The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-05-02

body would be willing to take him
home and feed him and take care Of
him, for its Gods truth i shadn't
enough for him and the children too
But nobody wanted him; he was pref
ty old. and he wasn't never handsome
And one store ! was in. as l went out
heard 4 drummer that was trying to
sell goods say, II saw that teller 1T the
Relief, but I notice he's able to keep
q dog. Lets the children 60 hungry
ruther'n the dog, l guess kinder
turned on him, then ! turned back
again. and I whistled to Sport, and
looked at him and saw how his ribs
showed and his eyes was kinder sunk
He wagged his tail and yelped like he
used to. seeing me look at him: and
then I went straight to that drug
store Billy used to keep-Blly Har.
vey. He moved away last year: hs
was good friend Of mine. I said to
him, Billy, you got something that
would kill . dog in fash, so he'd
never suffer or know what hurt him?'
And B1lly-he understood. and he said
he had. You jest put it on his tongue
and he'd never know what killed him.
Billy was sorry for me. He gave II
to me for nothing, and he gave ms
some bones and corn bread and milk;
80 Sport had a good dinner. And he
come right up to me and looked me in
the eyes, wagging his tail. His eyes
was kinder dim, but they was just al
loving as ever. And he was waggina
his tail when he dropped. Then ]
went home, and tho children asked me-
where was Sport. and little Peggy
cried-oh. Lord!"
1T was awful hard on you, Wesley"
said Robbins gently.
II suppose it wasn't nothing to what
some men have suffered There was
poor Tommy Walker, give up his farm
when it was foreclosed-thought he
had to-and went of tramping to
Kansas City. and after he'd tramped
week there, looking for job. give
it up and Jumped into the river. And
you know how old man Osgood killed
himself, honest a old man as ever
lived; always kept his machines un.
der cover, too; he couldn't stand it.
They found it harder-and lots more
too; but I've found it hard enough
And I know I'd shoot that sneaking
sneering young Shylock, and not mind
it near so much as I minded killing
poor Sport"
Il don't know but we'd all better
quit" said the younger man with a
sigh. This isn't living country
Three years of drought would break
any country up. It's not meant to live
in. We had fair crop this year, but
it's so low; and freights, though
they're lower, are pretty high. l don't
see any way out Of it. And declare
I think If we run this young fellow
off We'll only get bad name for the
place."
Il don't care for bad Names" said
the other sullenly. Il got wife and
three children; I was foreclosed a
year ago-so's you, SOS a lot of the
boys; we're at the end of our string
now-legal1y. So what did we say!
We said We didn't care, was it legal
or illegal; that laws was made to skin
the poor man; and we elected sheriff
We could depend on not to enforce
the laws, and we druv off the blood.
suckers they sent out here. They say
one Teller was killed. l don't know.
Guess that's one Of Doc Russell's
stories The boys talk lot about
the cause of all this here trouble, and
how we're going to have a revolution,
and how referendum and initiendum
will help, and how free silver will help
Il guess. myself, little more rain
three years ago when corn was up
would have helped more'n anything
and they talk how they're fighting the
battles Of the poor man, and the east
ern bloodsuckers has ruined US, and
the Shylocks are devouring US, and
they boiler the roof of. l listen to
EN-, but don't believe 'em any more
than you do"
But" Interrupted the other man
eagerly, Il voted with the peoples
party"
"Of course you did. We was going
to be unanimous, and you dass'n't
stand out; but you didn't believe in
1t. Me either. I amt maxim any
pretense, but I'll tell you it's jest here
I'm down to bedrock. II let my
farm be took away and my stock,
what's going to become OF my wife
and children? You can call it stealing,
or resisting the law, or anything you
please, but I'll kill that Teller before
I'll let him turn me out"
Don't you think we can scare him
off? Killings nasty word"
my father was with John Brown:
he helped kill man. He never lost
no sleep about it: l shan't neither.
Look here, Mr.. Robbins, got lots Of
time to think, winters-lots. Remorse
and all them fine feelings you read
Of. they don't belong to folks that are
way down in the dirt. You got to have
something to eat and wear, and not
have your stomach sassing you, and
you half froze most Of the time; when
your body IS in sech a FIX it's keeping
your mind so full there amt any show
for any other feelings. And look a.
here, there's worse"-his voice sank.
Why, you git to that pass you amt
able to feed your own wife and babies