Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-07-26

WELL" said Mtlt. The floor was or an.
cient hardwood planking, now worn
into polished ridges. A door led up
low step into the main house, which
consisted, downstairs, of two rooms,
dusty and disused, to the left, and two
similar rooms, used as bedrooms, to
the south (all four containing fire.
places, and hall, where a staircase
with carved rail led to the hall above,
fanked by four chambers, each with
it's fireplace, too. Over the kitchen was
a long, unfinished room easily convert
ed into servants quarters. Secretly
pleased beyond measure at the excel
lent preservation Of the interior, kept
discreet silence. and with an air Of
great wisdom began my inspection Of
the farm.
Twenty acres Of the total thirty were
on the side Of the road with the house,
and the lot was almost square-about
three hundred yards to a side. The
land had, fancied, been neglected for
many years, like the tumbling stone
walls which bounded it. Behind the
barn, on the other side Of the road,
the rectangular ten-acre lot was rough
second-growth timber by the brook,
and COW pasture all up the slope and
over the plateau.
Returning to the house, we took q
sample OF the water from the we'll for
analysis. When 1 asked the old lady
q made the mistake Of calling her Mrs.
Noble) to boil the bottle and cork first,
think they both decided I was mad.
"Now." said 1, as 1 put the sample
in my pocket, '1f this water gets q
clean bill of health, what do you want
for the placer"
"Whatll you give me?" said Milt.
Look here" said I, "I'm a Yankee,
too, and I can answer one question
with another just as long as you can.
What do you expect me to give your
The old man spat meditatively, and
wiped his whiskers with the back of
his hand.
"Pitt Perkins got five hundred dol
lars an acre for his place." said he.
How'd eight thousand dollars strike
you"
took the bottle of we'll water from
him. Here" I said, there's no need
for me to have this Analysed"
Seven" said he.
"Fourr' said L. -: -. -:
"Six?" said be-
"Not cent over four" said I.
call right" said he, didn't much
want ter sell, anyhow" And he peck
eted the bottle.
climbed into the car. The engine
began to throb. The professor put or
his gloves.
Five" said Milt, with the boss en-
two Jerseys an all the wood in the
| she'd"
He was standing in the road beside
! the modern motor car, a pathetic ole
| figure to me, SO like my grandfather il
many ways, the last of an ancient or
der. Poverty, decay, was written OF
him, as on his farmstead.
Its yours" l cried
| got out Of the car again, and W,
made arrangements to meet in the vii
lage and put the deal through. Thel
I asked him the question which hat
been pressing from the first. "Wh,
do you sell?'
He pointed toward a distant estate
with great chimneys and gables
browning a hill. 'This hain't my coun
try no more" he said, with a kind @
mournful dignity. Its theirs.
guess five thousand dollars III last m
bout as long as my breath will. Ye
got a good farm here-if yer can at
ford ter put some money back int
the SOIL
He looked out over his fields and W
looked mercifully into the motor. TIL
professor backed the car around, an,
we said good-by.
"WellT I cried, as we spun dow
over the bridge at my brook, "I'ye go
a country estate Of my own! I've go
home! I've got freedomI
"You've got stuck" said the pic
fessor. He'd have taken four thor
sand dollars"
(To Be Continued.)