Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-09-06
Compromise Hall
The Countryvvoxaan's Club
BY Hervey White.

quarrel reached it's climax. Dave Bah
bitt was in his wagon, and Townsend,
the harnessmaker, was on the side
walk.
..The lot is mine and intend to keep
it if it costs me the farm to do it'll"
Dave was saying, with determination.
you'll find 1 can spend as much
money on lawyers as you cant" Town
send sneered.
81 bought the land and paid for it. -
tAnd 1 had a mortgage on the
house."
''That mortgage is void
''You will have to prove that in
court
''Get up!" said Dave, savagely, to his
horses, and Townsend was left stand
ing triumphant.
what an ugly expression on Dawes
face" meditated Lucinda. i've al
ways thought Dave handsome, but to-
day he looks capable of murder"
She entered the dingy little store
and waited till her turn came to be
served. The ill-ventilated place was
foul from the sickening smell of to-
bacco smoke and tobacco juice. Then
the staring publicity was hateful. Luz
cinda particularly commiserated Bo-
hemian woman who was nursing
baby in that bad air; another woman
was shrinking in the semidarkness of
a corner, with look of restless weari-
ness in her eyes.
Lucinda kept thinking of these wom-
EN- all the slow, dreary way home.
A sudden inspiration came to her.
She stopped the horse.
~ IL
it! Why can't I? After all, it's wom-
ans work, and goodness knows I'm
lonely and need INTEREST,""
Her black eyes shone and her cheeks
flushed at the idea.
Emma Hendricks can help me-" she
said. ''I'll drive back to Plainview
now"
So Mack was turned three miles out
of the way, and finally left to Look over
a fence at Dave Rabbits two plow
horses, who were rubbing noses to-
gether. Meanwhile Lucinda talked,
and-Dave frequently shook his head.
$50 you think you can do it, she said,
after awhile.
''No, oMiss Evans. I'd like to do it,
but I've no authority. The house must
stand vacant till the question is set
tied in court. It may be year, or two
years."
"But want the use of that house."
"Well, I'm sorry, Miss Evans, but"
what if take poss ession?" said Lu-
cinda. "Will you have right to put
me out?'
'No; but
evil Mr.. Townsend have a right to
mt mo ont 90
81 should guess not!" said Dave Bah
bitt, decidedly.
"Well, then I'll take posse ssion,"
said Miss Lucinda, with spirit. "And
I'll keep the house in repair till the
question is settled. Get up, Mack!"
and away she drove.
GA spirited woman said Dave Bah
bitt, looking after her.
From this day Mack began life of
new activity. Every morning he was
put into the shafts. There was not a
house in the township that Miss Lucin-
da did not visit, and at every place she
insisted on getting something for the
new clubhouse. 81 want every woman
to give something, then she will feel
she has right there; and I want you
to come whenever you can, and help
Miss Hendricks with the carpet rags.
Miss Hendricks is always there, and
though she can't work much with that
crippled hand she will always show
the rest what to do, and make you well
some and give you good cup of tea"
And the donations Miss Lucinda re-
.eived! And the trouble she was put
to to make use of them!-for each
woman would expect to see her contri-
button every time she came to the club
mouse. Carpet rags and pieces for
bed quilts, and picture frames without
any pictures, aud pictures without any
frames! One woman gave an old bu-
reau, and another a chair without any
bottom, but Dave Babbitt promised to
mend it. Another gave a lamp, and
another a washstand; dishes, cups and
saucers were accepted; another chair,
a small table, a baby's crib, peram-
bulator, huge old-fashioned bed
stead. One Bohemian woman brought
forth from a chest six yards of beauti.
full golden-brown silk and insisted on
making it into a curtain for the front
window. There were clock and two
rugs and some pillows. Everything a
honse could demand was gradually
gathered together and arranged in the
cottage on the corner.
Every day Emma Hendricks was
there from nine in the morning till
four in the afternoon. The women
brought her farm supplies for salary
vegetables, pieces of ham, chickens
pies, apples, sausages-an she could
eat, and more, too. So she sold the sur
plus. by Lucinda's advice, and this was
the beginning of the system which pro-
vided her with a small salary as Gus
todian.
Soon there was an awakening in the
country; the women were becoming