Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-30
dresser m~ournfuf1y.
gss.Is feel" said Adam, q though !
ought to place a funeral wreath upon

it"
but" he added, az he turned away.
they always looked melancholy. and
dark during their heyday."
And he went back to the spading-
fork. which waited him, standing
Of contentment he thrust a pioneer
boot uponsit and turned up the first
spadeful of black loan.
For an hour or so he worked there,
pulling up deep roots, disturbing stones
from their deep beds, scooping up
gravel and splinters Of junk, such as
tin bindings, nails, the skeleton of an
archaic umbrella, spools. a door-knob
OF brown and yellow china, a silver of
mirror and q button-hook. Spade
after spade turned up new treasures,
his kingdom, >little needing that they
might need to be gathered up again.
And gradually the beds took shape;
long and narrow and trim, before the
porch-rich and dark and welcoming
for seeds. He was deliciously warm,
working there with the sun shining on
his back, and the exercise making the
blood ting,e through his veins. He
whistled and sang under his breath.
and felt happier than he had in years:
A fat. worm came out of the ground
inc waved an Indignant head at him
or was It tail? He-seized upon 1t
and laughed, holding it aloft. He
thought Of his g~randfather's garden,
and the mill-p6nd where hundreds of
such victims had persisted miserably
by drowning. to*no better end than the
catching of a couple of bull-heads.>He
felt earnest and interested In what he
was doing, and not a day over eleven
years old. When the American junk
NN~ASa1HS a ~N&Hy4N at ~a-$NNtNy-A Hy0
o'clock. the event seemed an invasion,
endurable only because 1t would make
way for further agricultural efforts.
The American Junk company
seemed impressed with Adams collec-
ton. Without a moments hesitation
he called to a coupled of sturdy minions
who waited without, and in his husky
voice, babe them begin carrying the
offending stoves to the truck which
waited at the curb.
Twelve dollars for the lot of 'em!"
he announced generously, land a very
good price. too, young Teller. How
would you like to clear this entire
place out? I'm a big concern, I am"
He patted himself approvingly on the
chest as he spoke. I'm a big con-
Germ, and I'm gonna be a Junk Trust,
some day; I'll take the business off
your hands. if you say so. Eth!
la t
Adam looked at his easily-acquired
twelve dollars. and then at the noun
tains of remaining trash. He felt like
a banker al the idea. Then he looked
at the eager face Of the dealer, and
wondered. Why the deuce should the
fellow be SC keen? And If he sold out,
how should he live? "Junketing," as
he had named 1t, was the only means
Of livelihood he had in view, and he
was just beginning to get accustomed
to the idea. To change suddenly
again "a hardly to be thought Of.
Then he remembered Jerry. He,
Adam, had really no right to sell the
stuff, except in the regular line of
trade. Suppose Jerry should return
and find the junk all gone? No! 1t
would never do. Still, the mans
eagerness betokened something. There
would be no harm in a mere postpone
ment Of his refusal, and see what
happened.
II don't think I want to get rid Of
the rest of my, stuff" said he. "Guess
I'll stay in the business a while"
well, you think it over" the Amer
lean Junk company responded. "You
think 1t over, young Teller, and when
you do want to sell, you know me.
President of the Junk Trust some day.
You know me. I'll pay a first class
price!"
With which cordial FAREWELL he
took his departure. together with his