Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-12-17

rats. boz sprse I'D e9@r Lad eropga
Z eat befo-e Il Il. 4.te. NV yo1
cocldn't li-e h4a : l@ave IL farm.
"B1r how'd Il c9a= , git I'll his
raoDer%
~~Taia'5 su-@ les =. aay. HIS IA
TIER lived il Il II: b=so-@ A!.a aa'4ad
tn name . t@.1 q 4l-=r. - Tom
cons lar-ay ~ = B9c1 was rhic.
v:tee5 a1' etga.y =. se2c : ,hem-
selves, IN = COURSE folls TAXED a
god desl. Atre- T9m c,ae here h-
used : % TT. : Il h1c sometimes.
az t3,.s sd h= bco2ga- lis money
away = II 1:gh- an hid Il il or old
bara - a2y .2c-, he stopped goia' ali
Z oace. IN now y19 can't scase,y git
h. ~. . ..sa. q y bar1. That's
what GO ne : .hin.in' there might
Be sosaeth!1' IL II talk- But you said
jest non 7 you Enowed b. had money.
Vhact voc .sen b. thar
Il mean : We heard lin gaT 80
htmselt tine az time ag'n. His b4i'g
next -tne Up II IN attic, an he's &
gre't ~sT q akin I himself arter he's
~'sleep-drops Of SONS he tetches tn
bed an then Nlks like a house aare tn
whole endurin' nigh; gables bout his
pretty babies an his ,ittle dar,in's an
his ea1tful sinners. Las night he got
t chucklin' : himself "a kep' a-sayin'
he'd got q forth an nobrdy didn't
know; . he'd s...-s keep bis little tin
box saet 50 : 1obo1y couldn't see.
,Nov. Y that do1't mean that he's got
money hid away, then I amt sayin'
any more"
The overseer looked serious.
yes. the fellow lauss have money
be said. Vel, vii. have a talk with
him at once an Jet hin know u
town farm ANT q free board!n' house
fer mill.onairs."
Settling his hat once more over his
eyebrow, he turned and LEFT the entry
abruptly. The Old me1 looked At each
other and grinned.
"Th' dc .~.ller's sorter riled.'' one Of
them said. with d chuckle, but III lay
Z dollar he don't git nothin' opten Miser
Tom. S'ros.n' We fol!er on sorter easy
IKE az see IN fun"
But Miser Tom was not easy to find.
The Old barn WAS a great, rambling
structure that had been intended to
meet ali the requirements Of a large
stock farm. Bot the stock farm itself
had been only a dream Of al inpe-
cunlous uaa Of ideas, Long before il
VAS completed the small capital had
been used ~. and the farm passed into
other hands.
During 81. these years it had grad
uelly become a vast s~torehouse for the
useless articles Of the large farm,
crowded together in reckless disorder.
There vas another story under the
roof Of the barn, but this was left
mostly 70 the pigeons and bats and to
such rowing hers as had not yet settled
down 70 the Unambitioug ways Of their
kind.
To the boys who lived on the farm
the Old barn vas always a place Of
wonder ana delight. On hot summer
nights the more courageous stole from
the house and CROPPED their way up to
the plies Vi hay and listened all
through the long hours Of darkness 10
the strange moaning and whistling
and ripping that came from the dark
corners. And they shivered with de-
lighted horror at the thought Of count
less ghosts fitting about them.
The overSeer paused in the open
doorway and glanced around. No one
was in sight. Then he called sharply.
but 10 n answered. Two or three
hens few heavily from stolen nests
among the wagon bodies and disap-
peared through a hole in the floor. A
loud Of dust rose from the debris and
after q few settled back
again softly. The oYerseer pulled his
hat farther down over his eyebrows.
''The feller's skulkin' round here
some where," he muttered angrily. Jest
likes not he's watchin' me from be-
hind some Vaughn body"
But a thorough search failed to re-
veal him, and at last the overseer left
the barn wrathfully.
As he stepped outside he saw Miser
Tom come !eisurely round the corner
Of the barn.
why, you-you s%coundrel",' he call
ed. Whore you been all tn time?
Didn't you hear me call?'
Mlser Tom looked up ~vacantly.
Hey"
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." fierce
ly.
Yes, / bleeve / did hear somebody
:allin' Tom" the old man answered
deliberately. But how's t know
twas meant fer me? Thar's lots o.
Toms On TIL place"
'Well. twas meant fer you. Now,
look here, you an me has 500 bust
ness that's got T. be settled right
straight off. How much money We you
got, an where is it?"
"Me-got money!"
eyes, you. know all a'2"t Il.
don't want + be hard on 20
things got t be settled r'.'!.
you stay on tn far" on
your board. IF you don't 81 got L
clear out. DO you understand"