Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-02-11
L. OS AND
WON

J
wounded man groaned for a moment,
then he swort like trooper. His
right arm was one bloody pulp.
He was carried to the mouse, and
as the men We're carrying him across
the yard the servant girl, Jeannine,
appeared at the door, She had been
scared by the sudden stopping of the
| thresher.
What is the matter?"
1T is the master who got his arm
| crushed in the thresher."
She looked at the bloody stump and
| began 10 sob aloud
1t seems to hurt you a lot more
than it hurts me- the wounded man
said, systematically.
They wanted to put him to bed,
and he refused.
Put me in the armchair near
the window"
He was placed in the large, clumsy,
uncomfortable armchair. Jeannine
brought linen rags and wanted to put
a bandage on.
They won't do any good, Jeannine,
left and then tell Jean to hitch up and
| go for the doctor Let him tell the
doctor he must be here before sun
down and cut off my arm. Patchwork
! won't do here
Then he said to the others: Now
you just go back to work. It's no use
to stop everything because have lost
On, TlN
money to hire, anyway"
When Jeannine and the others had
gone, Chaguy began to think. He was
a strong, powerful man, who cared
nothing for the pain The accident
was unfortunate, but the results still
more serious. BY working from dawn
to dark he had been able to do with
out a hired hand except during the
harvest time, even though he had 100
acres. The two mares that were now
resting in the stable had been as
tireless as he, but in the future he
would not be able to plow He would
have to get a hired man and that
would cost him at least 500 francs a
| year. How WPs he to make that
| money?
When he hao reached this point he
was filled with remorse for not having
kept a promise given a dying person.
1T was his wife who would not die un.
/ til she was satisfied she had arranged
everything so that her death would
mean the smallest possible loss. Dur
| ing her long illness this thought had
| worried her. Her fear did not arise
| from the thought that the heritage
should be scattered, for she had no
children, but from love OF the soil to
which she had devoted the work of
| her life
At last she found way out, and
said to her husband: "Chaguy, / have
thought it all over. You are only 80.
| and not fit to remain widower, first,
| because you are too young, and next.
| because a farm without a housewife
| does not amount to anything. You
| must marry Jeannine. She has been
with us ten years and never given any
| cause for complaint. She is young and
strong and willing and that makes up
for the fact that she can bring no dow
ny. Promise me to marry her and l
can die in peace.
Chaguy had promised, but he had
always put off the matter Not that
he was blind TO her robust beauty or
her quick hands, but he was always
thinking of what improvements he
coould make if he We're to marry a
widow or girl with money And thus
three years had passed and he was
| still a widower
His blood was boiling now when he
thought of himself with one arm, fit
only to weed tu1nips. Who would
marry him now? Nobody-not even
| Jeannine. He would have to have a
stranger cultivate LIS farm, his income
would go down, the value of bis farm
| would deteriorate and his savings
would disappear That arm would cost
him pile of money If he had only
kept his promise-then he would
have had Jeannine; but of course she
would leave him now too.
He turned little in his chair but
almost howled with pain He looked
through the window across the field.
1t would take many days to pillow them
and here he was sitting doing moth.
ing.
Suddenly he heard voice in the
stable-it was Jeannine: Hello, Gray,
get up now-come on now Charlotte!'
What did that meany Did Jeannine
intend to plow? That would never
work, although she had tried often
enough in fun. Gathering all his
strength he succeeded in raising him.
self and as he looked through the
window, he saw Jeannine making the
first furrow.
Chaguy stared at her as if be
witched, then the tears came into his
eyes as he exclaimed in despair ooh
my God"'
When she came back near the house
Chaguy, with the almost super-human
effort raised the window and called
out: oh, Jeannine!"
Yes, master. Don't | know how to
plow"