The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-02

said. Jack viii parton an o,i -,
rambling. The story ia not mpob 80.
all You both have heard me tell a h'el
coming out of Virginia a bow Of 'J ~
riding at my fathers elbow. Ha b.,
not bought land before coming ont aas a
as soon as we CHANGED upon this r," .l
he made up his mind that he wanta r,a :.
1t belonged to man named Pickin.
then, one OF the poor whites. Bnt ods
ly enough, he had good title. tbon0L
most OF his sort merely squatted wbasa
they chose. He wanted to sell and NOW
to one OF the prairie states, but his W.T.
was against it. She would, in fact bano
brought the trade TO naught bad stO
not fallen in love WITH
"The spotted heifer. see. Bpt ho..
came you TO have that valuable animol,,
Rob asked, her eyes 'twinkling. Her 8,
ther gently pipched her ear as no We.
on:
"Why, she was my pet. / had raised
her back in Virginia and had refused ~
sell her with the rest of the ca.tle sSo
was broken to the halter, so | led or
over the mountains into Tennessee NJ
Pickins tried first to buy her thropob
somebody else. She was a sharn old 10
dy, but not too sharp for me. l LET il no
known to her that my May Blossom
was not for sale, but that was ready
to make her present of the animal
the minute she would sign uuitclaim
deed to the land. Even then She buno
back day and night, but ended bv
coming round. And so, Miss Rob, you
will one day have Roscoe -
81 think-yes, l must look up that
quitclaim, Rob said saucily. Her IN.
theirs face clouded.
lyon will not find it." he said
Twenty years after it was given nv
father sent it to lawyer in Illinois
who wanted it to help the old womans
children in some legal matter. He prom.
ised faithfully to return it, but never
did. That does not matter if it is re-.
corded. 1t was, 1 know. But so MANY
books were burned in that fire at the
courthouse. Benjamin Topmark spoke
Of that and said he would find out for
me. He was going to search the books
on his own account and would be glad
to look for Inc"
''Mr. Topmark is-too kind" Rob
said, with the faintest curl of the lip;
then, with quick change of mood:
Jack, do you want to be useful? Then
come help me feed my chickens. They
are spoiled, almost as badly as this dad
of mine. They eat nearly their own
weight in meal every day, yet to hear
them quawk and complain you would
think they were starving"
"They are deceitful, like their mis-
tress, Jack said as he followed her to
the feed coop, a tent shaped affair of
rough Stats, which was set some 80
yards from the back steps. Rob had
big basin of wet meal. She flung it by
generous handfuls within the coop, then
leaned upon it, watching her pets at
their greedy feeding. One of them, a
pretty, tame, ash blue creature, flew
upon her outstretched hand and perched
there, preening herself and giving out
soft little sounds as she pecked daintily
at remnants of dough in the basin.
Poor Bluebird!" Rob said, stroLing
the soft feathers 81 am afraid, sweet
heart, next winter you will be hungry
unless can bring myself to kill you or
give you away. Do you know, Jack,
have come 90 wish, almost, that every
hing | love may be dead when winter
,omes?'
"HushV' Jack began imperatively,
out she went on recklessly:-
fro BE CONTINUED.