The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-06-09
Leaving the FARM.
tl,.l.+l.&S..ES,F.s.s.s.s|+..s
y T was Sunday afternoon. Hank

~~DN%o-o|eN~NN~a
n T was Sunday afternoon. Hank
Peters, dressed in his best
clothes, was making a neigh
borly call at Deacon Pepperton's home.
But somehow conversation Jagged, in
spite Of the visitors brave attempts
to keep up cheerful flow Of words.
The deacon's face was unusually long,
and every now and then he sighed
dolefully.
whats the matter, deaconT ven
tured Hank at last. "You seem to
have the blues to-day"
"Mebbe l have-'tain't surprisLn'."
Lets hear about it." said Hank,
sympathetically.
"'Tain't nothing new" returned the
deacon feebly, with another sigh.
I'm jest sad, that's all-sad, an
bit lonesome at times. Mrs. Pepper.
ton is lonesome, too. Sos the farm
an the pony-an the dog. Every
things lonely. Jest you wait till your
own boys an girls leave home-then
you'll understand how we feel"
For a moment, there was silence.
Mr.. Peters, thinking his own thoughts,
looked curlously at the speakers lug
ubrious countenance. There was SYM
pathy in the look, and yet, combined
with sympathy, there was something
else in the grave blue eyes that studied
the deacon's face.
"What made 'em all leaveY' ask
ed Hank at last, quietly.
II dunno. First John went, then
Mary, then Tom. Now Harry's gone,
an there's nobody left 'cept Mandy
and mean the dog an the pony an
the farm. Well, the youngsters have
all got work in the .city, an they're
scrapin' up bare livin' there, guess,
bat they could "a done better round
home on the land l calkerlated to give
'em. But no, they wouldn't stay
said they'd enough O. farmin' to last
them lifetime an longer. Why, to
hear them youngsters talk you'd think
that farm amt a fit or pleasant
place for boys an girls to liveW
"Some farms are not"
"Eh2" said the deacon, looking up
quickly.
But Hank had an innocent, far-away
look In his eyes that disarmed suspi
cion.
The next day was Monday-wash
day, OF course. In the midst of the
usual festivities incident to that week
ly occurrence, Mrs Pepperton made
the discovery that her supply Of soap
had run out"
"What'll l do" she demanded, as
she rushed to the back door and an
nounced the dlscouraging fact to her
husband.
"Shoo-o! You don't say! Is all the
ten cents worth bought you gone al
readyT
"Yes; an I've got to have more
right away"
Suddenly his face frightened. "Pll
go over an borrow some at Hanks
house. They buy by the box, an are
sure to have plenty"
And away he went across lots.
Presently he returned, his hands full
Of soap and his head full Of news.
"what dye thlnk2" he began.
Mrs. Pepperton snatched the soap,
and retreated to the kitchen, mutter-
ing that she was ''too busy an fius-
tered to think Of anything 'cept the
washin'."
But the deacon, eager to unload his
store Of news, followed her into the
house.
you'll never guess what Hank Is
up to now, woman! Myl never see
sech feller for fool ideas!'
Curiosity conquered hurry. Mrs.
Pepperton's lips and eyes bulged full
of question:.
'well," said her husband, after
dramatic pause, ''you may'nt believe
1t, but that feller is jest Dustin him
self maxim q croquet ground out in
his side yard under some apple trees.
He's diggln' an levelin' an haulin
clay. an poundln' 1t down. An he's
bought croquet set an big, red. two
seated swing, an two hammocks, that
he's swung close together under a
spreadln' tree, an don't know what
else-I didn't stop to see any more"
And, painting and growing, the
good deacon subsidized into a chair and
famed himself vigorously.
"For the land sakes!" calculated
Mrs. Pepperton, her mouth wide open
with establishment.
"An' there's worse yet" continued
her husband. "Bill Waddle told me
this mornin' that Hank Peters had
bought a. rubber-tired buggy. SOS his
youngsters could have it to ride IN
whenever they pleased"
"You don't say! Why, those ere
Peters younsters already have bicy-
cles, an everything else that. heart
could wish for"
"Yey, 1t looks like a fool business"
commented the deacon. Somebody
Noughter warn Hank against sech
extravaganza Why, our own young
sters had no sech pamperln' an glm-
ckacks when they was at home-no,
sir-ee"
Somehow that last sentence made
Mrs. Pepperton look suddenly sober