Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-11-21
A DRINK OF
BUTTERMILK.

farm horses and attending to the ma
chine at the same time. The summer
season had settled down from the
6ckleness Of spring and taken on that
steady warmth which gives life to the
creatures Of earth. A thrush was pip
ing in a tree, a robin was teaching its
brood to fly. Over a blue sky sailed a
white cloud, casting what seemed to
Enoch to be the shadow of a huge
bird. 1t passed, and the sun shone
put seemingly brighter and warmer
than before. The man refined in his
horses at a turn for a rest, took off his
brow and looked about him.
From the farmhouse beneath a
clump of trees or the hill came Mabel
Judd, Enoch's employers daughter.
She wore a calico dress, a cheap apron
and a sunbonnet. The sun poured its
rays over her and was reflected bright
ly from a tin bucket she carried in her
hand. Her approach brought a pleased
look to the young farm hands face.
The girl came ON over the field where
John Barleycorn stood in battle array,
emerging where Enoch had left whole
companies and platoons lying slaugh-
tered on the ground. Then she came
to where he sat on his iron seat, and
as she looked up at him and he saw
her pleasant oval face away down in
the shadow cast by her sunbonnet he
gasped with the great JOY that was in
him.
II been churnin', Enoch," she said,
land 1 thought a drink O. buttermilk
nd taste good to you"
She took the cover of and handed
the bucket to him.
"Thankee, Miss Mabel" he said and
drank the contents. cts done me q
heap O. good" he added, handing the
bucket back to her. II don't know but
one thing that's done me more good"
whats that?"
"Your bringin' it to me-"
"Oh, that wasn't any trouble" she
said, a slight red coming into her
cheeks under his gaze.
at isn't the trouble; it's the DISPOSE
ton to do it. I didn't know you'd keer
so much"
ooh, 1 sor you out mowin' in the sun,
and I thought it 'ud taste good"
There was q brief silence, which
Enoch ended.
81 wished 1 owned a small farm O
my own"
81 wished you did. Enoch, for your
sake"
This was not all the truth. She wish
ed for the farm for her own sake as
we'll as Enoch's. Then she might be
the housewife. Would she be the
love to her. The view Enoch took OF
it was that she wished it for his sake
alone. He thought he would never
have a farm, and without n he had
no business to make love to a girl who
would likely some day inherit one. BE
gathered up the reins.
"I'm much obliged for the butter
milk" he said.
at wasn't any trouble" she replied
mechanically and, turning, with a dis
appointed look on her face, went back
over John Ba%rleycorn's slain soldiers
and through his waving forces that
stood still defiant. Long before she
reached the house she again heard the
monotonous rattle Of the moving ma
chine. Somehow the pleasure she had
taken in it had gone out Of it. Enoct
had said nothing to warrant this
change of feeling. She had drawn ar
inference from his manner.
Enoch finished cutting the wheat
that day and received his wages. The
next he was gone without bidding Ma
bel goodby.
Ten years passed, and Mabel owned
the farm. She managed it herself
though she hired the work done fol
her. One season there were no hands
to be hired, and when the whea'
ripened she. started out with the ma
chine to cut it herself. 1t was JUS
such q morning as that on which sht
had had her last talk with Enocf
Quill. A mamie looked like a traml
stopped in the road and leaned owe!
the fence near which she was driving.
want any hired help?" he asked.
Mabel drew rein and looked at hin
some time before replying. Her fea
lures were shaded by her sunbonnet.
"Seems to me-" she said, "that
strong man like you ought to own
farm of his own and not go work1l'
for other people,"
81 tried to git one and failed. wa
cheated. Bad title and bad crops
These were few words, but they toll
Il story. After q pause the woman
asked:
"How much you want?"
!, Anything you like to pay"
"Well, come in here and take hold"
The man went to work, and the VIC
man went through the wheat6eld t
! the house. After awhile, when tn
sun was getting hot and the hire
hand was getting thirsty, he saw he
l coming with a tin bucket.
81 been churnin'," she said. "Woul
you like some buttermilkY
3 The man raised the bucket to ht
lips with a trembling hand. tie
years ago." he said, II TUX a drink
buttermilk, and I've never forgot it."
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