Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-07-12

not LeOntlne. The knack of wood
cutting was something she believed
she might acquire in time, and there
was beginning to everything.
A buggy drawn by two stout mules
came slowly splashing along the road.
1t stopped opposite to where she was
SO Justify at work. A head peered
over the protecting curtain. and a
masterful voice called out:
"Hey, there, girl. What are you
up to? Are the men Indians in this
parish, that they let the women chop
wood?"
Leontine looked up, and seeing that
the man was total stranger, she
would have Redeemed if she could
have become any redder than she
was. Turning, she went on welding
the ak without replying.
Stop that chopping and go along
into the house out of the rain! You
ought to be ashamed of yourself!''
AS there was no use in trying to
turn red, Leontine turned purple and
went on chopping.
The man alighted from his buggy
without another word, came in at the
| gate, and was soon standing beside
her at the wood pile. He wore
long, thick overcoat and a black
SLOUGH hat, and looked to Leontine
like a bearded tyrant.
''This won't do, he said, quietly
and firmly taking the ak out of her
hand. What are you doing this for?
Isn't there any fellow around these
diggings to chop your wood?"
Leontine was what they sometimes,
in that region, call "spunky" She
tried to look dignifed and offended,
but, with modification, realized that
the atmospheric conditions somewhat
! thwarted her design.
"You are a stranger, SIR" she be-
gan.
mo, I'm not. l live six miles be-
low here, just moved, and I'm there
to stay"
Peter cuts wood Tor u.s. she ex-
planned, somewhat Modified. Gle
didn't come today, and l found my
mother without fire suffering with
! SO1u WILL 1SCI11 Cu 11O11 oNhOoA {"
while ago. Will you kindly let me
continue my work? I have no time to
waste in conversation"
"Trot along in, trot along in,
mademoiselle, and get into some dry
Clothes" was the mans only reply.
Realizing the futility of standing
out in the rain arguing, not to say
Ft1Jn TTsS1 linz
haps insane stranger. Leontine left
him and went into the house. She
found her mother and Mandy, agitat-
ed by the liveliest curiosity, peering
through the window.
II don't know him." she answered
to her mothers question. 81 don't
know what he intends to do" in
further reply. Maybe murder us all;
you'd better lock the door," And she
went into the adjoining bedroom to
divest herself of the saturated gar
ments that felt like leaden weights
upon her.
"Dey look like Mr.. Slocum's mules
an buggy" ventured Mandy, whose
attention was divided between the
man and his equipage.
You're right, Mandy. 1t must be
the young man that bought the Slo-
cum place and everything on it."
Leontine soon heard the ak fairly
singing out at the wood pile. Then
a sepulchral whisper reached her
from Mandy through the keyhole:
Miss L'ontine, he's chopin
wood"
well, let him chop; who cares?"
A while later, when her toilet was
almost completed, Mandy's stealthy
voice was again projected into the
room:
Miss L'ontine, he done got big
pile chop He karin it on de gal'ry.'
Leontine hardly knew how to cope
with the situation. She wished that
her mother were possessed of more
strength of character. But she
knew Just as we'll as anything that her
mother would be polite to him, with
out the least assertion Of offended
dignity.
AS Leontine emerged from her
room blooming, all freshly attired in
a neat. dark skirt and white shirt
waist, the stranger appeared in the
doorway leading from the back gal
lery.
Pardon me, ladies' he said, with
an easy inclination. "My name is
WilIet. I live six miles below here
Slocum place. Just want to be neigh
borly. I'll give you lots of chances
of returning the compliment. Have
you people got any kindling, any
light wood around here that could
start a FREQ His eyes had been at
tracted to the gaping, empty fire
place.
Madame fastened to inform him,
deprecatingly:
aaron promise to SEN me load
las week, monsieur, but his oxen got
cripple in the cutoff
Never mind, mother" interrupted
Leontine, in French. "You needn't