The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-01-28

thia aud sorrowful way.
Gland sakes. AM you've travel.
led al the way from Clear Lake &
day IN this mud! Waal waal. Nc
wander you're tired out. Don'l
wait f'r the On, Mis-" She hesi.
tated, waiting for the name.
"Haskins."
"Ais' Haskins, set right up to the
table an take good swig o. tea,
whilst | make y SIM toast. It's
green tea, a , it's good. l tell Coun.
gil as | gir older | don't seem T. en.
joy Young Hyson mr. Gunpowder,
| want the reel green tea, lest as il
GOmes ofr'n the vines. Seems &
have more heart in it some way
DON'T fpose it has. Council says
it's ali in M eye"
: Going on in this easy way, she
soon had the children filled with
bread and milk and the woman
thoroughly at home, eating some
toast and sweet-melon pickles, and
slipping the tea.
See the little rats :" she laughed
at the children. They're full as
they can stick now, and they Eant
10 go 10 bed. Now don't git up, Mis-
Haskins; set right where you are an
let me laoK after 'em. I know all
about young ones, though l am all
alone now. Jane went and married
last fall. But, as ! tell Council, it's
lucky we keep our health. Setright
there, Mis- Haskios; / won't have
you stir tipger.n
1t WAS an mmeasured pleasure Ia
SIT there in the warm, homely kitch.
en-, the jOv al chatter of the house.
wife driving out and holding at bay
thr groWl Of the impo ent, cheated
wind.
The little Woa,an's eyes filled
with tears which fell down upon the
sleeping baby in her arms. The
world was not so desolate and cold
and hopeless, after all.
"NoW [ hope Council won't stoE
cut there and talk politics all night
He's the greatest man to talk poll.
ties an read the Tribune. How oid
is it?n
She broke off and peered down al
the face Of the babe.
"TWo months M five days." said
the mother, with q mothers exact
ness.
aye DON'T say! | want t. know
The dear little pudzy wudzy!" she
went on, stirring it up in the neigh
borhood Of the ribs with her fat
+ re-finger.
"Pooty tough On 100 to go galli-
yant II 'cross lots this way"
= s. Yes, that's so; man can't lift s
mountain" said Council, entering
the door, Sarah, this is Mr.. Has
kinS from Kansas. He's been eat
up ana drove out by grasshoppers. u
"Glad to see yen! Pa, empty that
Wash-basin and give him a chance
t. wash"
Haskins was tall man, with 3
thin, gloomy face. His hair was a
reddish brown, like his coat, and
seemed equally faded by the wind
aad sun. And his sallow face, though
hard and set, was pathetic somehow
Yru would have felt that he had
suffered much by the line of his
mouth showing under his thin, yel-
low muStache.
"IIain't Ike got home yet, Sairy?'
"liain't seen 'im."
"W-a al, set right up, Mr. Has
kins; wade right into what we've
got; 'tai1't much, but we manage
to live on it--she gets fat Oh it,
laughed Council, pointing his thumt
at his wife.
After supper, while the womer
put the children to bed, Haskin,
and Council talked on, seated neal
the huge cooking stove, the steam
rising from their wet clothing. II
the Western fashion, Countil tol | as
much Of his life as he drew from hi
guest. He asked but few questions
but by and by the story Of Haskins
struggles and defeat came cut. The
story was terrible one, but he told
it quietly, seated with his elbows OF
his knees, gazing most of tie time
at tAe hearth.
"I didn't like the looks of the
country, anyhow" Haskins said
partly rising and glapcing at hi
wife. II was ust to northern in
gyannie, where we have lots a tim
Der m lots Drain, ~ / didn't lik'
the locks of that dry prairie. Wha
CALLED NE the worst was going 20 ia
away acrosst SO mich fine land la.'
in all through here vacant
'.And the 'hoppers eat We fou
years hand running, did they?"
'Eat! They wiped US out. They
chawed everything that was green
They Jest set around waitin' FIR us t.
die to eat us too. Ny God! lust t.
dream Of ZEN. sitt'n' round on th'
bedpost, six fee5 long, workin' thei
jaws. They eat the fork-handIes
They got worse and worse till the,
jest rolled On one another, piled III
Ike snow in the winter. Well, i
ain't no use; if [ was 20 talk all tht
winter | couldn't tell naWthin'. Blu
all the while [ couldn't help think in
Of all that land back here that no
buddy was usin', that | ought a ha'
stead of being out there in thd
cussed country"
"Waal, why d dn't ye stop ant
settle here?" asked Ike, who hat
come in and was eating his supper
"For the simple reason that yol
feller5 wantid ten II fifteen dollar
al acre fer the hare land, and
hadn't no money fer that kind o
thing"
"Yes, / do nay own work." Mrs
Council was heard to say i'll th
pause which followed. s'I'm a-get
TIM purity heavy t. be on M laig
all day, but we can't afford to hire
so | keep rackIn' around somehow
like toundered horse. s. lame
| tell Council he can't tell how lam
am for I'm Jest as lame in one lai;
as t'other." And the good sou
laughed at the joke on herself as sh
took handful of -four and dustc,
The biscuit board to keep the doug
from sticking.
swell, / hain't never been yer,
ctrouer ), Said Mrs EaSI<iDs son