeffy."
} JEFF. without saying anything
more, went out and Same came in
3 "Mr. Barnes" said ne, "the yea
is gettin' sorter old"
9 Eyes, Sammy, time don't ham,
Q itself on a peg"
"Ab, hah! And, Mr.. Barnes,
Y want to know If Minnie is to b
It mine at the end of year p
g "Why, Sammy, how can 20
It ssk such . question ? You kno
she is your'n."
," Sam went out and Tall came il
d "Why, hello, Tall, what are yor
It doing here this time of dayf
If am mighty anxious to get the
r. rails done and 1 did hope that yC
g boys would stick to it. You kno
)f that 1 take mighty big interst l
s YOU becauEe you are to be my so
l. in.law, Tally"
], "But are you going to give II
t, Minnie 7"
's "Oh, course | am. Tally, | am
/ man of my word"
1T Tall stepped to the door, made
IT. molten with his hand, and then Il
] other two boys came in. Th'
al rayed at the old man they threa
m ened to kill him they threw hi
rk out of his chair and bumped l
10 head against the wall.
await q mint, boys" said c
be Barnes, pressing his hands to |
he head, "wait . mint. II | ha
10 .ron0ad anu of von I am aorrv