The herald., 1915-10-21

department"
"sbe amt ,,in.y Amt nOthin'
ter do with sell
in trees?" LATE suggested.
Nope"
Nor bOOks?"
Nope"
Nor lightnin' rOds?"
"Nope"
Then put up yer horse an step
round to the house"
flaming is my name-William *.
| Tanning"
/ LATE was not impressed.
We'll, | S'pOSe canvaSSerS must have
names, same as other people" he said.
Nlr. Tanning grew slightly purple.
Il amt canvaser, and | don't want
to sell you anything. You understand?
/ I'm here to talk business" He hurried
along before LATE could get in Il word.
The United States typographical de
| partment is making Il map of this coun-
| try, and you may or may not know it,
| but right on the creek that runs
| through your pasture lot, next To the
white oak tree,'-here Mr. Tanning
consulted Il paper-"and thence TWEEN
| ty-fOur degrees forty minutes east ten
chains and thirteen links
Excuse me, Mr.. Tanning" LATE in
terrupted. Il amt no land Surveyor
! Mr.. Tanning waved an airy gesture
with his large white hand.
That's all right" he went on;
| there amt no necessity for me to con-
! tinue. The point is this-right next TO
! that white oak tree is the center of
population of New York, Vermont,
| Pennsylvania and Connecticut"
Pretty lonesome there i'll winter. all
the same" LATE suggested He shut
| fled his feet uneasily. I'd he glad to
| visit with you some more. but | got a
heap o chores an no help to speak Of
That's all right" Mr.. Tanning as.
sured him again, my times worth
money and SO is yours. | won't mince
words about it, but the United States
| government has decided to put up a
monument I'm your pasture lot similar
to the one | show you here"
Mr.. Tanning produced some photo
graphs of small cairns, or monuments
erected by the United States geodetic
survey in the course of its work and
made running comment on each pic
ture.
Now, here's one of the monuments
built on Mount PiSgah, the highest
point in the northern tier counties" ht
said. Handsome piece of work, dom
you Think"
Some might say So" LATE replied
but don't know as | want any sucl
cOntraption in my pasture lot"
Immediately Mr.. Tanning dug down
into his trousers pocket and produced
a roll of bills, from which he peeled
ten crisp five dollar notes.
"Uncle Sam amt no niggard wheI
it comes to paying for what he wants,
he declared. land here's $50 for tn,
privilege of building a small ston,
monument in your pasture lot. TAKE
EN-" He thrust the bills into Lafe'!
hand and seized his hat. Now, that:
settled" he said and strobe out of tn,
house.
See here" LATE commenced, 81 dom
know as | ought to-
You mean," Mr. Tanning broke il
without pausing in his progress toward
the barn, you don't feel like taking
the money without giving a receipt
Well, that's all right; your words goOt
enough for me-"
"'Tain't that" Lafe corrected, but
"Well, all right, If you insist" sale
Mr.. Tanning, pausing. Have it you
own way"
He searched in his breast pocket ant
pulled out a sheet of paper. Then h,
handed fountain pen to LATE.
Sign here" he said.
Folding the paper so that only tn,
spot he indicated was visible, he hel(
it against his horses flank while Laft
appended a very shaky signature
Without waiting to blot 1t, Mr.. Fan
ming took the document and started t.
leave.
The buggy had proceeded a couple o.
hundred yards when Lafe woke up
He Immediately commenced runnin.
and shouting at his lungs capacity
whereat Mr.. Tanning gave his trotte
a vicious cut with the whip and start
ed off at 2:40 gait.
! In the meantime Jimmie MOVED
peacefully at the bend of the farm Ian,
near the pasture LOT. He had straight
ened up for moment to take the kink.
out Of his back, when the clatter O.
the trOtter's hoOfs and Lafe's discord
ant roaring broke on his ear.
"a runaway he cried, and spran,
into the middle of the lane