Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-23
Even;ng Story.
"A QUARTER SEC
TON.
BY. NJ. j. PHILLIPS.

airy Press.)
Arthur Brant was conscious or an
undercurrent of hostility in the sod
cabin of the Pentons. The mental at
mosphere was as crisp as the breath
less cold of the February night-a
cold which clutched the Dakota prair-
les in iron fingers.
Brant was shy young fellow where
women were concerned, and though ne
felt acutely that for some reason Hiida
Penton, her parents and her ten-year-
old brother had turned against him,
he could not bring himself to ask why,
or to worm the reason out Of them by
indirection.
They had moved onto the quarter
section adjoining his own fine farm
few weeks before. He had not
learned to know them well, though
he had formed the habit Of dropping
in on them during the evening. But
now he was unWelcome. Jim Penton
usually affable and garrulous. smoked
tonight in grave silence. he Kept
his gaze on the cracked s-ove, which
was glowing red with its efforts to beat
back the searching cold.
Mrs. Penton knitted without looking
IN and little Jim, who usually hung
adoringly about Brant's knees, was
huddled in corner, though he peered
stcalthily at his friend as often as ne
dared.
AS for Hilda herself beyond the mer-
est monosyllabic replies to Brants
efforts to make conversation, she was
ominously quiet. The constrain grew
as she washed the supper dishes and
tidied the three tiny rooms OF the
cabin.
When her work was completed, she
sat down opposite him, her blue eyes
were sparkling, and her voice remind
ed Brant of the c:4ckle Of frosty snow
under foot.
Il understand, Mr.. Brant, that you
were down at the county seat last Fri
day looking UP the title OF our quarter
section?"
yes" replied Brant; that's one
reason came over. The lands been
advertised for unpaid taxes. It's to
be sold Tuesday"
,.'And you're going to buy 1T in?'
Tho contemptuous tone cut like
lash. mo- replied Brant simply.
"Well, we can't redeem it. We had
barely enough to get it. And that
miserable Sam Brockaway cheated us.
He said the title was all right Now
we're going to have another sample
of Dakota friendship
Anger swept away Brant's shyness.
He rose. "You mean I'd try to get
your property on tax title?"
eve were told that's how you came
by your last two quarter sections"
"Whoever told you that lied" said
Grant quietly. "The owners hadn't
paid taxes, III admit. But gave fair
value for every acre, just the same. :
He knew who told the falsehocd-
Peter Snyder. fat-faced. shifty-eyed
Peter. who had elected himself first
friend to shiftless Jim Penton and
pretty, blue-eyed Hilda. And Peter
was notorious as tax-title shark.
He was getting rich by taking advan-
tage of the land poor.
Brant opened his mouth to de-
nounce Peter-and closed it again
without speaking. He couldn't fight
the willy scoundrel with such weapons.
The bald truth would easily convince
them of Peters crookedness, but tale
bearing was not of his line.
zone hundred and sixty would com.
plete your section" drawled old Jim !;
"I don't wonder you want 1t.
Brant turned on him. 81 don't want
vour land" he said. But if you
don't raise hundred and forty dol
lars By Tuesday, some onell get it,;
that's sure"
re strobe out and closed the door