Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-06-11
CHAPTER VI.
(Continued.)

Now and then Grimshaw (and
others like him) loaned money to
neopIe. but he always had some
worthless hay or a broken-do"h
horse which you had to buy betore
you could get the money.
Mr.. Barnes put down the fiat
iron and picked up the poker and
tried It's strength on his knee as nc
told how he had heard that 1t was
a growing country near the great
water highway of the st. Lawrence.
Prosperous towns were building up
in It. There were going to be great
cities in Northern New York. what
they called a railroad was com
ing. There were rich stores OF lead
and iron in the rocks. Mr.. Barnes
had bought two hundred acres at
SO an acre. He had TO pay a fee
of five per cent to Grimshaw's law
yer for the survey and the papers.
This left him owing S1,400 on his
farm-much more than 1t was
worth. One hundred acres Of the
land had been roughly cleared by
Grimshaw and former tenant. The
latter had toiled and struggled and
paid tribute anu given up.
Our cousin twisted the poker IN
his great hands until it squeaked
as he stood before my uncle and
said:
my wife and I have chopped and
burnt and pried and hauled rocks
an shoveled dung an MIXED an
Churned until we are worn out. For
almost twenty years we've been
workin' days an nights an Sun
days. My mortgage was overdue,
l owed six hundred dollars on 1t.
thought II all over one day an went
up to Grimshaw's an took him by
the back of the neck and shook him.
He said he would drive ME out o
the country. He gave me six
months to pay up. I had to pay or
lose the land. l got the money on
the note that you signed over in
Potsdam. Nobody In Canton would
"a dared to lend it to me-"
The poker broke and he threw the
pieces under the stove.
"Why?" my uncle asked.
Mr.. Barnes got hold of another
stick of wood and went on.
'Fraid O. Grimshaw. He didn't
want me to be able to pay it. The
place is worth more than six hun
dred dollars now-that's the rea-
son. / intended to cut some tim
Der an haul it to the village this
winter so I could pay a part o. the
note an git more time as l told We.
but the roads have ben SO bad
couldn't do any haulin'"
My uncle went and took a drink
at the water pail. l saw by his
face that he was unusually wrought
up.
by heavens an earth!" he ex-
claimed as he sat down again.
Its the brain collie" l said to
myself as l looked at him.
Mr.. Barnes seemed to have II also.
TOO much note" l whispered.
I'm awful sorry. but I've done
everything l could" said Mr..
Barnes.
Amt there somebody that1l take
another mortgage Pit ought to be
safe now" my uncle suggested.
Money is so tight it can't be
done. The bank has got all the
money an Grimshaw owns the
bank. I've tried and tried, but I'll
make you safe. I'll give you a
mortgage until 1 can turn round. "
So I saw how Rodney Barnes,
like other settlers in Lickitysplit,
had gone into bondage to the land
lord.
How much do you owe on this
place." Barnes asked.
Seven hundred and fifty dollars, e"
said my uncle.
as 1t due?"
Its been due a year an II ]
have to pay that note I'll be short
my interest
God O. Israel! I'm scairt." said
Barnes.
Down crashed the stick of wood
into the box.
What about?"
Mr.. Barnes tackled a nail that
stuck out of the woodwork and
tried to pull it between his thumb
and finger while l watched the pro-
cess with growing interest.
ut would be like him to put the
screws on you now" he grunted,
pulling at the nail. You've got be-