The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1903-01-22
BY FORCE OF WILL
BY p. n SWEET.

fHe's come" said old Herkamer,
Is be came into the kitchen and be-
gan TO unload himself Of the pack
ages which be had brought from the
trading post ten miles away, 'an now,
] reckon. the next thing'il be for him
20 20. We amt waited five years Tor
q meetin' house, jest TO carry II on as =
nursery now we've got II. / don't see
what DR. Brown was thinkin' on
~Is Ae very youngf" asked Mrs.
Herkamer, transferring the packages
to a small cupboard fastened against
the logs Of the cabin wall.
Young" and old Herkamer's
grim face seemed yet grimmer as it
peered out through the small triangle
formed by his doWn-drawn cap and
big, upturned collar. Hes younger'n n
our Seth, an Seth couldn't speak ten
words TO folks lookin' at him to save
his life. What we want Is a tough,
hard-headed man " no knows our Ways
and can put up with EN-. This feller's
store-made an soft. ! wouldn't be
s'prised il he shaved every day. Huh,
What can a feller like tha, DO with
our young menH S'pose be had 10
tramp ten miles through a Dakota
blizzard to say prar's over a remains;
f'pose he'd meet d fightin' grizzly in
tle forest; s'pose some Of our high
speeritcd boys got to ehaiiin' him ia
their bar cub way--sa-ay. what'd he
% thcns Our old minister where we
come from had hands like the bark
OF sn old hick'ry, an could wrestle
with a grizzly an pitch man through
3 vindcr when be got sassed. That's
the sort We need here. Horse sense
eomes fore book sense, en- hard
hands fore p'hioness. That's my
idcc'
he dreW q stool 80 tho fireplace and
spread his hand. out over the blaze
With thawing satisfaction. One by
one the grim lines ofhis face softened
and mcllowtd under the fires infu-
ence, and presently he turned half
round toward his wife. who was then
preparing supper.
"Of course. We necdn't say any-
thing ike this outside, he observed.
half apologelically. "The boy amt
10 blame Tor vha, he is, an the doc
tor got him here. An, furdcr. still
mellowing. ''we won't be hard on the
doctor. either. He's our nearest
ncighbor. an gcner1y does things
pretty sensible We can pass over 9
slip now an ihen. An that reminds
me" turning entirely around; "the
doctor said he'd bring him over this
evcnin' II it didn't storm too hard.
The hoy seemed spry an eood-na-
tured, an said he wanted 20 yisit
everybody an sc, acquainted Wen
treat him rigSt's ue can, poor fellerl
He don't SEEM Go realize how soon
the boys'll run him out"
The sounds Of the approaching
storm could be heard more plainly
nov, and Herkamor went 10 thc win
6ows aud door and fastened them
more securely
~rho doctor son't hiring him over
tonight, p he said. a. he resumed hls
stool al the FIRE; IAN ] don't reckon
Seth an the half-breed will come in.
either. Ieastvays, / hope not. tn
be safer in the guleh than findin' ones
Wsy through this snow"
But he vas mistaken, for presently
there came a trsmping and stamping
outside; and as the cabin door was
thrown open a tall, white-haired old
man stepped In, accompanied hy a
boyish figure Of slight but COMPACT
build, The old man was Dr. brown,
llhe neiehborhood sntOersi; and in
his companion HeFknmsr recognized
he new minister.
Il hardly thought you'd come over
,o-night,' he ssid. rather shortly;
the storm
"Thats just why Nc came" the
laocior interrupted, genislly. sfhe
lUom j. likely to Be- long ore, and
as can set hsok before L beoomes ss.
were lly to.morfow sytn lhe mile
between cur houses may Be diilieult
10 make You are enc 81 cur pfom-
lnens msmbegs,' iisnkly, rsnd I
eanssd yea to sge more of Nf, Irwin
lssfegs kesgins Nh n he palpll