The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-06-06
SAVING THECLAIM.

SAplNU HE CLAlM.
Mrs. Ashby stood in the open doorway
Of her little sod cabin and gazed longing
ly out across the the broad stretch of
level Kansas prairie. She WAS a frail,
broken woman, whose deeply furrowed
features and great followed eyes told a
pitifnl story Of mental and physical suf-
fering.
Like many Of the poor settlers on the
great Western plains, she had experienc-
ed the bitter trials and hardships of q
long and unsuccessful warfare against
poverty. There was a yearning, soul
hungry expression on her sad, wan face
that was tOuchingly pathetic.
Up across the prairie from the west
came another woman. She was young
not above twenty at the most She was
tall and slender, almost to frailty, and
her face wore that sad, wan expression
that characterized Mrs. Ashby, but with
out the hopeless, despairing look.
"Well, Mary?" Mrs. Ashby, said, in an
eager, questioning tone, as the younger
woman approached and sank to a seat by
the cabin door.
''Diek Enness VIII not buy the claim,
mother" the other replied, folding her
hands in her lap.
Mrs. Ashby stared at her daughter in
ams .ment
why. Mary she finally exclaimed,
chow is that? I thought he wanted to
buy it."
@He did. mother, while father vas liv-
ing, but he has changed his mind now"
'But why has he changed his mind ?
He surely needs the claim now as much
as he needed it then"
@Yes, he does"
Then, why doesn't he want it now %
ale does want it, neither"
"Then why don't he buy it?"
Mary hesitsted moment, then rising
and drawing her form to its full height,
with angry indignation replied:
Mother, Dick Enness is a rascal and
he won't by our claim because he thinks
BY waiting a little while he can get it for
nothing. He was anxious to buy it while
father was living, because he knew father
could hold it, but be thinks now we will
be compelled to give it up and move
away, and then he will have nothing to
do but enter it in our stead"
Surely, Mary, Dick Enness did not
tell you that?" Mrs. Ashby said, incred-
ulously.
"No," Mary answered. "But ne said
enough to make his meaning clear. He
means TO get this claim, and without
paying anything for it.
Mary twirled her bonnet nervously,
and an expression of set determination
gradually overspread her textures. With
a deep sigh Mrs Ashby at last broke the
silence.
"Well," she said, ''if what you say is
true, Mary, don't see that there is any
hope for US It is hard to believe that
Enness would take advantage of our
helplessness and deprive Us Of our land
when We have worked so hard to i'm
prove it. l would never have thought
L e,oorE1.--
Neither would l." Mary replied. at
is a poo, return for the way father help
ed Dick Ennsss when he came here, and
the way he nursed him and helped him
in his crop last year when he was sick.
He might, at least, pay US for the work
that's been done on the claim, rather
than to see Us TUNED out in the world
with nothing. But, mother, be shall not
have our home. Thought it all over as
came back across the prarie and ]
made up my mind that We wouldn't give
II up"
Mrs. Ashby looked at her daughter in
@Why, Mary" she said, show can We
help giving it up? We have no means
Of living here unless We can raise crop"
Il know that, but we'll raise crop"
Mary replied, with quiet determination.
"But how can We p Mrs. Ashby ask
Ell. "We haven't dollar to hire help,
and nobody is going to work for US with
out the money in hand"
ave won't ask any body to work for
US" Mary said. ~We1l work for our
selves. Wen SOW the land in wheat,
ust as father intended TO DO, and III
break the ground and drill the grain
nysels"
~YszY- the mother exclaimed, incred
llously.
YES, l." Mary replied, firmly.
~But, child Mrs. Ashby protested,
think what task it would be, and yo're
,nly a woman"
Il have thought, mother of all that,
,ut we must not mind the work. I'd
.ather 90 through anything almost than
% give up our home and leave here with
nothing"
"But can't think of you trying to
manage farm and doing a mans work"
Ars. Ashby objected.
81 can think Of it much better than l
an think Of giving everything over to
Dick Enness- may not prove success
al in my efforts to raise crop. but I'll
~. We have the team, the plows and
he seed, and III make use of them"
Mrs. Ashby did not acquiesee readily
o her daughters plans, but she finally
pave reluctant consent, aud Mary at
,nce set to work to carry her plans into
Fortunately, she was used to
hard outdoor work, having aided her
-afher on the claim the two wears thev