The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-03-28

ley?" she inquired soberly.
Yes; Silas his wife calls him. She
came down the lane wearing a blue
sunbonnet, and told him supper was
ready. Do you know him."
'Gridley is familiar name," answer
cd his mother evasively. There's the
Gridley school house in that neighbor-
hood. But. my boy, wish you didn't
! have to work so hard for SO little pay.
Perhaps-but let us have supper now.
When do you begin?"
Mears attacked a roll with great
I cheerfulness as he replied: MY work
begins at 600 a. m. tomorrow; the
remuneration for the week." ignoring
Ruby's surprised exclamation, cap
pears Saturday at COO p. m. If you
both will kindly walk out to the Grid
| ley estate, bringing suitable handbags,
| will allow you to assist me in bring
ing it in
Mears found the farmer finishing his
morning chores. The barnyard had
been awake for hours. The brilliant
Dominick rooster had finished his
morning announcements from the corn
crib ge-pOle, and was busily eating
the remnants of a scattered breakfast.
A litter of squealing pigs disturbed the
serenity OF the scene and interfered
with conversation. But at last Siias
| Gridley found time to pilot his new
help to the field and start him out with
his first bushel of corn.
'Ef We STICK he said, by way of en-
| oouragement, yell be the fust city
chap I've had that did They're tur-
rihle afraid O. work an dretful tender"
| Mears looked at the slouching. stoop-
shouldered figure and roughened hands.
A boy who led in athletics ought to
amount to something at farm work.
Yes. he intended to stick as long as the
job lasted
All through the morning the corn
few into the basket with unerring ac-
curacy Wasn't he captain of the
basketball team last year? After all,
blistery hands wouldn't last forever.
They'd soon get tough and tanned-a
badge Of his seryitude. BY that time,
perhaps, bank account might be to
his credit. .....
By noon Mears had what seemed to
him large pile of yellow ears and a
pair of red hands. Under a hick-
ory tree the small wicke. hamper con-
tanning his dinner was opened. Tucked
Of &c To
custard-Ruby's make. The basket
was full of surprises-small ones.
Mears enjoyed them gratefully, even
to the last crumb. His first day of ac-
tual hard work was half over. For
just ten minutes he stretched himself
luxuriousl, OH the grass and studied
the surrounding country. The woods
skirting the cornfield made beautiful
background for the intervening browns
and yellows. The sorrel lent dash of
burnt sienna to the stubble field ad-
joining. Mears turned toward the yell
low farmhouse, with its implanted
barns and stacks of straw The farmer
heels bobbed little figure wearing a
broad-brimmed straw hat. "Grandson,"
thought the lad, remembering the
small black eyes peering at him
through the barnyard fence that morn
ing LAS much alike as two foxes!
Wonder what mother meant by look
ing so solemn when l told her the
name?"
At $50 the farmer came around with
horses and wagon to measure and
gather up the corn. 1t seemed to the
lad as if the heaped basket represented
almost two of. honest measure. Eff
teen bushels" reported the old man,
and Mears saw his days earnings
dwindle. Wrathfully he started home
ward without word.
mo wonder he wanted to bait me by
talking about city chaps! I'd never go
back, only mother and Ruby'd feel
bad il they knew" Before he reached
home, Mears resolved to keep his job
a few days while he hunted for another.
The next day there were twenty BUSH
els.
Seems to be gaining a little re-
marked Silas Gridley, still giving him
self very generous measure and cycling
the blistered hands cynically.
All the rest of the week the lad stuck
to his work manfully, but in spite of
every effort, could not get beyond his
previous record. Mears met his moth
er's and sisters questions evasively.
He had secret that they should know
Saturday eyening-not before. He
anew now the old farmer needed him
more than he would admit