Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-02-25
HUNTING HIS HOME

Iue morning his little frame house
rested on rollers. The house movers
gang was hitching clanking chains to
the heavy square timbers, and the
brown horse, with a detected droop to
his long head. was ready to circle
around the capstan and hanl Pete's
cottage into the street.
"Don't you worry a bit, Mary" said
Pete as he picked up his dinner pail.
1.-THE house mover told me that not an
inch of plaster would fall. So long.
I'll pick YOU up six blocks south to-
night"
"Sure thing" replied the house NOV
er to Pete's inquiry. This is a dead
easy job. You'll find your house in
the middle of the street six blocks
down there tonight and your wife and
kids all O. X"
Pete was an iron molder, and the
foundry where he worked was a good
hours walk from home. He went to
his bench in Il cheerful mood. The
elevated railroad company had paid
him a good. stiff price for his lot and
had offered to move his house free of
expense to him. Pete took the money
and bought a lot cheap in a new
street. half Il mile nearer the foun.
dry. two blocks from u school and with
a church just around the corner. TAX.
ing it all in all. Pete considered he had
made a good bargain.
During the day Pete's thoughts were
on the little white cottage, with it's
clean muslin sash curtains and light
green shutters. slowly travelling down
the street. He could almost see Mary
anNiously noting progress through the
windows and the children. wild with
the novelty, racing and tearing around.
Every molder OF the floor knew that
Pete'S house was on the move. They
discussed the matter while grouped
around the cupolH waiting for the iron
to run. They were full of suggestions.
and Pete received the benefit of the
concentrated advice of fifty sylnpathct-
lc men. Tho foreman once had pass.
ed through the house moving eXpcri-
encc, and aS ii" WAS the foreman and
as his nous" WAS Il two story brick
his advice was regarded as Weiglty
and his suggestions treasured as words
of great value.
After Pete had filled and emptied his
ladle Il dozen times and had washed
up he started mcrrily to find his home.
Whom 1n ,IJ,i,-nj of 4 i, .-,,,, ,J,-.-
he expected TO meet his cottage none
appeared. Pete looked north and south
through the dusk. but us far as he
could see the street was clear. a po-
liceman happened along.
Say, officer" exclaimed Pete, have
you seen Il II story white frame cot
tasc go by here today"'
The policeman stared at Pete for a
second, then replied gruffly, What or
you givin' mc?"
THAT'S straight" said Pete, with en-
ergy. "They're moving my house. 1t
ought to be here, but it amt"
The policeman grew sympathetic at
once. I've seen no house movin', but
there's some red lights over there two
blocks. Mebbe it's your house."
Pete hurried for the red lights. 1t
was a house perched on rollers in the
middle OF the street, but it was not his
house. He clambered over timbers,
chains and skids to the front door, for
the steps had been amputated.
A woman with a hand lamp answer
ed the knock.
"Have you seen a one story frame
cottage. white. with green shutters,
and a little woman With brown hair
go by this way today" asked Pete
hurriedly.
The woman shook her head.
NO." said she. We're movin' too
My man hasn't got home yet either.
Maybe he's huntin' for me too" And
she giggled Historically.
Pete gave her no comfort, but sprang
to the ground. Near the house was Il
grocery, and there Peter inquired for
his house. No IL had seen it.
"Pshaw.!" said Pete. Its a light
house, and those house movers have
got it in on the lot"
lie almost ran to the new site and
found it vacant. He had spent an hour
searching for the white cottage anG
Mary. He had asked fifty persons If
they had seen a white one story cot
tage on a tour, and now lie seated
himself on the edge Of the sidewalk
in front of the new lot he had bought
and tried to pull himself together. He
could not understand it. He could
think of no other path yer which the
house might travel.
Suddenly q new idea struck him.
"The fire department has made them
pull the house into a vacant lot so as
not to block the street. I'll start from
the beginning, and if 1 don't find it to-
night I'll sleep in the wood shed. They
haven't moved that anyway. Only
Mary will be worried"
In q quarter of al hour lie was o n
the old familiar sidewalk. AS he hur-
ried along he closely examined every
house on both sides of the street. Abb
sorbed in this, he forgot his where
abouts, and he choked and gulped in
surprise when he suddenly looked into
the windows of his OWL white cottage