Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-09-06
SON OF THE SOIL :

BY lola FORESTER.


! Paxton had made himself particu-
larry obnoxious that evening. Even
Agatha had found him q bore, and
usually his little impromptu disserta-
tons amused her. Just when they had
all wanted to relax and listen to
Ovens beautiful music he had insist
ed On talking of subsoils and fertil-
izers.
'aThe government is just beginning
to realize that it's wealth lies in its
SOIL" proclaimed Paxton. 1--WE got a
little old ten-acre lot up in Rhode Is
fand that I haven't even looked at in
years. Now I'm shipping up some seed
potatoes, and I'll probably follow them
in another week.
Just at this point the slender girl
in the odd dress leaned forward from
her chair.
"What kind of seed potatoes, Mr..
Paxton2" she asked with sudden in
terest.
"Don't notice her, Steve" interrupt
ed Charlie.
Charlie was Agatha's husband, used
principally as a background for her
artistry.
"But I'm in earnest this time," the
girl insisted.
"'Tis a rare trait nowadays, my
child" responded Charlie. "Steve is
a good boy. He was in Rhode Island,
and much of it's soil adheres to him
still, theoretically"
"What part of Rhode Island?" asked
the girl, insistently.
Paxton was trying to remember
where he had seen her before-not in
that lizard-colored dress with a tulle
scarf and sequinned belt, but some
where in the open.
"Four miles from Naponsit, and
then you take the boat over to Fare
we'll island. There used to be little
school there"
81 know it," sighed the girl, laugh
ing, too. "New York is the funniest
little place I ever lived in. You're
always running into people you've
known somewhere else. Do you re-
member meT'
IT do" answered Steve promptly. II
met you on the northwest corner OF
the rainbow back in the golden age"
''You did not" she retorted. "Here
in New York sign my stuff Sheila
Gardy, but I'm Lidy Peck"
'My DEAR" called Charlie, "forbear.
You're doing this of your own free
will"
ooh, don't care" Sheila answered.
"It's the truth. Do you remember me
now, SteveY' Steve promptly got
down from his perch on the window
seat and eliminated the rest of the
party from his consciousness. They
talked Of home until Agatha laughing
ly said she had not dreamed that lit
tie 'Rhody'' could possibly have pro-
duced two such geniuses.
The next day Agatha had a long
talk with the girl they called Sheila,
telling her of Steve and Of all that,
he seemed to miss in life.
"Charlie and I have been so inter-
ested in the boy. All he needs is en-
enlargement Someone to believe in
him, don't you know?"
"No, I DON'T" replied Sheila, fatty.
1T don't believe in propping and shor-
ing up genius. My mother used to say
up home to wait patiently after the
eggs were Matched instead Of trying
to guess what they were beforehand.
IF he's a swan, so much the better;
but if he's turkey, he belongs in the
barnyard.
They were riding on Riverside
bus together just two weeks later.
When two are from the same town
understanding and intimacy ripen mar
velously in a short time. 1t was a
wonderful day.
"Isn't it rather late for your pota-
toes?" asked Sheila, little teasingly.
"They're in long ago. You know
why I'm staying here. It's just on &C.
count of you-because wanted to do
big things for you. 1t isn't an easy
thing to try to fill the measure wom-
an like you demands Of man. You
know, Sheila-"
ooh, drop that, and call me Lydy as
you used to-" she laughed. "They all
do back home. How many acres are
there at your placer
"About ten, but they're all good,
cleared land, you know"
She nodded.
81 have thirty-fve-that old hill
farm of Uncle Abner's. He left it to
me last year. Now, listen, Steve.
We've known each other all our lives,
in a way, but really only in these last
two weeks. I like New York, and I've
succeeded here, but after all it's the
homo aores that mil Won back where