River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-06-30

the little prairle
settlement to tine group gathered il the
semi darkness al the store.
But the cover mcnt survey shows its
his'u. ds-.rled a nasal voice that
seemed to be in discorJ with the sum
mcr evening
An Lark is dcservin' Of bein'
helped pipcd up the horse-trader,
/ mshaueh.
''Stiii It goes agin the grain, and the
postmaster shouls Ill, head rs he pulled
lighter the strap ~ the single mail
pouch that came To New BASEL. 'Of
course tHiS here in rli-hwomau haiu't
no right To tine strip OF land nor tn hay
ON it, but Lark Is a>lziu' gooI deal
when h. want, us ter turn in an help
him jerk tn crop INTO his barn in tn
night
And on the Fourth Of July, too"
added Am,baugh. ''Still yOu know he
promised - treat rs white when tn
Job was dome. IIarlI.' as step was
heard outside
In a moment coWely womau's form
appeared outlined against the darkness
of the night The men looked at one
another >hecpisbly, but She did not no.
tice them and wallsed straight 10 the
rude counter.
a quarter of pound of rat poison
she almost whispered. 50 gentle was
her voice.
Silently the storckccper put it up for
her and then she was gone. There was
a rattle Of pony's hoofs outside before
anyone spoke. IL was limbaugh.
What dye think nov2~ lie asked tri-
Umphaatly-
.tsoiu ter p,zen him.. drawled the
nasal voice
Guess we'd better co." admitted the
storekcepcr. Il don't like tn looks of
things an ] believe Lanls Is in the
right
There was little council of war and
then the door WAS shut and half dozen
forms cantered away across the dusky
plain toward farmhouse lights twink
ling I'm the distance. The widows in
opportuue errand had decided her fate
at their hands and they had agreed to
help out their comrade.
Melauethon did not belle his nick
name. Lanlz. lie was long, bOny
and uugainlv lie had been the only
bachelor in the little colony when it
came ont from Ohio II the western
country. and had never married. He
had taken mp claim like he rest and
lived on it alone.
4 few weeks previous the English
woman had purchased the adjoining
quarter section and claimed the hand
some weige-shaped piece of bottom
land which the government survey by
an error had left unaccounted for.
Mclanctbon had always used this strip
and was bouud 10 keep possession. The
Widow Morley had hired the grass cut
and stacked while her opponent was
called 10 the county seat, sixteen miles
away. IN jury duty: and now he pur-
posed "a 3au1S movement. assisted by his
friends. The following evening the hay
should stca thily be transferred To his
own barn.
NeIanethon r0se early on the NOR
row. lie took down tattered flag
which had done service IN the old
training days and hung it against the
wall He tecled himself in "A red sash
and a blue army coat with brass but
tons and after dinner started Out for n
stroll.
II was intensely suitry with banks Of
white clouds floating aimiesSly here
and there across the electric blue sky.
lie rambled toward the disputed land,
thinking, and chuclziing as he thought,
how neatly he would outwit his enemy
His heavy boots -, shed through the
uncut grass before reaching the moved
section Gold day when anybody gifts
aheai Of me-" he unused. IAN to-day
amt chilly Mighty good time to de-
Glare m indepcn-well. what's that?'
\ curly head rose from the bending
grasses an@ vindflowers Jcfore him, al
saOst 1t his sery feet II turned and .