Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-10-01
Young Mr.. Hopper


"Marry." said old Tollevents
Thompson. as he rocked la2ily upon
the eranda of his snug, but ill-shaped
wooden cottage on the outskirts of
Four Corners. "YOu've got me. What
do you want to marry for? Amt your
home unlike everybody e~lse's?'
That's true enough, Dad" said
Sars'prilla, the eldest of of Tollevents'
ten daughters. If you'd been 4
thoughtful man, you'd have built it at
once, stead of doing it by inches as
We came along"
How on airth'-Tollevents stopped
whiting in almost speechless wrath,
as he glared at his eldest girl-'how
on airth was l to know O was all
comin'?'
Don't seem to me with while talk
in about that" volunteered Semanda,
the next girl. Were here; and it
looks s if we're acre to stay, unless
we git married"
Wal, git married." said Tollevents.
in desperation.
How" chOrused sever more daugh-
ters, whilst dark-eyed, black-browed
Selma, the tenth, sang merrily in the
back kitchen.
During the course OF his married
happiness, every two or three years as
the house filed up with additional ba-
bies-all of them girls-Tollevents had
added more room by the simple eXpe-
dent of building on a fresh shack to
the others. Lest the end one should
tumble down, he had built an earth
work against it. Then leaning the
others up against the outside, and Sc
curely roofing them, he considered
that the architectural effect thus pro-
duced was worthy of unlimited ad-
miration. That no one else in Four
Corners initiated this rambling build
ing. he considered due to the habitual
lack of enterprise shown by his neigh
bors.
There's only one young man in
Four Corners worth ropin' in," said
Sars'prilla, turning her sweet blue
eyes upon her sire. Every night he
ONE hoppin' down the road like a
ducks back agin."
"Slina!' called T~Ollcvents.
The merry voice of the kirl in the
kitchen suddenly ceased. She put out
her gypsy face. (Selina was the only
dark one of the ten; all the others
were "Blue-eyed as is the NORM, and
looked round composedly. whats
the fuss, Dad?"
Bring me a bowl of water said
Tollevents, determinedly; land some
soft soap"
Selma affected to be thunderstruck.
Don't be rash at your time of life,
Dad. 'Taint Sunday"
The innuendo that he never washed
save on Sunday reused Tollevents to
his full height. And a billed shirt"
he added %sternly, disdaining to handy
words with his youngest offspring.
Selma hastily returned with a bowl
Of water and some soap, put the bowl
on the top of a stump, n threw her
father a towel as rough as Esau's
hand. You did orter see Doc Higgin-
son, Dad" she said, %mirthfully. What
are you goin' to do?"
For a few minute Tollevents dis
dained to answer Selma. Sars prilla
slid into his chair and rocked herself
to and fro, swaying her lissome body
to an old camp-meeting tune. The
eight other ~Sirls-Selina had retired
to the kitchen again-sat in a row on
the bench and giggled. They were all
bl%ue-eyed, all fair-haired, all beauti-
full, and all exactly alike, with the ex-
ception thai Sars'prilla was a little
stouter than her sisters.
Decorum prescribed the sudden re-
tiremer.. of Tollevents into that part
Of the shack which was by courtesy
called a bedroom when the weather
was fine, he usually had a ]shakedown
on the veranda) in order that he
might don his Sunday clothes. Mean
time the girls waited, wondered and
giggled every few moments at this
sudden accession Of energy on the part
Of their sire.
Looks though he is a deacon 'sif
he wanted to git religion again." au-
dibly suggested Semanda.
Looks to me 'sif you'll git some
thing you amt bargainin' for" said
Tollevents grimly, thrusting his head
lOuIiu LIZ Aid an L IN
buttons on this yer billed rag"
Selma, ever prompt, was on the spot
in a moment, with shirt buttons.
You amt worn this white shirt
since Christmas, dad, else I'd have put
'em on before. That long prayer of
yours in meetin' made all your but
tons fly. Old Deacon Harbro bust only
one of his"
Cheered by Selina's tribute to his
gifts as an exhorter, T%ollevents tied
a black handkerchief loosely round
his collar and took down his gun,
which he loaded with unusal care,
the girls watching him apprehensive-
" the while. When he put in ar ex-
ira allowance of buckshot Selma re-
monstrated with him.
'sThar's only one young man Wuth