Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-09-30

"Thirty-ive cents box an, grub
II you boarded yourself, you'd prob
| ably get so. They usually have lot
Of people who pick after that fashion
come up from Hintonville, so I I'M
derstand. That's how they manage in
most yards heYeabouts.''
I'm really quite keen on it," said
Rossiter, with touch of Joe's en-
thusiasm.
You must try and get at a box
next to ours. You see four boxes
are generally joined together, made
so, consequently they's only room
for our family at one of the comb.
nation things" announced Becraft.
"Oh. that's how it isl"
"Yes, that's the way they work it,
The little breeze that sprung up
| just before their arrival had died
with the going down of the sun, and
the fever of the day was still in the
air. Far away beyond the western
hills black cloud was beginning to
invade the sky. and Rossiter con-
cluded that the prophecy of the sill
vering popular leaves and the trum-
| peting peacock was likely to be full
| filed before morning. In the parched
| and dusty grass at the roadside a
| cricket chorus was ringing clear and
| CHEEKY, and a late locust was vio-
| lining in the stubble of barley field.
| They walked for perhaps half mile
before they turned, Becraft COM
menting in his frank way upon the
pleasure he was anticipating in his
soiourn of two or three weeks in the
hop-1ields, and telling Rossiter of the
monotony, the cOlorlessness of his
ordinary daily life.
do you know" he said, with a
wave of his hand, ST it want for
| somethin' like this every year or
| two, I'd be fit subject for an asy-
| lum. 1t often seems, when I leave
the mill at night, as though I was
never goin' to get the elatter O ma
chinery out o my head. l hear the
wheels hummin' in the dark, an see
the straps spinnin' round an round.
Then 1 begin to think O. the country,
| the smell O. things''-and he drank in
| the pungent aroma of the hop-fields
| with infinite content-"an' after a
while I'm all right. There's nothin'
like havin' somethin' free an healthy
to look forward to-"
You'd thrive on farm, wouldn't
you? Haven't you ever thought of
trying it?"
"Oh. yes! But there's no money
in farmin' unless you've got a good
ish-sized place, an then my girl
I've got girl. you know" he inter
jected-"she don't take much stock
in livin' out away from folks"
Reticent as Rossiter was in regard
to his own affairs land he felt that
he had good cause to beg, it was very
pleasant to have this young man, to
| whom he had been an utter stranger
until that morning, talk to him in
this confding strain. 1t made him
have new and surprising sense Of
half-confidence in himself.
AS they were silent for moment,
they became conscious that vehicle
was approaching behind them. They
| glanced back. and saw not far dis
| tant, and drawing near at rapid
| rate, a pair of large sorrels attached
| to light surrey. They retreated
| farther into the grass at the road
| edge to avoid the dust from the pass
ing carriage, and, glancing up as it
swept by, observed that it contained
driver and two young ladies. The
one who sat upon the side nearest
| them let her eyes rest upon them
| for an instant, then she, her compan-
| ion, and, indeed, the whole convey
| ance, were lost in a whirl of dust.
Rossiter watched the travelling cloud
until the horses and the surrey
emerged from it at the Merton's gate.
did you notice that girl?" re-
marked the younger of the two men.
eyes, / did,
Gee, but want she hummer!"
''She certainely was" agreed Ros-
sitter, amused at his companions
tribute to feminine beauty.
| The calm of the growing dusk now
cast it's influence over them, and
| there was little said as. they retraced
their steps to the farm.
ITO Be Continued.l