The Lambertville record., 1915-09-23

Harley was required to pay fee Of
| two dollars. Then he was given a
card. 1t read, Superintendent of
Construction, Allegan, Ia" He was
| handed bit of pasteboard.
That is pass to your destination"
advised the agency. When you arrive
there apply for grading work-$1.75 a
day and board"
That sounds tangible!" nodded
Harley gratefully, and took his de,
parture. Its work." he communed
with himself. 1t will keep me from be-
coming pauper and-it will make me
| forget!"
But adverse fortune seemed to pur-
sue the victim it had kept tramping
the streets for several weeks looking
for the position he never found.
He arrived at Allegan to find york
at standstill and the railroad in the
hands of receiver Some two hun
dred workmen had dispersed, or were
dispensing about the immediate vicin.
ity. The farmers ia the district were
hilarious over this vast influx of Ia
Dor. for they needed workers in the
fields. and under the exigencies of the
occasion were able to bargain at their
own figures.
Harley was quite glad of the new
prospect opened. He preferred farm
work. Then came a new disappoint-
ment. The railroad laborers had two
days start of him. The labor mar
ket was glutted. Every place at plow
and harrow was filled.
"Oh. well. shall have to strike out
for new field, that is ALL" he told
himself grimly, trying to fancy he was
imbued with the optimism of an en-
thusiastic ambition.
Harley tramped it, brave as Tro.
jan, for two days. On the morning of
the third he met his first bit of en-
couragement. He had come upon a
desolate, starved-looking farm and
hailed its equally dismal owner water
ing lean. disconsolate cattle. The
man himself was grim-faced and dis
pirited in mien and talk.
q might give you board and lodging
for a weeks work." he said ungra.
ciously.
"I'll take that, If it's only to get my
hand in agreed Harley cheerfully.
But say, what's struck the placer"
"a sucker!" growled the man, whose
name was Evans. "The sucker is me.
/ lost my wife and wanted lonely
life. I've got it. Traded nice vii
lage home for this-farm, they called
it. Look at it,"
1T does look forlorn, for fact"
observed Harley, but what's the main
subject of Encouragement. All, I see
the SOIL" scooping up handful OF
the loose, yellow dirt, scanned it
closely, tasting of it, smelling of it,
and tossing 1t adrift with thoughtful,
"Humph! Got any loose capital?"
what if l have?' demanded the
farmer, surlily and with suspicion.
Because. if you have, and will in.
vest it in lime and phosphates, I'll
make cast-iron contract to do the
rest that will make this place a garden
Of Eden inside of two seasons on a
basis of fifty and fift
Uncle wasn't SO bad, after all
many time later Harry soliloquized.
He threw schooling, energy and soul
into his first and grand chance at sci
entific farming. At the end of two
years he had made a contented man
OF his employer and proud, happy
man of himself
So proud and happy, in fact. that
one day, Notwithstanding the fact that
he had put the past all behind him, in
an idle, whimsical mood he ventured
writing letter to Helen Wendell. He
told her the simple story of his en-
deavors, he told her that wayward
impulse had led him to hope that she
had not forgotten their old friend
ship and would be interested in know
ing that small but cheering measure
of success had come to him.
He hoped for reply, but none
came in the form of a letter. A week
went by, and one morning as he start
ed for the well a farmers rig drove up
and Helen Wendell alighted.
She was in mourning, little care
worn, little older, but the old true
eyes looked as earnestly as of yore
into the longing depths of his own, as
he said:
rs this the promised response of
two years ago?"
Am l welcome?" she asked simply.
His glowing lips, pressed to her will
ing own, answered.