The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-01-13
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Literary
Press.) ).

The whole neighborh0Od held its
breath when the three-room cottage.
vacant a year, was bought by one
! Reuben Farr. The place could not
be rented because of the Jones family.
Every Jones in the house made
trouble-even Mr.. Jones. two years
in his quiet grave. for his widow used
his name p%erpetually as a reason why
a poor widow woman and her young
ones had ought to be let alone"
Mrs. Jones talked as fast as she
worked. which speaks well for her
industry, and defended her chicks Inn
partially. Name was really pretty.
with the courage Of that prettiness,
and kept the girlhood Of the little
street in a ferment by her wholesale
and c~onscienceless annexation of
their beaux. Sophie, r%ed-headed and
gawky and eleven, teased smaller
children and caused feuds and fights
among them. George, eight, cried if
anything or anybody looked at him,
and a to his mother, who forthwith
sailed forth to protect her offspring.
At such times rows were rife, and the
probation officers, the police and the
Humane society had all been called
upon to arbitrate during the two
years since the demise of the hus-
band and father.
But the head and front of the
neighborhood offendings had been 10
seph Jones, aged twelve and one-half,
the owner of pigeons and rabbits and
guinea hens, all nuisances and tres
passers. Worse than that, Joe kept
chickens. That is, the neighbors kept
them. They were ostensibly kept in,
and the widow was SO neat and clean
and Industrious, SO valiant a mother,
that officers were inclined to think
the neighbors yer simply down on
the tribe,'' and unwilling to condone
an occasional accidental escape of a
small boys pets. Also. the widow
had a fine eye and a plump red
cheek, not to mention an Irish tongue
in her head. The neighbors always
came of second best, but they lived
in hope Of some day seeing Joe Jones
"get what was comm to him."
The Jones family owned and had to
live in their place. When Reuben
Farr bough the place next door. In
spite of fears and hints, the public
breath was held. How would he stand
the CONSEQUENTLY Joe?
The day the new householder took
possession the neighbors were hidden
behind curtains. or openly out in
yards and porches. Reuben Farr wal
a year or two younger than. Mrs.
Jones. tall and silent and gaunt. q
carpenter by trade. his own cook and
housekeeper. He nodded to every
body. said goodnight or morning
when he met them, but talked with no
one. He minded his own business. It
was bleak March when he moved in.
and at nights and odd free days he
tinkered about his little house and got
his affairs in order. In April he ap..
peared one night with horse and plow
and. broke up hiA entire aud generous
back yard. He was questioned.
Garden" vas his laconic response.
The next night he narrowed the
ground. Then, he methodically made
beds and planted things. vegetables
and flowers, and set out bushes and
little trees. A few ones tried to warn
him Of Joe's rabbits. his pigeons. his
chickens. But gossip. aimed at him,
seemed to die ON the lip. The neigh
bors finally decided TO let him get his
own expsrisnce. But they admired
him. Moreover. he was rather me
looking. and not . day Dldsr than
forty. +
Name sJeass tssslI to lulre him inta
. hirtationa. mi, e the Joy Of thu
iatsrsGtsl, ~ dA not succeed. II
was polits, that was al. AZ for Joal
10 found nosfAslt With the boy. nal
ono An,s moenilg = Nay when u
found u pst rabblts had eaten III
a.tsndsr tors fsonshis 'usplrpvinss syege
tables, hs stood thoughtfully. - ~
night hs fenced III palAoe IN hiS1hs -
tisht with ohishsa viz g ~ A1sst
dDssat vM3sAg.