The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-05-09
COPYRIGHT % DOUBLEDAY, PAGE q CO.

~ N6oOC~ VIZ S|NN1S ~ ~.
range was backed up against a huge,
old-fashioned brick oven, no longer
knob on the curved handle. stood at
one end of the sink-"Goes ter the
WE'LL said Milt. The floor was of 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
fianked by four chambers. each with
its 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. l kept
a 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, l 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,
q nd oil fbo nd
over the plateau.
Returning to the house, we took a
sample of the water from the we'll for
| analysis. When | asked the old lady
Il made the mistake of calling her Mrs
Noble) to boil the bottle and cork first,
think they both decided | was mad.
Now" said |, as | put the sample
IN my pocket, 'if this water gets q
clean bill of health. what do you want
for the place.
"Whatll you give me?" said Milt.
Look here" said |. I'm a Yankee
too, and | 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
your
| took the bottle of well water from
my pocket, and extended it toward
him. Here" I said, there's no need
| for me to have this Analysed"
Severn" said he.
Four said |.
six" said he.
'Not cent over four" said |.
Cali right" said he, didn't much
want ter sell, anyhow" And he pock-
eted the bottle.
| climbed into the car. The engine
began to throb. The professor put on
his gloves.
give" said Milt, with the boss an
two Jerseys an all the wood in the
she'd"
He was standing in the road beside
the modern motor car, pathetic old
figure to me, so like my grandfather in
many ways, the last of an ancient or
der Poverty, decay. was written on
him, as on his farmstead.
ITS yours" | cried.
| got out of the car again, and we
made arrangements to meet in the vii
lage and put the deal through. Then
asked him the question which had
been pressing from the first "Why
do you sell?
He pointed toward a distant estate,
with great chimneys and gables
browning a bill. This haint my coun-
try no more" he said. with a kind Of
mournful dignity. ITS theirs. |
guess five thousand dollars III last me
bout as long as my breath will. Yer
got a good far here-if yer can af
ford ter put some money back inter
the SOIL
He looked out over his fields and we
looked mercifully into the motor. The
professor backed the car around, and
we said good-by.
"Wellr' | cried, as we spun down
over the bridge at my brook. I've got
country estate of my own! I've got
a home. I've got Freedom
You've got stuck said the pre-
fessor He'd have taken four thou
sand dollars"