The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1901-05-02

lighter fsssini. himself iollosIss eoss
siih the seoobd. 80 they sect np %
dosn tie bis nsaaoss u The boy issss
iri6,. Btsli woald stsp ts bare shiI
smsrily uiib bis rake John used 10 4
clare that the old msn had 'stsried n
red. - be expressed u. many times
tbi wsy. snd thsl IL bed . uonderiull
t,in nlsiins Eject. but wss net good Il
ope's disposition.
As tie youss iellos approached nstul
~. be developed iato . strsppins chs
siI let tall, wi,h broad shoulders 80
with srms ss5 legs . netssrk OF bsrt
corisd sinews Aod II wss ssid tbst 10
The last year or two the eeseoa hsd bee
no loossr driver, bat tbst Tho order Q
ihines bad been reversed Especisll
vas this true, the peishbars declared. Il
the bsy Geld, They iasisied ths, 81 dl
ere times Brs,t's stias. just shove bis lov
sboes. hsd come Into sbrnp, aud p,iniu
contsct With Johns rske, aud that o. sucl
times the meadow had seemed TO be fni
OF 4 yipg hay ss Josiah Brett tore irantics
~ up The field 10 = vain attempt to II
cresss bis siesd' over the formidsbl bonnc
boy.
Az for the reush looking grsin cradle
John made it himself Brett had Q COT
pie Of old cradles, broken here and ther.
auc tied up with twiue, the fingers spliced
and mended with single nails -bar
looking affairs. He could be depended
on not to buy new ones ss long ~ these
conld. by any possible ingenuity 10 repair
ing. be put into sembl,nce Of services
Bile condition. II Was one OF bis peculiar
economies.
SO one ~ioter John had spsn, bis even
ings 10 making a cradle. BIZ lucky
ohance be had found 9 twisted white ash.
With Dstursl crock exactly to hi, liking,
A careful search 90 the bills 10 the bick
ory woods bad provided him with fingers
and Slowly the cradle g.tw
II certainly was not thing OF beauty,
bat 1t bad rakish hang that sur ed
John. The boys bad at sight named it
Old CIsS2ager,' John liked the name.
He was greatly interested in the harvest
race from the frst. That roaI colt would
be q fne piece Of property for young
man Just starting out for bimself; but the
colt was only an Incidental attraction.
John had dared to take a fancy to the
'quire's deushier Twice be bad walked
si,h her from church. People msrveled
hat such bright, sensible girl should SO
nnch ss notice poor nobody like Josiah
3rett's bound boy. As for Dsck Hunter.
le was fnrions.
And John Arms roug was one Of the
en- who li9ed up for the race Ut ten
'cloek sharp thst hot Ausust day and
10 had Ola Clswinger with him.
Promptly at the stroke OF ten the csndi
stes we're eiv,n the word. sDd away they
sant the nnlishad sDsthas flashing in fha
IN. II was 9 sight to stir ooe. those ten
ugged fellows bending to their work.
wish swish went the era le through The
esvy grain, aud soon ten long swsths
tretched scross the big FIELD, the grain
allius straight and true. for every part Of
he work would be considered. and each
etsil counted. Jud and Deck we're first
p, Dandy Buroside third, Joe Cannon
nd Reg Weatherley next. side by side,
nd John Armstrong we'll toward the lsst,
,ut cutting clean, straight swstb.
All turned end hurried back. for the
egulslions read, Garry snsthes; no
rain could be cut on the bsok trip.
'hree times up, or scrose, without msteri
change OF position. Then Deck Hunter
b,sined . slight lead over Jad. he was
isking y tremendous Effort Westherly
Ill back a lille, and Cannon gained.
stayed about where he was.
Ie Was taking a slower stroke than the
there, bat every time Old CIswfinger
Gms round il bit into the ersin--well into
About au hour passed, and then the
eet and the Tremendous efforts they we're
Isking begsn 10 tell on the Graders.
hree or four had to slow down fully
lird on their stroke. Three or four bad
slow down folly third on their stroke
at Hunter kept his lesd With Ioslewood
close second. AfmstroDg WAS fully
breast Of Westherly, Cannon aud Burn
de bad fallen back somewhat.
Twenty minutes more, and the plote,
est OF them. were getting we'll narrow,
I'd it began TO be plain TO every one that
10 race, so fsr ss grading went. lay be
aeen Hunter, Ioglewood and Armstrong,
unter was dosgedly holding bis lead.
'eadily they forged sloDr, aud presently
e Hunter following began to cheer mad
/, for it was seen that the Beetle Vale
smpion was putting forth q mighty Ell
n, and surely gsitiog.
A few sssths more would tell the story,
ID The Hantet frowd shouted pesin, for
eir msn was Dow fnilg q1ir,tr OF
Esth ahead, and they knew the Others
'uld not pos IDLY ovettake him. Then
% shouting suddenly cessed, for some
10 he'd cried. Look at the stsnding
sin il and then ell cav what 10 tbeif e1 q
temert. they bad not noticed before. Q
Arnstropgs plot Of standing grain vi. :
rely the nsrros sesil Hnuter saw it and
snd bis eyes hssted snarily &
be put ioita Gosl spur. SWnbi t
Iisti vent Old Oiss fineer, siesdily snd
lrhsps . ttlf, faster than al tie stsft .
A great crozd hsd gathered st the fsld q
", crowd OF men. women aud children. o
ID when Joha Armstrong. flushed and