Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-01-15
fHE RUSSET APPLES.
How They Helped to End Addy
Walters Trials.

- A~No 1-1A@a t"AuGaJ viva q Olttot
frost in the air; the new moon Just
dipping its golden horn behind the
maple swamp in the west, and the
ground sounding crispy under foot.
We had Just come In from foddering
the cattle-awe" sounds rather singu-
lArly when you reflect that It meant
Kitty and ], two girls of seventeen
and nineteen; but you see there wasn't
any one else TO do it. Father had
been bedridden ever since that last
attack of paralysis, and we could at-
ford TO hire no one else to take his
place about the farm. u don't pity
them gals Neighbor Dyson said.
They might sell The horse and cow
: Neighbor Dyson had generously Of
fered US something less than half
price for them, thinking, no doubt,
that we would be thankful TO jump at
the chance. But Kitty and I, after
taking the matter into consideration,
thanked him, and declined politely.
we couldn't keep house without
old Mooley, could We Addy2' said
my sister. There are so many nice
dishes we can make for poor father, if
we have pleanty of good, rich milk
and cream. And the butter that we
should have to buy at Neighbor Dy.
sons city prices would go far to
couuterbalance the money We should
get for Mooley,'
'And as for the horse, said /, he
eats but little; and how on earth
could we get around the country, even
to the post Office, such weather as
this if 1t wasn't for old Dobbin, that
we have had ever since can remem-
ber.'
So it happened that on this special
March evening wa 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
piumy tail erect; but Kitty leaned
sadly against the wooden mantel and
looked into the FIRE with mournful
eyes.
Kitty cried !, at last, what does
make you SO dull2'
Tomorrow is the Of March, said
she, gravely.
what of that7' l demanded.
Don't you remember? The inter-
est on the MORTGAGE comes due to-
morrow
so it does, said I, my radiant face
falling faster than the thermometer on
freezing day. Thirty-fve dollarsl
And we have nothing to pay it with
except the fifteen dollars Laura Os-
good paid for the old melodeon.'
Perhaps Oils Avery would wait,
suggested Kitty.
N / drew myself up, slightly.
Il don't choose to ask him to wait,
said I.
Now it happened that Willis Avery
who held the mortgage on our home.
stead, was the son of a neighbor anG
an old play fellow and boy beau of my
own, who had gone to the prosperous
young city few miles north Of us
and commenced business ON his owr
account, and had particular aver
sion to asking aid or help of him in
any way. might be poor, but I was
also proud and Kitty was quite sym.
pathetic enough to understand me.
But, then, what are we to do?
said Kitty.
/ sat down on the hearth rug, with
my chin in my hands, and stared earn
estly at the big cracking black log.
Pussy crept away and nestled down IN
the corner, as if she knew by instinct
that there was change of tempers-
tuTe.
Look here, Kitty said I, sudden
ly.
'Those russell apples!'
'WellT
We can sell them. There are
eight barrels at the least. Eight bar
rels at two dollars and fifty cents a
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
will you, Addy?'
sAnd Why not7 Squire Dysor
would charge at least twenty per cent
commission, and make favor Of it Al
that. / can't afford either the price
or the patronage. Don't say anything
about it to father. He would only
fret and raise objections. What mus
be done, must be, and Lam the girl tx
do it,
But, Addy, how? All this seems
so perfectly wild and visionary to me.
We'll, it needn't; for, believe me,
it's the most practical thing in the
world. All we have to do is to sor
the apples out in barrels, nice anc
sound-I can easily do it by Lantern
light to-night-and tomorrow morn
ing we'll rise early, harness old Dob
bin to the lumber wagon
But how are we to get the heavy
barrels into the wagon?
tGoosiap criad T lauOhinp Cant