Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-06-26
THE FARM HAND
AND The MAIDEN
A Romance of Buttermhk and
Wild Flowers.

AAS "dS ACA AdLuCA . / AAuus
hired for the harvest season. She had
come out while he was driving a reap
ing machine to bring him a pitcher of
buttermilk.
IF you wouldn't mind telling me-
be said. Il would like to know just
what it was tina, prompted you to
bring this buttermi.k to me-"
The kindness of my heart, l sup
pose"
I've been a farm hand before. but
l never knew a farmers daughter to
take pity on me when reaping. I'm
afraid you haven't given me the true
reason"
why did you bring me those wild
fowers?"
This was a counter question that
shifted him from the offensive to the
defensive.
The kindness of my heart, l sup
pose" he said presently.
"Oh. we'll. if that's all. we're even.
But it doesn't seem to me that the two
cases are the same. l see you hot and
tired and think how refreshing a drink
of buttermilk would be to you. so l
bring it to you. You see some wild
flowers. You don't know that I'm es-
pecially fond of fowers-indeed. l only
like them as other people debut you
gather them for me. you said. and give
them to me. Suppose l had been some
one else
II haven't been used to gathering
wild flowers before for farmers daugh-
tiers where I've worked"
1--WE often brought farm hands but
termilk when they were reaping."
He looked into her face. 1t was as
mild as a May morning.
Then why did you ask He
paused. but she replied to the unfn-
ished question herself before he could
finish.
II didn't until you had asked"
He had returned to the starting point.
He began anew.
II suppose if any one else had gath
cred flowers for you you would have
liked it just as we'll"
II didn't say that"
But you said you had often brought
farm hands buttermilk."
II did"
$50 there's nothing more about it."
Nothing except that you haven't told
me why you gave me the flowers"
There was Il longer pause this time.
He was leaning against the machine:
che 1Joc cfor,1i,,r ~ n tIo fo l1nr r,,o}r
"Well. I don't mind telling you" he
said. though | don't see any use in
doing 50. | was walking in the woods
when l came IN the flowers. l was
thinking of you. They looked up at
me innocently and seemed to say.
Take us to her,"
"Now you've told me that much I'll
tell you what the flowers said to me.
They said. Wasn't it sweet of him to
bring us to your and l said. Why was
it sweet?' And they said, Because
because-we don't know Didn't he
tell you why he sent you?' I asked.
No. they said. he didn't Then 1
said. Why did he send you to me with
out a reason|' and they said. He may
have had Il reason. but he didn't tell
US what it was OH said /. and that
was the end of it."
"Ho, there. Jerry. Stop that"
Hes only kicking the flies. You
wouldn't have him suffer their sting
without trying to get rid Of them?"
"1n tell you what III do" he said
without noticing her remark. IF you'll
just forget for awhile hat you're my
employers daughter and some day
coming into this big farm and the
stock and the crops and the money in
bank for many past crops I'll tell you
why l gave you the flowers"
"They didn't say that had anything
to do with it."
That's because they didn't know.
They spring up out Of the ground
naturally and remain natural. We
spring from the same ground. but we
are warped by being civilized"
But the minister said only last Sun
day in his sermon that until we be-
came civilized we weren't ready to