Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-08-21
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The wagon drew up at the farm, and
a man jumped down and knocked on
the open door. In reply voice called
out to him to come in. 1t was Curl
Gus voice, fat and strained, as though
it were an effort to speak. Expecting
to see an invalid, the stranger stepped
into the room.
A man of not more than thirty-five
= lay back in a rocker, his thin, sickly
hands extended on his knees, his face
pinched and grey-looking.
I'm afraid you're ILL.," the visitol
said. i was going to ask your hos
pitality for an hour or two. We've
been travelling since daybreak and the
horses want a rest, but if you'd rather
not be bothered, don't mind saying
So"
'No, don't go-stay," the man said
eagerly. I'm a bit of an invalid, but
that doesn't matter. It's a treat to
see somebody from the outside world,
and you don't look as if you belonged
to these parts
81 come from Winnipeg. My names
Drummond, and I'm going up to Black
foot Creek on business. 1 suppose
you've heard that they've struck oil
there"
81 hear nothing. One might as well
be dead as live here-better."
Mr. Drummond glanced around the
room. 1t was a little whitewashed
place, with the usual stove in the CEN
ter, its long pipe piercing the ceiling
to warm the upper rooms. Through
the window he could see the potato
patch and the fields beyond, beginning
to sprout into greenness.
81 suppose it is a bit dreary in the
winter he said. There wouldn't be
much to do then"
There's nothing. You feel like
castaway on a desert island. Nobody
comes near you, and you hear and see
nothing. You sit over the red hot stove
until you're half-baked on one side,
while the icy wind finds it's way
through every crack and freezes you
on the other. The days are long
enough, but the nights are worse when
you lie awake listening to the coyotes
bowling down by the spring, and the
wind tears over the prairie like a de-
mon let loose
you don't look fit for the life,"
Drummond said compassionately, look
ing at the thin, refined face and list
less figure. You need the comforts of
civilization. It takes a strong man
to face this sort of existence and get
any good out of it."
It's not any choice of mine, I've
never been used to it. My wife had a
fancy to come up here, but / think
she's almost had enough of it,
Il shouldn't have thought there
could be any attraction for lady in
such a place. There's isn't even much
sport" He concluded that the mistress
Of the house must be of robust ply
sique with manly tastes to take to the
wilderness from choice.
He altered his mind when he saw
her come in.
She was tail and slender, with rather
a hard face, which had probably been
pretty before toll and exposure to all
weathers had aged and roughened it.
Hers was the sIenderness of strength
and clean proportions; she was as
straight and upright as dart. Drum
mond thought what a contrast she
made to her husband. But though he
was not prepossessed by her appear
ance-and her chill. greeting in
creased the feeling-she was quite
different from the loud, sporting wo-
man he had imagined.
She put a bowl OF potatoes down by
her husband.
This gentleman will excuse you
getting on with these" she said, with
a nervous laugh. They are wanted
for dinner. Shall l show your man
the stables?' she added, turning to
Drummond. You will want shake
down for the horses"
Don't let me trouble you. l can
find them myself, or anybody can
show me the way"
There is nobody but me and Grant
and he is engaged just now. Ny hus
band. as YOU see, is not strong enough
to DO much, so we have changed
places. He looks after the house and
does any little jobs he can"
Drummond could say no more. Hc
caught a half-shamed, halfpleading
look on the mans face as he followed
hts wife outside, and he wondered
what it all meant. 1t seemed a strange
household. He could not but admire
the way the place was kept. Every
thing was so clean and tidy; there