Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-12-30

chris one milo evening" 20 get some
bags that had lent him to use in car
rying his grain to the elevator.
The years work was over. The
wheat was cut, threshed and sold. The
barn had been buried anew In noun
tin of fresh wheat straw, which flied
the docryard with it's pleasant, fra
grant smell. The mules were tethersd
and browsing near by.
Lolita and Chris were sitting to-
gether on the doorstep, talking over
the years work, no doubt, while the
sun was setting in bank of black
clouds, from behind which streamed
out fire of crimson and gold.
After Chris had got the bags and
thrown them into my light wagon, he
and Lolita asked me into their little
parlor, the walls of which were simply
the inner side of the logs, fitted, closed
and hewed smooth. There was a gay
colored carpet on the floor, and on the
whole the room was quite CHEEKY and
comfortable, and we sat down in the
twilight without lamp. After we had
talked for some time about the crops
and prices, and the best way of bank
ing up houses in winter, in which Chris
was greatly interested, said to Lolita:
But you have worked almost as
hard as Chris this year You must be
glad the summer is over"
Chris shifted uneasily in his seat.
Lolita laughed.
$50 now / shall tell why 1t was so,
Chris" she said. looking at Chris.
He only nodded in silence. He APP
parently did not anticipate much pleas
ure from the recital.
But no." said Lolita, you shall tell
those first part, and l shall tell those
last part, that is how we shall do"
Chris appeared still more uneasy,
and laughed nervously, but after mo-
ment's hesitation, he plunged into his
explanation of what l had so often
wondered at.
You hat seen me only lif here two
year," he asked.
THAT is ALL" l said
"Well, so this is all happen one year
longer ago as that" he said. "Those
time 1 lif alone in sod shanty, and
Ruya and Oscar-those was the two
mule, the last one named for king CT
Sweden and Norway, because he Is so
good-they lif in other sod shanty. /
hat onerly twenty acres broke then,
and ready for SOW seed. Very few
neighbor then. Onerly Mr.. Knudt
Qualley and Mr.. Petersen near here.
So then Mr.. Jannsen. father of Lolita,
he come to lif very near-onerly four
mile away. And sometime l see Lolita
on Sunday at meeting to Mr.. Qualley'S
house, and sometimes l go to Mr..
Jannsen's house to borrow something's.
Then l go there almost efery day to
borrow something's, and Mr.. Jannsen
say:
Mr.. Tronsen, you lose great time
to borrow something's but l say likes
to ride so far to borrow something's.
"And almost efery time it was Lolita
what brought me those things what /
came to borrow, and she tells me To
come often. She say they always very
glad to borrow me anythings."
Now | can see," l said smiling,
why Lolita did not tell this part of the
story"
"Oh, no." said Lolita, cit is not any
reasons at all. Chris he knows why he
did come so often to see my father,
better as l do
We'll" said Chris, continuing, $50
those days l were very bashful, and l
nefer dare to stay for talk with Lolita.
M Ianoeap yarv oood man ha added
in explanation, "but l rather talk to
Lotta But l always afraid, so l make
believe go efery day to visit Mr.. jam
sen, and borrow something's. And Mr.
Jannsen he think | was his very good
friend. So he say one day, Chris,
nefer had any ones care so much for
me before, like you does, and come
so efery day to talk with me-. So when
sees Lolita l nefer knows what to
say, and so borrow knife, or nails, or
shovel, and go right away. So one
day, after l go away, / say to myself,
Next time | shall go and l shall say,
81 hat not come to see Mr.. Jannsen,
have come to borrows something's. |
hat come to see Lolita, and l shall talk
Wltn 1<OIId. bul WuCn nCAI
comes, l cannot dare to say so. And
talks with Mr.. Jannsen all times. So
by-and-by | wants to ask Lolita to be
married with me, and come and III
here after new house Is built. But l
could not dare to talk to her about
that. Well, then, so l had saved up
my money for long time, for buiid
house. But Oscar-those mule named
for king of Sweden and Norway
he die; those good old mule! Poor
Oscar! And so / must go out and take
those money, and buy new mule, so |
buy white Yack."
An expression of actual misery set
tied on his face at this mention Of
white Jack, and it took him a moment
TO recover equanimity.
Those dreadful mules" he ex-
claimed, in continuation. He eat AMI
eat and eat. He eat his oats, he eat
his hay, he eat his straw bed all night
But he would not lof tc work. He lof
to put his ears up straight, and stanI
UP on front legs, or lie down and roll
after those harness is on. Sometimes
he lie right down in furrow and roll,
and break harness. And fire put out
his eyes. He are dreadful mule. So
l whip him some-not too much, very
kind" he added, at reproachful look
from Lotta-"and starve him-oneriy
starve him little bit, to make him feel
for been cross. But all no good. He
Jump and bite and kick, and some