Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-11-05


at the money. Hes too good a prop
csition for Conway to lose."
Then he regretfully turned the car
and started OF the return journey.
Jim Anterior shifted the morning
odor. There was something ozonic
about it that put new life into his
cramped legs. 1t gave a fresh brisk
ness to his gait.
Yes, there was the old butternut
grove where the farmer had caught
him and made him saw wood. He
laughed aloud at his early discount
ture. And there was the old school
house-no, this vas a newer building.
But the maple trees were the same
and the noisy stream where he went
fishing for sinners and bullheads, was
still there. He could hear it brawlinR
along behind the bushes on the lower
level.
A man was sitting on the top rail
OF a nearby fence. He was a limp
looking man and his attitude suggest
ed an extreme degree of comfort. He
was a man of perhaps forty, with pale
blue eyes and a struggling growth Of
red whiskers. Jim Anterior hailed
this wayside figure.
Good morning." no said as he paus
ed and removing his hat let the cool
breeze lift his gray hair.
The pale blue eyes surveyed him
%leisurely.
"Mornin'."
Fine weather."
yes, but we need rain"
Lived here long?"
Born over there on tn Potter Sec
ton"
This your farm:
Nope. This is Alb Coleman's farm.
I'm hirin' out to him. Abs down in
tn village with a load O. stuff"
Jim Atherton family smiled. He
fancied the genus hired man had
changed but little.
II suppose you know pretty nearly
everybody in the valley?"
"Guess I do. There amt 'nough
newcomers to bother me-"
Then. Of course, you know all the
old families?"
The pale blue eyes half closed.
What you sellin'?"
Jim Atherton suddenly laughed.
Nothing that Winsted would buy"
he answered.
There was a teller here, writin' up
tn history OF tn village once" said
the hired man. "You got your picter
an some stun written bout you in tn
book for i've dollars. Bill Quigg paid
him, an Rodney Gear, and Sile Barnes,
an mebby some others. Teller put up
at tn tavern fer a week an then him
an tn money he'd collected, an Sam
Henderson's board bill, an Tod
Browns livery Mll. all went away to-
gether an never came back"
He laughed noiselessly, and Jim
Anterior laughed. too.
IT don't write histories" he said and
laughed again. perhaps I've done a
little something toward making his
tory Of a certain sort, but there were
no unpaid bills"
The owner Of the blue eyes accepted
the statement with a tranquil air.
How'd you get over here?" he
asked.
Il came in an automobile from Con
way"
The straggly red whiskers suddenly
qufvered.
II want to know" said their owner.
"Anythin' give out?"
Nothing"
There was a Teller come through
here las September or mebby it was
later-an' somethin' give out with his
machine, and Tom Sturges-he's tn
blacksmith-was workin' on it four
hours. He charged tn Teller two,an'-
a-half an Dave Pitts says he paid Tom
from a roll O. bills as big as your
arm"
+ Jim Atherton nodded.
.No doubt he needed It all. Any
amusements in Winsted?" ..
"Nothin'. Jes' a Sunday School pic.
mic In the grove, an a church fair in
tn winter. Boys tried to org'nize q
brass band, but 1t fell through" His
blue eyes suddenly Frightened
There's goin' to be q circus mex week
over to Monticello an they say It's q
clipper"
g"You are going, Of scourse?"
s guess I be. L dunno. A lot o
tn boys are talkin' OF goin' over to
gsther."
Jim Athsrton produced . silver dol
- ss .R~.es