The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-20
Rr NJ j. PHILLIPS.

y
Literary Press
Arthur Brant was conscious OF an
undefcurrent OF hostility in the SOD
cabin of the PentoaS. The mental
4 atmosphere vas as crisp as the
brsashlsss cold ~ the February night
--a cnia which clutched the Dakota
I pfalries lraH fingers.
Efant Wvs shy young man where
wcgfen werQ concerned, and though
he felt acuteiy lhat for some reason
Hilda Penton, her parents and hef
ten-year-oid brother had turned
against him. he could not bring him
self to ask why or 10 worm the Tea-
son out of them by iuairccOon.
They had moved onto the quarter
section adjoining his own fine farm
few weeks before. lie had not
learned to know them well though
{ he had formed the habit Of dropping
In on them during the evening. BUt
nov he was unwcicome. Jim Penton,
usually aftable and garrulous, smoked
( to-night in grave silence. He kept
his gaze on the cracked stove. which
was glowing red with its efforts to
beat back the searching cold.
Mrs. Pentcn knitted without look
ing up, and little Jim. who usually
hung adoringly about Grants knees,
Was hnddled in = corner, thoagh he
peered stea!thily at his friend as often
as he dared.
As for Hiida herself. beyond the
1nerest monosyllabic replies TO Branrs
efforts 10 make conversation. she was
aminously quiet The constraint grew
\ AZ she washed the supper dishes and
sAtidied the three tiny rooms of the
Sabsn
When her work wac completed and
she sat down opposite him, her blue
eyes were sparkling, and her voice
reminded Grant of the crackIe o.
frosty snow under foot
~ understand, Mr.. Brant, that you
were down at the county seat Fri
day looking up the title OF our. quar-
4 ter section 2'
Yes" replied Rrant that's one
reason / came over. The lands been
/ advertised for unpaid taxes It's Il
be sold Tuesday"
And you're going to buy it in o"
The coutemptuous tone cut like q
( lash. Ne replied Braut. simply
Well. we cant redeem it We had
I barely enough 10 get 1t. And thai
miserable Sim Erockway cheated US
lie said the title vas all right, Now
we're to have another sample of IA
kota friendship"
Anger swept away Brant's shynesS
+. He rose. You mean ia try 10 get
sosr property on tax-titie2'
We were told that's how you came
by your last two quarter sections"
"Whcever told you that lied" said
Rrant. quietly The owners hadn't
paid taxes. I'll admit But / gave fair
value for every acre. iust the same. +,
- He Knew who told the falsehood--
Peter snyder. fat-faced. shifty-eyed
Peter. who had elected himself first
friend Ia shlftiess Tim Penton and
pretty. blue-eyed Hilds. And Peter
was notorious as tax-title shark
BE was getting rich by taking advan-
tage of the land poor.
Brant opened his mouth Ia de-
nonnce Peter---and closed 1t again
without speaking. He couldn't hght
the willy scoundreI with such weapons
The bald truth would easily convince
%them Of Peters crookedness. hut tale
bearing WAS out Of his line.
Our hundred and sixty would com
plese your section" drawled old Jim
81 don't wonder you want it
Brant turn on him. u don't want
your land" ne said But If Won
don't raise a hundred and forty dol
lars by Tuesday some omen get 1t.
that's sure
lie STROBE out and closed the door
behind him, Perhaps his musings
would have been less bitter had nc
known that Itilda had cried silently
Tor an hour after going tn hcd-~and
her~tfars were NOT altogether for the
coming loss of the farm
Tuesday dawned cloudy. cold; a
storm was in store. As Hilda look ed
out on the broad plain OF undulatine
white, treeless and stark, sudden hot
Resentment welled up within her, For
there. maffled To his eyes in "a fur
coat behind "a swiftly Jogging horse
was Arthur Brant. He was headed 10
the county seat. twenty-five miles
away @ ...g ..... -,,,-,s....
al She had nosrlsheti "a secret hope
that Peter Snyder lied. that Brani
would not seize their land. Bun
Peter, whom she distrusted despite
his plausible tongue, had told the
truth. Brant cared more for their
land than for their-for her--regard
Her lips trembied pitifully as she
turned from the window.