Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-12-31
HOW MICHAU KEPT
HIS VOW
CLINTON DANGERFiELD
CLINTON D%ANGERFieLD


erred M1cnau uerce1y, an almost canine
curl Of his upper lip showing his strong
white teeth. II will never. pardieu.
set foot on your ~land-never!"
"Then," retorted lie Hardy coolly.
you are likely to remain where you
are forever, monsieur. Fol- how can
you escape from your house without
setting foot on my land. seeing that
last nights avalanche has set your
cottage in the very middle of my field:'
IL will die where / ann snarled
Michau. And he meant it.
Never i'm the history OF the canton
had Antoine Michau broken his word.
When lie Hardy had besought Michau
to give him the %latter's golden haired
Jeanne Marie the angry father had not
only posted the girl off to her aunt in
the village below the great mountain
on which Michau and lie Hardy dwelt,
but he had forbidden lie Hardy to be
seen on his property.
All of this because Of an ancient
feud between the Michaus and the lie
Hardys.
Therefore ii may be fancied what
Michau felt when fate, pleasantly iron
ic, sent an avalanche which deposited
the Michau cottage in the center of
lie Hardy's little farm.
1t had happened just before day
break that very morning. Luckily for
LIE Hardy himself. his own cottage was
pot damaged, ii being ON the edge ut
enc side. his establishment when he
discovered tie plight of the irate par
ent soon gave way TO glce when he
thought how neatly Michau would be
forced to fors wear himself. But Mi
chau had no such intention. As he
could not fly ar lay n bridge across
and as his pro isions would not last
two days, be grizzly prepared TO starve.
an arrangement which Lemprierc. lie
Hardy's special friend, advised the low
er to encourage.
"For when the on fox Is dead of his
own folly" chucklcd Lempriere. "'tis
thou who shall console the pretty
Jeanne Marie"
But lie Hardy, eating his own ample
meals. could not enjoy them for think
ing Of Michau's rapidly diminishing
larder. On the noon ON the second day
he filed a tray with fool and carried it
himself to Michau's dool.
"Voila, mon voisin," said the young
fellow good temperedly. Thou must
not strive. I will share with thee
while thou remainest In thy chicken
coop. Thou art welcome to it."
"Au diable with thee, and thy wei
come" yelled the enraged Michau. and
thcre descended on lie Hardy's head a
perfect shower Of poiridgc. poached
eggs and bits Of br,' lad. Lcmpriere
from a safe distance doubled himself
up In his efforts to SUPPRESS his convul-
sive joy.
Nov wilt believe m,?" asked he as
the lover hun iedly retrlnted.
To his surprise, the young mar burst
into a ut of laughter.
what a tableauw lie said. holding
his sides. AFTER all, though, one must
admit the old rascal hal, spirit!'
That night Michau shipt but Ill. Hun
ger gnawed ut Isis vitals till be rolled in
agony. but lie chung 81 I'lenly TO his de-
termina ,sDn. Over and oyer he repeat
ed himself that the I eighbors should
see OF what stuff Nil Ihau was made.
Common sense did whisper in his ear
that such a purse yIas to leave the
field free to lie Harry; but. though he
ground his teeth and admitted 1t. yet he
had no thought of yielding.
Dawn came. and the old man arose
and tottered out yon his tiny porch.
There a surprising sight met his view.
LIE Hardy was standing close beside
the steps. pantiylg and resting on the
handle Of a brad shovel. From the
to the cater edge Of the field
which marked the confines Of lie Har-
dy's property ran a narrow trail Of
fresh soft cath richly dark and about
m inch thick,
swhat delirs folly hast thou done
snakIed the gaunt old man.
on thc nearest railing to hide
biz weakDiss-
'vraims mt" smiled LIE Hardy good
as ever, Il have turned
thief, mf4n voisln, and have been thiev-
all nsght! This trail OF earth which
vou beMoid"- He waved a hand to-
II.
S.Ass.sn ds Dieu-of course / see it.
What q itr'
1T came from thy garden. mon vol
-. chose Il there that you might
~ tie 0IRerence IN color distinctly.
Nv land along here h tighter and not
m~ ~