Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-23

/ gan, rather nervOuSly, to stroke the
extremely small tuft of gray hair that
he allowed to grow just below his I'M
der lip.
/ was talkin' with old Paul Dill
/ down to the store last week" he be-
gan abruptly, and he stuck to it that
1t most always showed Thanksgivin'.
told him it didn't hardly ever. He
got mad n | got mad finally. You know
mes got way with him that would
make a saint lose his temper n swear
like the devil. He asked me if I'd bet
tWould snow, n l said I would"
nope you weren't silly enough, y
| interrupted Ruth.
| know | was-a regular built fool:
am most the time. The upshot of the
matter was that if it don't snow DilPs
goin' to do certain thing; n if it
kdoes snow I'm going to do the same
I thought I'd tell you
Mr. Winsor now went to the door
and put his hand on the latch. The
twinkle had gone from his eyes and he
was very sober.
/ don't see any call for you to tell
me, Adoniram,' rather wonderinglv
from Ruth.
NO, don't s'pose you do couldn't
expect that. guess I'll go now. I'll
bring up the turkey tomorrow night
though what you're going to do with il
l can't guess"
lie opened the door and stepped out.
He looked up at the sky; there was a
thin haze over it. He went back.
L tell you what it's, Ruth. I hone
It'll snow he said with great empha-
sis.
Then you'll lose your bet: it'll he
good enough for you, too"
It'll be too good. Ruth Avery. I
want you to remember that l said II
hoped 'twould snow"
Ruth stared; she continued to stare
as W1nsor's horse walked I'D the slope
and finally horse and cart and the man
disappeared down the other side. For
some time after they had gone from
sight she could hear the leisurely
humping of the cart over the hollows
and stones of the path.
She took her broom and began to
sweep rapidly, but the next moment
she paused to say aloud to the cat in
the rocker:
IF men amt the queerest things
that God ever made then I'll give it uni
s'pose them two have promised to
wheel each other in a wheelbarrow or
some such foolishness. I always was
thankful I want a man"
Perhaps it was this sense of graft
tude that made her begin to sing as
she swept, forgetting some of the
words:
| thank the mercy and the grace
That on my birth hath smiled,
And-m-um-ti- de-ro-ti-um.
A happy Christian child.
I do feel real thankful, n that's
fact she said aloud. Eve ben pros
pered."
She had not finished sweeping when
she heard someone cry "Whoa!" in
front of the house.
She went to the window. There was
Paul Dill in the buggy that had once
top, but which had outlived it's cover.
Mr.. Dill was lean, active man, and
he was already hitching his horse to
the ring in the side of the house. Pres
emily he knocked. Ruth set her broom
in the corner with some emphasis of |
motion Then she opened the door and
her visitor Immediately stepped in.
Good morning, Mr.. Dill" she said |
reticently Wont you take a chair?"
Don't care l. do, minute. I was
goin' by the head of the lane, n I |
thought I'd come down n see if you
still KEEP them Plymouth Rock hens m
could spare me dozen eggs. I've got |
a fool of a hen that I've shet up n
ducked n starved, but it don't make
no difference; she's bound to set-late |
in the fall, too. l s'pose I'd better have
wrung her neck to begin with
Il en- spare you the eggs" was the
reply, still in the same reserved man
ner.
'All right. How do you make it here |
sence your father died?"
Mr.. Dill's eyes wandered about the
room.
Every we'll"
cit any money off the farm?"
Il manage to live and pay my taxes"
do? Much over?"
"a little.'
Ruth's voice was growing more and |
more frigid.
THAT SO? The Avery family always
did know how to manage Your
farm d be more valuable if twas more
snug to the main road
No answer. Ruth was studying the
mans face, and thinking that it bore
a strange semblance to a gimlet
my wife never was no kind of a.
manager" he said, discontentedly.
when she died, of course, 1 mourned
her, but she want no money loss to
me-"
Again no answer.
Mr.. Dill gazed hard at closet door
and appeared to wish to open it that he
might examine it's contents. But he
gave up that idea and soon rose to his
feet.
81 amt ben down here sence your
fathers funeral" he remarked IL
guess I'll go over the farm, if you amt
no objections. I reckon some women
do know how to farm it, but they're
mighty few. Make much sugar last
sappin' timer"
considerable"
did? How many men do you usual
ly hire?"
Il have Joe Monk and Killup Little
in the busy seasons; other times I git
long alone"