The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1911-03-30

tears were not altogether for the COM
ing loss of the farm.
Tuesday dawned cloudy, cold; a
storm was in store. AS Hilda looked
out on the broad plain of undulating
white, treeless and stark, sudden hot
resentment welledfup within her. For
there, muffied to his eyes in fur coat
behind a swiftly jogging horse, was
Arthur Brant. He was headed for the
county seat, % miles away.
She had nourished a secret hope
that Peter Snyder lied; that BranrIt
would not seize their land. But Peter,
whom she distrusted despite his plauIss-
ible tongue, had told the truth. Brant
cared more for their land than for
their-for her-regard. Her lips treml-
bled pitifully as she turned from the
window.
The storm came apace. There was
wind that few with the speed of bull
| let.
A score of times during the day an
uncOnfessed anxiety drew the girl to
the window. There, melting a hole
in the frost with her breath, she peered
into the storm. It was bad day even
for an enemy to be out.
At eight o'clock there came muf-
fed knock Hilda hurried to the door
and threw it open, to recoil in amaze-
ment, for the mild, patient head OF
horse projected into the cabin. 1t
was Brant's horse.
With an exclamation she...waded
through the snow to the cutter. There
was huddled, fur-clad heap in the
bottom of the vehicle.
AS her cry brought the others out
bareheaded into the storm, a shape
detached itself from the rushing white
gloom-Frank Oleson, Brant's hired
man. The Swede had been searching,
afoot, for his master
"He bane freezing!" he cried, and
fell upon Brant like bear, cutting,
shaking and worrying him back from
the verge of the dreaded sleep which
has no waking.
Brant reused reluctantly and looked
about him, at the faithful Oleson, at
the Pentons, scarcely less concerned,
at the cabin beyond, warm and light
and coy. His face changed as ataan
unpleasant memory. {.
take me home, Frank" he said,
in tone that brooked no disobe.
dience
And for the second times within a
week Hilda Penton cried herself to
+fo0 "a
gone. He had bid in their land.
That is why he would not trespass op
their hospitality.
1t was three days before little Jirn
could go to the postoffice, two miles
away. He came back with. a.. letter
an official looking article; from !. the
county seat, and budget of news
that kept him jumping up and down
in excitement. Il.
The envelope was addressed to her
father, but Hilda tore it open, caught
the sense at a glance, and dropped
weakly into chair. u. 49, j.
"Mother-father!" she gasped; cts
all right. We won't lose our farm.
Mr. Brant has loaned us the money"
Mr.. and Mrs. Penton, grazing heads
bent together, laboriously gathered
that James Penton, by his agent. Ar
thur Brant, had paid the sum
of $14279, being the full amount due
for back taxes and penalties on the
southeast one-quarter of section.
Oh, it was all there, to the last letter
and figure of the description
Meanwhile, little Jim, by the ex-
pedient of whooping at regular : in
tervals, at last attracted the family's
attention.
Listen to me, listen to mel" he
yelled. "Lemme tell you about the
fight over to Carlin Tuesday, Bill
Samuelson, he saw It." - ;...S
sHey?' said his father, raising his
eyes at last from the magic paper.
"a fight-who?'
Arthur Brand and Peter Snyder"
chartered little jim, "That mean old
Pete was there to get our land, and
he had a check all made out But
Mr.. Brant came in and said. he was
your agent, pa, an had the money
ready. An Pete called him a liar,
and Mr.. Brant told him he was
tax-title shark, SO Pete struck at
him. ~
"And then they fought and knocked
over chairs, an the clerk climbed up
onto the desk, and Mr.. Brant BACKED
Petes eyes and bloodied his nose.
An
Little Jim stopped, the breath
squeezed out Of his body. For his sis
ter, her eyes shining like twin stars,
was hugging him to her breast and
laughing and crying at the same
time.
"Jim," she said, you go and tell
Arthur to come over here. I-we-we
want to thank him, and beg his par
DON"
'Tain't ne'ssary. y replied Sim.
wriggling free. 81 asked him myself.
An he said he'd come" -
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