The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-04-26

enveloped her like the faint fra
GRANGE of the flower whose nam
she bore; and by contrast was pain
fully aware of his own brown hand
and his unpublished speech. Lii,
herself observed no such contrasts
She noted the broad shoulders AM
well set head of the young man op
posiUe, with appreciative eyes; SD,
; liked the slight drawl that con
trasted oddly with his alert manner
He was only the hired man, ye
somehow she resented that he new
er once addressed her, but confined
most of,his conversation to Tommy
"Clem said he was rolling stone
and he's got to roll pretty soon.
Can'tI roll with him?" Tommy
piped presently in the shrill treble
of childhood.
Farmer Blake looked up quickly
under his shaggy brows. You
wasn't thinking of leaving was you?
It's going to be a mighty busy
month, and m depending on your
staying here right along, anyway.
| II make it worth your WHILE
His voice was at once anxious and
peremtory. Farmer Blake asked
few favors; but Glen was the best
hired man that had ever come his
way.
'You amt figuring on leaving
are your" He demanded again.
Glenn looked at his plate in CON
fusion. ''No, l don't know as L
am, he said. A moment after
ward he wondered why he had an
swered so.
The matter rested for a week,
then Farmer Blake spoke definitely.
He liked the best of a bargain, al
ways; but the best in this case was
in forcing Glenn TO an agreement to
stay, even If he had to promise bet
ter terms than he liked. If you'll
agree to stay two years, I'll raise
your wage SO month, that'll be SIS
and, besides, furnish the seed and
plant the south meadow with you
% shares, said Farmer Blake,
It'll be worth your while, | reck-
0n, !"
II reckon it will said Glen
aud Farmer Blake, thinking
the hired man considered the dnan-
,ial aspect of the case only, reflect
ed that he might have offered lower
wages or left out the south meadow
altogether.
The year that followed was hap
Dy one for Farmer BIake's hired
man. 1t was full of hard work; but
here was compensation in the
summer evenings under the shade
trees in the front yard, where the
hired man according to farm ETH
luette, was priviledged to sit with
The family; in the long winter even
ngs, around the big base-burner
n the sitting-room or the even
sheerier kitchen stove; and in the
quarter and half hours which Glen
stole from his other duties to doodd
chores around for Her. For the
hired man, by the end of the
year, had reached that point where
he world held only one "Her"
he farmers tall, slim daughter.
AS to the feelings of the girl her
self, Glenn was in the dark. She
smiled on him. but so did she on
5he lanky farmers sons, who drove
10 the house in the evenings or on
Sunday afternoons. She was I'M
ailingiy sweet and gentle with him,
o1t so was she with everyone. He
hoped yet he feared, and he linger-
I'd in the not undesirable land of
Uncertainty until, one summer af-
,ernoon, quite unpremeditatedly, he
crossed the boundary into the. land
if Delight,
"You never did go rolling, did
you Clem?' said Tommy from the
litchen step, as the hired man
paused a minute, below, before
starting back to the bayfield,. The
ubiectswas one that had never lost
interest to Tommy. when are
rou going to start? You said there
wasn't nobody to keep you here.
"But there is somebody now,
,ommy, said the hired man. He