Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-02-25
LOS AND
WON

greatest difficulty they succeeded in
getting him, their master, Chaguy, out
of the steel claws of the machine. The
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 were 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 TO sob aloud.
1T seems to hurt you a lot more
than it hurts me-" the wounded man
said phlegmatically.
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,
| Just tie something around what is
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
an arm. The thresher costs enough
money to hire, anyway"
| When Jeannine and the others had
gone, Chaguy began to think He was
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 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 pillow. He would
have to get a hired man and that
| would cost him at least 500 francs a
year. How WAS 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, l have
thought it all over. You are only 80.
| and not fit to remain a 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
ry. 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.
1 His blood was boiling now when he
| thought of himself with one arm. fit
only TO weed turaips Who would
marry him now? Nobody-not even
Jeannine. He would have to have a
stranger cultivate is farm, his income
would go down, tn. value of his 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 d 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 mean, 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,