The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-10
II.

returning.
IL
The harvest of small grains was over.
The corn, in advance of the season.
bore bravely an unusual weight OF ears
II had been over a month since John
Conant had driven away from the
Starrys and left his dinner untouched
on his plate. He had made no over
ture of reconciliation. When they had
met at the postoffice in the village.
Averilla bowed, but he turned his
head and walked away without a word
She heard of the valuable building
stone that had been found on his farm.
and she saw men at work opening the
new quarry. so she knew the place
had been sold
She had driven over to the village
with her father one morning at day
break, and they were coming home.
Il never saw anything like the way
things grow this year" Mr. Starry
said waving his whip. I'm be bound
that corn yields fifty bushels TO an
acre"
a flock of blackbirds rose out of the
corn with a whir of wings and flew
away toward the south. Averilla
watched the blackbirds. but made no
reply.
why. look what a black cloud over
there to the north. Averilla, There's
a storm coming. We must whip up and
get along home"
That isn't cloud" she answered,
absentlv.
Amt a cloud? I don't Know what
you do call it. then? 1 should say it
meant wind
Mrs. Starry stood in the door as they
drove into the yard. She was watch
ing the strange, dark, movinS mass
with a face of alarm.
What on earth is it?" she called
Don't sit there; hurry into the house.
But for hours the cloud appar-
entity stayed in the same DositiOn, or
moved so slowly that the fear of imme-
date danger was suspended.
1t was late in the afternoon MI
Starry was standing by his wifeS side
with his arms about her. She had
gone from one nervous CONFUSION of
fear to another. and now lay with
closed eyes. murmuring prayerfully-
Nearer and nearer the mighty cloud
had crept until the sky was 5verspread
and all the country was in darkness
The cloud parted and the setting sun
shone full upon it.
There was a glitter of bright wings.
From time to time small particles OF
the cloud were discovered and fell about
her feet.
door laughing. It's only a swarm of
grasshoppers, ma. Come out and look
at them" She had never heard OF the
grasshoDper as Il pest
At first the insects dropped so slowly
that the chickens Toasted as they fell,
then as a shower of hail they covered
the land.
For long days the raid continued. and
all the wealth of nature yielded to the
bright-coated invaders. The brave corn
fields were stripped OF their leaves and
not a kernel of corn was left for the
blackbirds. The stacks of small grain.
many of them still unthreshed, were
burrowed to the earth. Fruit trees
stood bare of fruit and leaves
After a dream of terrible days the
enemy rose on triumphant wings and
flew away.
AverilIa walked down through the
deserted corn rows to the woods. She
wanted TO be alone and away from the
continual demand of her father and
mother made on her for sympathy. She
sat down under a tree. when she had
reached the edge of the woods. and
looked away through the mockery of
bare boughs.
I've worked night and day. night
and day ever since we came west. I've
made everybody uncomfortable who
wasn't working, and this is what comes
of it, No one thinks or talks of any
thing but the crops and how they've
worked. I guess I've learned there isn't
any account taken of our work nor any
virtue in it." .
She buried her face in her hands and
sat thinking for a long time.
There isn't anything but just love-"
she thought. Everything else can
go, but that stays, Oh, John, 1 wish you
knew how il stays. There wouldn't be
any trouble with my pride now, that's
all gone. too"
After a while she got up and dragged
herself slowly back To the house. Her
father sat in the doorway smoking.
John COnant's been he~e,' he saidi
hes going TO start out west tomorrow.
He came TO say goodbye. He said he
was sorry not TO see you again"
Why didn't you tell him where I
was? You knew
Ma thought you wouldn't want it,
She let on you was upstairs
How long has he been gomez"
There he goes. just over that ridge
yonder. He'll never come here again.
Averilla. Anyone will say he's done his
part"
Averilla turned and ran out to the
barn. She threw a bride over one of
the horses heads and moment later
was gallOping out of the yard.
John Conant heard the clatter of
loofs behind, and. turning, saw Aver
liza riding toward him. He wheeled his
horse about, and rode to meet her. WaV-
ng his hat in the air She waved her
hand in response. As they met he
sprang from his horse and stood close
oy his horses side.
wei. Averilla Starry. this looks like
the girl you arer' he cried Did you
ride after me TO ask me to come back
to supper, say?'
Il was down in the woods. I hope
you didn't think I'd let you come and
go if l knew it?'
Yes, did think so. gave up COM
pletely.'
What made you stay away all this
time, John?"
Same reason you didn't send for me.
Averilla." He had taken her hand,
You're too high up 10 be satisfactory.
Come down here
She slipped from her horse. with her
arms about, his neck.
A ou've had a pretty hard time.
haven't you? Now don't you cry!
Why you mustn't feel like THAR
Much good all my work has done
me- she sObbed.
You needn't reproach yourself a
word. 1 am lazy. just as everybody
told you. I'd much rather ride around
and let luck come my way than work.
II is my luck TO be lucky. though.
Why. I've sold my farm for the first
price, and got better one out west
than you can find around here. The
folks We're scared out by grasshoppers
and almost gave it to he
She looked at him proudly.
Il heard about your buying up all
that wheat How did YOU come to do