Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-05
CHAPTER ".
HE TAKES MAUD TO THE CIRCUS.

HE TAKES MAUD TO THE CIRCUS.
AS they returned to the field in the
afternoon the boys laughed and joked
with Alec as they did with each other,
and Milo seemed to wear mildly in
dulgent expression, though he said moth
ing. Alec's hands were rather sore, and
his back ached without ceasing, but life
wore more cheerful aspect. The pros
pect Of immediate starvation was re-
moved, and he was actually earning his
board.
Daring tho aftern Don he worked rather
less steadily than he had started out.
He was getting only his board, he said
to himself. and Milo would respect him
less rather than more if he did too
much, though he had an impression that
New England farmers would screw out
Of \ man everything they could get and
be greedy for more, and when he sat in
the shade full half hour after lie had
been working for two hours he could
not help watching to see if Milo did not
start in his direction to give him little
gentle warning. But Milo said nothing,
and when the boys came near him they
joked him about the tenderness Of his
hands--fun which was meant good ma
turedly enough, but which pricl1ed his
pride and set him to work quite az
effectively as any authority of the boss
About a quarter to G, though no sup
per bell had rung, Milo remarked that
he guessed 1t was about time to quit and
started off across the fields toward the
barn alone. As they stood leisurely
cleaning their hoes the boys laughed and
jCked and called out to Alec that it was
time to stop and put sweet oil on his
hands. Mr.. Condor had promptly shoul-
dered his hoe aud started off across the
fie.,..S Ill the opposite direction toward
his own home, while the two boys and
Alec leisurelv walked around by the
road to the house and big barn on the
hill
As they came up to tho kitchen door
they found Maud standing there, and
she said supper was ready. Alec could
not help admiring her. She was SO
straight, and her cheeks were so rosy,
and her features seemed made for sweet
ress had not necessity put in the firm,
stiff lines. She evidently got no tender
ness from any one. Her mother was a
tall, angular woman and known as q
great worker. Alec smiled to himself as
lie guessed what reputation in that
way she must have. She worked all the
time with a muscular steadiness that
was truly surprising in a woman, and
she kept Maud at work quite as steadi-
ly. Evidently the girl had been used to
1t all her life and expected nothing else.
Milo was evidently fond of her, but his
wife did not think his indulgent man
ner was good for Maud, SO he had to be
tender at a distance. as it were, and
Maud had been too rigidly brought up
TO encourage his awkward kindness in
any way except by passive gratitude.
The next day hoeing went more east
ly, though Alec's hands were rather
sore, and his back was stiff. He felt I'M
speakably tired when he woke up in the
morning, but he noticed that Daily. the
younger of the two boys, seemed tired.
too, and Jerry, who was usually full of
dry jokes, seemed rather glum. When
he got into the field. he began to learn
the art of taking his work more easily,
though he kept at it rather more steadi-
- 'A"h AN i"u tnS pitNlOGo dltertiCOu
He saw by observing the rows OF tie
others that 1t wasn't necessary to be SO
Thorough and painstaking, quite as he
had been, and there We're a number of
ways in which the dirt could be shufAed
over the weeds without digging them
ont, as he had done before Two months
later Milo observed tina: the few rows
Alec had heed that first day had very
few weeds in them, while the others
were badly grown mp. But Alec never
knew that, for his labors for Mr.. Ben
nett were destined to end five days later
because of an unforeseen contingency.
They finished the hoeing the follow.
ing Monday. The next day was the
Fourth of July, and the day after tina;
they were to begin hayirg. The boy:
talked about it constantly, for they were
exceedingly happy to get out of the dir,
OF the potato patch into the clean, sweet
work OF handling the dried grass. Or
every farm change is looked forward
10 with expectancy, hut haying is par
lculafly attractive, and the men proba
Oily enjoy 1t better than anything else
Daily had privately confided to Ale,
that he had no doubt Milo would EN-
ploy him and give him 81 day, tn,
full price being $3.50. Alec already re
garded this as settled thing and pu
all his personal worries out of his mind
When they finished supper on Monda,
night, they all sat around the table list
lessly and planned what they would d.
to celebrate the Fourth The Fourth i
agreat day in the country, senuin
holiday for everyday. A-a.l. ..s IL,
circus TO 60 to q. Pavoria, five mile
away. Maud evidently wanted to 20 t
the circus and said she had peyer been