Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-11-23

that, but we must not mind The work.
I'd rather go through anything almost
than to give up our homo and leave
here with nothing"
"But I can't think of you trying to
manage O farm and doing q mans
work, " Mrs. Ashby objected.
81 can think of it much better than
l can think of giving everything over
to Dick Enness. may not prove sue
cessful in my efforts to raise crop,
but I'll try. We have the team, tho
plows and the seed, and I'll make use
of them"
Mrs. Ashby did not acquiesco read
lily in her daughters plans, but she
finally gave reluctant consent, and
Mary Mt once setto work to carry her
plans into execution. Fortunately,
sho was used to hard outdoor work,
having aided her father on the claim
the two years they had lived in Kan
sas, and at the Same time she had
gained IN idea of farm management
that stood her in good stead.
AT the end of three weeks sho had
forty acres of ground broken and
ready to seed, and she felt that tho
worst part of her task was done.
"Ill go over to Dick Enness's," she
said to her mother, "and get the drill
and put the wheat in, and then I'll be
through with the work for tho present
and have little time for rest"
Goodness knows you need rest, {"
Mrs. Ashby replied, casting look of
love and sympathy on her daughter.
you're not strong enough for such
hardships MS you have gone through. {"
ooh, I've not hurt myself in the
least, mother" Mary replied, "and
now that tho hardest part of the work
is dono 1 shnll get along all right. 1t
will only take n littlo whilo to drill
tho wheat, and the work is not hard Mt
oil"
Mary harnosscd the horses, and de-
parted for Ennesss to fetch the drill.
Ennoss was Mt homo, md when she
camo up to his yard gate, he walked
out to meet her.
GOOD morning, Miss Ashby," he
called. "Whcre are you starting SO
early?"
81 came to get the drill" sho re-
piled, ''to put in our wheat. 1 have
the ground ready, and thought I'd
uso the drill while you arc finishing
your breaking, SO that you could have
it when you are ready to use it,"
Dick Enness looked at Mary very
hard for an instant, then cast his
glance down whilo flush overspread
his face.
"I'm sorry to have to refuse you n
favor" he said after awhile, shut 1
don't just sec how I can lot you have
my drill, for I shall need it myself for
several days"
"Your drill?" Mary exclaimed in
surprise.
"Yos, ma'am, Enness replied, with
out looking up. 81 supposed you
knew it was my drill?"
81 didn't know it. Mr.. Enncss, "
Mary snid, "and can't understand
how it comae to DO your drill. know
that you and father bought it to-
gether and know that he paid half of
it's cost"
"That's truo enough, Miss Ashby.
But about two months ago, just be-
fore your fathers death, 1 bought his
interest out and paid him for it, SO
now it is nll mine"
Mary Ashby looked at Enncss in
wonder. That there was word of
truth in his claim she did not for one
moment believe.
"Mr. Enness," she said Mt last, "it
surprises me that you should claim
that which is not yours. I never
would have believed that you would
be SO base as to rob two helpless
women, and especially tho wife and
daughter of II man who did SO much
for you a7 my father did,"
"Miss Ashby," Ennoss replied with
cool effrontery,' ''the drill is mino and
you can't have it, and that is oil there
is to it."
He turned on his heel and walked
away, and Mary, realizing her help
lessness. returned homeward with n
heavy heart.
Sheunderstood Ennoss's purpose and
sho knew that he had had moro in view
than the simple possession of the drill.
His object was to thwnrt her attempt
at raising crop, SO that the claim
would come to him, and if hs could
deprive her of the use of the drill no
argued that her efforts would be baked.
But he had different spirit to deal
with than he had anticipated and one
that was capable OF surrounding the
impedinents he placed in hor way.
Sho thought tho matter over. Before
she reached home she had plan for
INFLATED. 1t was useless, she knew, to
fight with Enness for her rights and it
WAS equally rs useless to seek else
where for q drill. Yet she was de-
termined to put the wheat out and she
adopted the only plan that WINS open
to her for the accomplishment of that
purpose. She would SOW it broadcast
and harrow it in.
And she did, though it took days of
hard work. She persevered until the
last foot of land was planted and har-
rowed. Enness, who was Watching or
- 4