Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-08-03

And Pumped Water on NJ Hands and
Head.
scraper and yelling Back up, therer'
at the horse, l got the steel scoop into
the ground at the line of my proposed
grape arbOr, tipped down the blade,
and cried, "Gtddupr' l hung to the
reins as best | could, twisting them
about my wrist, and the horse started
obedientIy forward. The scoop did
It's work very nicely. In fact, 1t was
quite full after we had gone six feet,
and / had only to let the horse drag
1t the remaining 94 feet of the proposed
width Of the lawn, and empty it. AS
the scraper covered a furrow but two
feet wide, that meant 125 burrows to
scrape my entire lawn as planned, and
at least twenty trips to the furrow. l
did some rapid multiplication, dropped
the reins and moved toward my stakes.
/ saw that Joe and Mike were looking
at me.
II Think said 1, with some dignity,
as I began to pull the stakes up, that
It's a hundred feet broad, a hundred
feet will be far enough to extend it
from the house"
''Sure," said Mike, ''the big road
scraper II be over here tomorrow,
scrapfn' the road, and it do be easier
an quicker to borry that"
In some ways, l consider this re-
mark of Mikes, under the circum-
stances, one of the most gentlemanly
1 ever heard! And 1 jumped at his
suggestion.
mike" said I, "I'll admit this job is
bigger than I thought. How can 1
borrow the road scraperw
"Sure, amt me frind Dan Norris
sey one o. the selictmen?" said Mike,
land amt he the road boss, and amt
he wilin' to earn an extra penny for
for the town.
"H'h," said [; ''for the town! Well,
I've got to have this lawn! You get
your friend Dan in the morning. Just
the same, | don't love the town so
much that l want a 25O-foot lawn"
Noon came and found me with ach-
ing arms and strained shoulder sock
cts. had brought some lunch, to save
the walk back to Mrs. Temples, and |
took it into my big south room to eat
1t. Hard was in there eating his. The
plumbers We're eating theirs in the
new kitchen. already completed.
Hard | found, had begun the book
case, which was just the height of the
mantels He had been preparing the
top holding with his universal plane
when noon came, and the sweet shay
lngs lay curled ON the floor I scuffed
my feet in them, and even hung one
from my ear, as children do, while
Hard Cider regarded me Scornfully.
I'm going to have great times in
this roomw I exclaimed. Books be-
tween the fireplaces, books along the
walls, just a few pictures, including
my Hiroshiges, over the mantels. nv
desk by the west window, and out
here the green garden! A man ought
10 write something pretty good in this
room, eh?"
Hard looked at me with narrowed
eyes. Il don't know nothin' about
writin'," he said, but it pears to me
a felfer could write most anywhar per-
gided he had somethfn ter say"
Whereupon Hard concluded by bit
ing into large piece of prune pie.
The Yankee temperament is occa-
sionally depressing! l went outdoors
again, eating my doughnuts as l
walked, and strolled into the vegetable
garden to survey the staked rows
which denoted beets and peas. Then
I went down the slope into my little
stand of pines, into the cool hush of
them, and unconsciously my brain re-
Taxed in the bath Of their peace, and
for ten Minutes I lay on the needles,
neither asleep nor awake, just bliss
fully vacant. Then | returned to my
scooping, marvelously restored.
scooped and spread and raked until
six o'clock, when, palm-sore and weary
I drank a great dipperful of water
from my copper pump in the kitchen
took a last look at Hard's bookcase
and tramped up the dusty road to sup
per.
Mrs. Temple was beamfng when
came down from my bath.
We'll" said she, "in the first place
I've got you the housekeeper | want
by which infer that she's the on
I want, too?' l asked.
'Of course" said Mrs. Temple, OIL
whom irony had no effect. ''She's Mrs
Pillig, from Slab City, and she's al
artist in pies. Pillig amt dead, wors
luck, but he's whar he won't troubl
you. I guess Peter won't trouble yo1
none, neither He's a nice boy, an
he'll be awful handy round the place.
"Peter Pilligr' l exclaimed. ''Ther
amt no such animal! If there is
Dickens was his grandfather. HOY
old is Peter?"
Peters eleven" Mrs. Bert replied
.Ee,s real nice and bright, His mott