Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-12-28
CHAPTER XIV.
BOYHOOD MEMORIES.

Living over bygones is about az
consoling as an epitaph in a cemetery.
as Martin learned when he set about
a business examination of the old
farm. He had returned to Greenvale
with vague idea of remaining there,
II Angie had not forgotten, and still
smiled upon him; then, if certain pos
sibilities came about, to build a mod
ern house on the site of the old home
stead now owned by him, and fox
amusement to establish a trout pre-
serve. 1t was all nebulous plan
and somehow his first evenings ex-
perience and later meeting with Angie
had partially dispelled that. A few
years had wrought great changes
her old fondness for him had van
ished, and he feared that he was al
most forgotten. It was not pleasant,
nor what he had secretly hoped, and
ct it seemed a fact.
His early haunts that he now WIS.,
tied for the first time since his re-
turn also read him a lesson of change
and bitter-sweet memory. There was
the old house. so shocking in it's
rack-and-ruin condition, the woodshed
where he used to hide his fish poles
and traps, and beside it the old pear
tree. The woodshed seemed a mere
coop now, and he smiled at sight of
that Srindstone he used SO to abhOr.
Old memories might be saddening, as
they were, but at last he was not
likely to be called upon to turn grim
stun" again until his back seemed
broken.
Then came the garden, with it's low
wall hid by grape-vines, where he,
with vexed spirit, had been made to
pull pusley, year after year, and al
ways, 1t seemed, when he wanted to
go fishing. Here he had usually dug
for angle-worms-s- pleasanter oc-
cupation; and when midsummer came.
how good those cris.> green cucum-
bers used to taste! Bey ond was the
apple orchard. and, as he entered it
again, one tree, to which he had many
times been sent to cut sprouts to be
used later on, on himself, caught his
attention. It was old and almost dead
now, but of just such slender whips,
as mother had used around his bare
legs with such cheering effect, still
grew from it's trunk. And what a
delight it had been, in the mellow
autumn, to shake those trees and pick
up apples, and when the cart was
filled, to ride on it to the cider mill
and "holler' to the patient oxen. And
then the cider making! The old horse
walking slowly around pulling the
sweep, the many-colored apples dis
appearing in the hopper, the men
folks heaping pumice on the press,
and when the cider began to run, how
delicious 1t tasted through straw!
Angie used to come here with other
girls, on their way from school. and
how pretty she used to look in her
calico sunbonnet, her hair in one
long braid falling in her way as she
stopped over to suck cider out of the
little rill that ran around the press.
Martin recalled how he used to keen
bunch of nice white straws hid
away, waiting for her, and Wien she
appeared, his heart used % beat a
little faster. =
AS he retraced his steps toward the
village after morning of gloomy
memories, it seemed as If fate meant
to be kind, for just ahead he espied
Angle entering the by-road from a
pasture. She wore the same broad sun
hat Of the day before, carried Il pail,
and had evidently been after berries. b
With quick steps Martin had almost
reached her. when she halted and
faced shout. =z s# Sz.s ss5ssS S.ss .::@
Thy. how you scared met" she ex.
Claimed, looking relieved.
s 5s} ITO 81 Continued