La Junta tribune., 1906-11-10
JUST A

~ FRANK II. SWEET

I cers stiIi humping for a POSITION inside
the coat that was beginning To strain
across the back suit ye 10 T. hey.
wouldn't IL. sairyf
We'll No. doa'r guess 80 to-iay.
Lish." Was the placid answer. Its
ben my bakln' day. an now I've got To
black up the stove an wash the floor.
Ye'd have 10 wait too l)ng for me 10
git ready
-Oh. I don't mean today with a
grin 4 mean move ur, for good an
all Sell the farm an lie town folks
ike the best q en- Ia 90 into busl
ness. an ye'd lie 80 ye could have com
p'Hy an sec somebody nsst every day.
guess We could stand up straighi
with 'em. heyf-
His wife gazed at him blankly for q
moment. then dropped upon a chair
her favorite mode Of expressing aston
ishment
"Ae don't mean
Yes, do mean jest that, I've been
thinkin' on Z for considerable of a
spell. an that letter from Hiram Pot
ter out west sayin' he'd made $4,000
merchandisin' clinched the riyets close
up I've been a fool. sairy''
Il dunno. Llsh- Folks round here
say we've done WELL
Well" he snorted with profound
self disgust. for farmin' round here
mebbe. I've cleared OF the mortgage
an put 1000 In the bank an got to
gether a pretty good head o. stock. but
I've been twenty years a-doin' IL. Sairy
twenty years. an I've worked like .
ii a.. NJ
want goin' to miss anything for lack o.
hard work Ne. stree. An now there's
Hiram. who want thought nigh &C
smart as me at school. an Reuben
Smith. who keeps the hotel over 20 the
Corners. an Nathan Taylor. who sells
us groceries. an Others. All OF 'em
have been wearin' good clothes right
along an takin' money over their coun
tiers In handfuls. an when there was
Offices an honors 10 he given IL was
them as was went to-
He drew his cap a little lower down
and his collar little higher up and
peerei at her through the narrow slit
as though expecting some comment
''Sult ye 70 I. hcyf'' he repeated.
She nodded rcfectively.
II dunno but TWILL she conceded
.'I'll miss the chickens an butter.
maxim. but they be work. an. then. as
ye say. ] can see somebody most every
day. N-no. I guess I won't mind"
Course ye won't" he declared
We'll be town folks an will have to
put on our best blbs an fuckers every
day. Yen set on stuffed cheer talkin
IN comp'ny an takln'in money. an In the
evenin's there'il be a lot gathered round
my store talkin' politics an things. an
they won't cost me n cent for entertain.
ment. like visitors gener'iy do, but win
be bringin' me In more money"
"'Ye don't suppose there'd be no hitch
'bout-'bout ye doin' II. Llsh?" she in
/ quired.
"Hltchr' indienantly-"when Hiram
an Reuben an Nathan have all done
| IL an made money, Well. guess not
But I'll go an look round some. Folks
In town are gener'ly pretty keen scent
ell on money. an II they git wind o.
my needin' a house TO live in an
store TO merchandise in they might
think rents ought TO be a little higher
| I'll look round sort o. casual. But ye're
sure ye favor the idee. Sairy? I don't
want q go into nothin' that ye couldn't
smooth down to-"
"Oh. I'll like IL all right" she said
| piacidiy. I'm sure to. We needn't
bother bout that. I.ish. I've always
hankered TO shop without climbin' In
an out a waggin. I'm too heffy. An
say. Lish." raising her voice as he
| opened the door and let in a rush Of
air and whiriing snow. BE sure an
beat 'em down some"
II was late In tfS evening when he
returned. but from the way the wagon
| ratified by the house and the unneces-
sarily loud Whoa which came to bef
| when Il reached the barn she felt that
something momentous had happened,
and this feeling was made a certainty
when Lish dung open the door and she
saw him trying to straighten his face
into an expression Of Indifference
Supper ready. sairy7- he demanded
airiiy. Il swan. I'm most starvedr'
"Ye know It's ready. Lish.- she said
| quietly. IT always Is nj : TO a minute.
You know it's been gettin' cold Jest a
hour an a half. 20 ye've hired Q
| placer
'Ye ain't wuth q cent for news.
eaify.- he grumbled. "Ye either scent
| Il out miles ahead or take IL all for
| granted. I'd As soon have q stick 20
tell somethin' to. How'd ye know I've
hired Q placer
''Goodnea land" scornfully, ITS
| stickin' out all over ye. Lish! kn0wed
Il By DE way the wheels went round
when ye went by"
Don't suppose ne wheels told -
| what place hired an how much I'm
| - pay an wAen were eoln' to mover
be asked.