Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-05-18

mill, lifted new handles 10 them and
took the old darby. Bonifacio By name.
on with him 10 the depression. They
began the long task Of digging cut tho
silt OF years. Day after day. week
after week. they chung h the none
tonous work. The darky worked like
m automatcn. Work In itself to him
was nothing beyond ths path DO fooA
and rest at night. Labor made No de-
mands on courage--it had ne end, no
goal. But Gerry's labor was dlgnined
by conscious effort. His eyes were not
Ia the ditch but on the vision he had
seen OF what Faxenda Flores might
be. He had fixed his errant soul on Z
goal. The essence OF slavery Ii older
than any bonds wrought BY man. The
white man and the black In the ditch
were its parable The dignity and The
shame OF labor were side BY aide. para
doxicaily yoked to the same task.
Margarita and her aunt looked on
and smiled and JOY began TO settle on
the GIRL. During Gerry's first restless
week she had steeled herself each
night to the thought thar she would
wake to ind him gone Hut now he
was taking root. 1t amused him to
dig. Well. let him dig. There was no
end to digging.
Gerry occasionally varied the work
OF digging with making some knick-
knack for the house The twisted
limbs of trees became benches TO sup
plant the rickety chairs, clumsily
patched and totally inadequate to hin
weight. In the same way he made tho
massive frame Of bed and Bonifacio
remembered an art and filled In the
frame with plated thongs. Work In
spires emulation. The women got out
their store OF cloth. They made clothes
for Gerry and fitted out the new bed.
Pillows and mattress were stuffed with
dry bur-marigolds that family scented
the whole room. With each achieve
ment the somber house seemed to take
4 step toward gayety. ruin and dilap-
idation put forth green shoots. The
gayety was reflected In the household.
They were united In achievement.
Quiet smiles were their reward -
each other and sometimes hurst OF
wonder as when Gerry found some old
bottles and with the aid OF a bit Of
string cut them into serviceahle mWga.
Margarita was happy. Her cup was
full. All the dreams Of her girlhood
were fulfilled In Garry. A silent and
strange lover, but man--such d man
as she had dreamed OF but never essa.
To herself she sang the old sonSn he
should have sung to her and then
laughed MS he nodded mild approval.
One evening he sat on a bench %
the veranda, fitting handle into q
dipper made OF q cocoanut-shell. Mar
She leaned back further and further
until she sank against his knees. He
stopped over her. She threw up her
arms around his neck, locked her
hands and drew him down. He kissed
her lips and sighed.
"Ah, do not sigh." she walled
Taught Laugh but once!'
Gerry did not grudge the months of
toll in the ditch. AZ he worked he
thought and planned. This ditch was
the very real foundation for the attain
ment OF his vision. Deep and stronD
and carefully graded 1t must be BE-
fore he cleared the sand barrier to the
rivers surge. The ditch was slow Of
growth but there was something about
It which held his faith. Ii was rugged
and elemental It was the ugly source
Of coming resurrection.
When II was all but done he took
Margarita and showed her his handk
work. He pointed out the little slnice
ways, each with its primitive gate. .
heavy log hinged on a thole-pin with
prop TO hold II up and stone 10
| weight II when down. On the Faxsnda
side were innumerable little trenches
that stretched down into the valley.
But not until he led her to the cleft
| I'm the river gorge and showed her that
half an hours work on the sand bar
rier would let the river into the great
ditch did she understand. And then
she caught his arm and burst into VIC
lent protest and pleading. "No. no."
she cried, lyon shall not do II. You
shall not let in the river. The river II
terrible. You must not play with It
II does not understand. You think II
will do as you wish but 1t will not. Oh
II you must, please. please play with
1t below the rapids. There 1t liz kinder
1t let's one battle. It let's one wask
| Clothes"
Gerry got over his establishment and
laughed. Then he soothed her. Al
ready the simpler phrases Of heI
tongue came easily from his lips. He
told her that she was foolish and q
little coward. She must watch and
see how tame the river would be.
The next morning Gerry was ~
early. He was excited. From this day
the ditch. the parched slope, the val
ley would know thirst no more. With
the long dry season even the green
bottoms had begun to wilt He called
Bonifacio and they started or to theiI
work.
Under direction Bonifacio was dig
ging a great hole just at the back Of
the sand-bank. Gerry measured it,