The Washington herald., 1913-03-30

tend to run a ditch through from the
river and irrigate it. They will fetch
in a colony who'll pay them about ten
times what they paid. I expect, and
But you won't let them
Depends on how many guns the
colony's got and how much fight
there's in 1t. They'll try it. anyhow,
unless"
''Unless-" repeated Robbins un-
easily.
Unless they're scared OFF, unless
they think it's death for man TO
tackle us
Robbins rubbed his hands harder;
he bit his lip. a little space of ST.
lence fell between them. or to the
south, where the little town was set
like an island in the darkening prai-
rie, the lights began to twinkle; they
were yellow and scattered Even at
that distance one could tell that they
burned few to the house.
Il kinder WISH" said Robbins. that
he came from another town."
What's the difference about the
town."
"Oh. none. ! guess. But that town.
it's down in Iowa, and it sent the best
things we've ever had. One woman
put in lot of jams and jellies and
ltea-such tea. My wife was sick then.
|
! gave her some of that tea and some
jam. and She began to pick up from
that day. II was a ounce jam. and
made her think of home. she said. Her
father was a Connecticut man, and
they had an orchard with ounce trees
in it-I remember- He did not
finish the sentence. but he sighed as he
absently ran his eye over the gaps IN
the harness mended with rope.
| haf ba In ba
with that box" said Orr: most like,
the people sent US that were. poor folks
themselves, and had to pinch to make
up for the things they sent us. Taint
the rich people are sorriest for poor
folks. This young Wallace-his fathers
the owner of a big paper and rich be-
sides. and he's got his boy in training
for editor: and when that first duck
| couldn't do nothing out here. the old
man said he'd buy in. and the young
one thought it mighty smart thing to
do to come over here and turn a lot
of half-starved women and children out
| in winter. What's he care? What do
any Of these rich folks Care?"
II don't think you're fair. Wesley"
said Robbins. "All the rich folks aren't
mean. | know more about them than
you" He spoke with a dawning OF
pride in his tone. which deepened a
| little.
Yes. I know you used to belong to
them" said Orr. ''and | guess you were
decent to the poor But you'll admit you
didn't have no notion how it cuts to
work every muscle in YOU and 10 lay
awake thinking yourself half crazy to
puzzle out better ways to make money
f.a cfyl.f .f,,r-
deeper in the slough, I've worked five
years here. and 'cepting the first year.
every single year has piled interest on
the mortgage. Every year we've had
less clothes to wear and poorer stuff to
cat. and it's been mend instead of buy,
and we've had more debts and more
worries every year. tell you. Mr.
Robbins. I thought it would kill me. once
10 come on the county. I'd "a said I'd
starve rirst: but you can't see your wife
and children starvP. ] went in last win
ter. and asked for relief. I'd that old
hound dog of mine with me; you knowed
him. He'd been n good dog. He come
with us when we come here, running
under the wagon. All the children had
played with him. / took him into town,
and l asked every one l knowed would
he have that dog for a eift; l showed
off all his tricks, feeling like | was dirty
mean decciving him. for l done it so
somebody would be willing to take him
home and feed him and take care of
him. for it's God truth i hadn't enough
for him and the children too. But no.
body wanted him; he was pretty old
and he wasn't never handsome. And
one store | was in. as | went out l heard
a drummer that was trying to sell goods
say. 1 saw that feller at the Relief, but
| notice he's able 10 keep a dog. Lets
the children go hungry ruther'n the dog
| guess | kinder turned on him, then
turned back again. and / 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;
ann then ! went straight to that drug
store Billy used to keep-Billy Harvey.
He moved away last year: he was a good
friend of mine. | said to him. Billy.
YOU got something that would kill a dog
in a flash. so he'd never suffer or know
what hurt him? And Billy-he under
stood. and he said he had. 'Yoo jest
jut 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 me some bones and corn bread
and milk: so Sport had a good dinner.
And he come right up to me and looked
me in the eyes. wagsing his tail. His
eyes was kinder dim. but they was just
as loving as ever. And he was Wagglng
his tail when he dropped. Then / went
home. and the children asked me where
was Sport, and little Peggy cried-oh,
Lord
1t was awful hard on YOU, Wesley"
said Robbins gently.
Il 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 off 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 ma
chimes under cover. too; he couldn't stand |
too; but I've found It hard enough. And
l know I'd shoot that sneaking sneering 7
young Shylock and not mind It near so |
much as I minded killing old Sport
Il don't know but we'd all better quit"
said the younger man with a sigh. This |
isn't a living country. Three years OF
drought would break any country up. /
Its 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 il. |
And l declare / think if We run this
young fellow off we'll only get a bad
name for the place
Il don't care for bad names.'' said
the other sullenly. Il got a 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
legally. So what did We say? We said we
didn't care. was il legal or illegal: that |