Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-26
uening Story
sUITING SUE.
BY Leslie Somers.
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.}

She ran down to the end of the lane
when she caught sight Of the little
white mail cart coming up the hill. The
March air was fresh and keen, with q
/ hint of spring. A blue bird gave q
greeting from the old pear tree. Over
the pines some crows flew with bust
ness-like intent. The world was stir
ring from it's winter browsing.
! Got a letter from New York state
) for you, Sue," said the old mail car
rier comfortably, as he sat sorting his
mail, glancing with interest at each
postmark and card. Didn't know
as you had any folks down that way
! Sue colored little and laughed, but
she was used to his wiles at gaining
information.
! Maybe it's just about some seed
catalogues" she suggested.
He peered at the writing over his
spectacles.
mo, cause this is writing They
print their addresses. Miss Susan F..
Loomis.' My wife said she didn't
recognize the writing. Like enough
you'll know tomorrow. She's been so
poorly lately I like to tell her things
to interest her.
He logged on along the country road
and Sue sat on the stone wall beside
the mail box to read her letter. 1t
was an answer to her advertisement.
She had almost given up hope, but
here it was, and the writing was dandy
clear and decisive, without any twirls
or curleycues.
Dear Madam: While have not
had years Of experience in farm work,
l should like to apply for the posi-
ton you offer: Am fond of horses and
all animals, was brought up on farm
and can manage one the size OF yours,
am sure, with profit to yourself. Am
twenty-seven, unmarried, and so an.
xious to shake the dust of the city of
my heels and hit green fields again
that I'd walk. from here to Spring
Valley if you say the word.
!. Hopefully yours,
BART WILLIS"
ri think you're taking fearful risk
on your shoulders, Sue" her mother
said after she had heard the letter.
you could hire the farm work
done" a~~,
81 won't do that this year, mother
dear. Last spring we tried it, and 1t
was a perfect frost. Nobody wants
to workout here excepting on his
own farm. You have to wait and beg
and beg and wait for them to deign
to plow and harrow for you. / want to
swing it myself this time, please. Why,
we lost enough hay letting it stand
last year to almost pay man for six
months. only offered fifteen a month
and board. That's little enough. Still,
except for the hay lands, there isn't
so much to keep up. I'm going to
send for him.
Accordingly, Spring Valley had
thrill the end of the week when a
tall, determined looking young man
swung off the early boat train with a
suit case and asked the way 10 the
| LOOMS farm. All he had to do was
to follow the telegraph poles, ne was
! told, and when he came to- the wnite
mail box under the rock maple that
was the right place. X,
Old Mrs. LOOMS saw him from the
sitting room window and went out to
greet him. AS she said later to Sue,
She lust couldn't help taking to him
right away, he had such a way with
| him and seemed such clean, whole
some sort of big boy.
Before Sue came in from cutting out
dead raspberry canes in the garden
he had told her mother all about how
he'd been born on a farm up in Rock
land county, New York state. and
drifted down to the city to win his
fortune.
! But l think if the soils in your sys.
IHem. you can't be contented in city,
/ he said. Father and mother are both
gone now, and the old place was sold
long ago. Somehow when I read the
ad in the Sunday paper and caught
Whit of spring in the air, had to take
chance on it. hope Ill suit
You'll have to suit Sue mare than
me-" answered Mrs. Loomis, placidly
I'm sure / like the look of you real
well. Sue runs the place since hel
father died, and you'll work for her
| Suiting Sue was curious occupa
ton, Bart found out. She liked him al
first sight, the same as her mother
had, but she had no intention OF let
ting him know the fact. =.
The first day of his arrival, she leo