Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-02-27
nturuLe OIL u QeIeuSe.

was W me WIN IT'S camper and grid
dies and high oven and the shiny edge
on it's hearth! 1t rivaled, in it's nov
city and charm, any tin peddler's cart
that ever came to our door. John
Axtell and his wife, who had seen it
pass. their house, hurried over for a
look at it. Every hand was on the
stove as we tenderly carried it into
the house, piece by piece, and set it
up. Then they cut a hole in the up
per floor and the stone chimney and
fitted the pipe. How keenly we
watched the building of the fire. How
quickly it roared and began to heat
the room!
When the Axtells had gone away
Aunt Deel said:
cts grand! 1t is sartin-but I'm
'fraid we can't afford it-ayes 1 bel"
"We can't afford to freeze any
longer. I made up my mind that we
couldn't go through another winter
as we have" was my uncle's answer.
"How much did it cost?" she asked.
Not much differ'nt from thirty
four dollars in sheep and grain" he
answered.
Rodney Barnes stayed to supper
and spent a past of the evening with
US.
Like other settlers there, Mr..
Barnes was a cheerful optimist. Every
thing looked good to him until it
turned out badly.
He told how he had heard that it
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. There
were rich stores Of lead and iron
in the rocks. Mr.. Barnes had bought
two hundred acres at ten dollars an
acre. He had to pay a fee of five
per cent. to G~rimshaw's, lawyer for
the survey and the papers. This left
him owing fourteen hundred dollars
on his far luch more than it was
worth.
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 am MIXED an churned
until we are worn out. For almost
twenty years we've been workin' days
an nights an Sundays. My mortgage
was overdue, I owed six hundred dol
lars on it. I thought it 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. ] had
to pay or lose the land. I got the
money on the note that you signed
over in Potsdam. Nobody in Can
ton would "a dared to lend it to
me-"
"Why?" my uncle asked.
"'Fraid O. Grimshaw. He didn't
want me to be able to pay it. The
place is worth more than six hundred
dollars now-thnt's the reason. I in
tended to cut some timber an haul
IL W l1lC village thlo II SO L u
pay a part O. the note an git more
time as I told ye,. but the roads have
been so bad I couldn't do any haul
In"
NV uncle went and took a drink at
the water pail. 1 saw by his face
that he was unusually wrought up.
MY heavens an earth" he c1-
claimed as he sat down again.
1T: the brain collie" 1 said to
Iayself as l looked at him.
Mr.. Barnes seemed to have 1t also.
"Too much note" l whispered.
"I'm awful sorry, but I've done
everything I could" said Mr.. Barnes.
"Ain't there somebody that'l take
another mortgageNit 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, hut I'll make you safe. I'll
give you a mortgage until l a turn
round"
SO ] saw how Rodney Barnes, like
other Settlers in Llckitysplit, had gone
into %bundage to the landlord.
"IIow much do you w on this
placer Barnes asked.
-"Seven hundred an fifty dollars"
said my urcle.
as it due?"
cts been due a year an If / have
to nay that note I'll be short my in
terest."
"God O. Israel! I'm %scairt," said
Uncle Peabody.
Down crashed the stick Of wood
into the box.
"Nhat abOut?"
ut would be like him to put the
screws on you now. You've got be-
tween him an his prey. You've taken
the nous away from the cat"
I remember the little panic that
fell on as then. ] could see tears
I'm the eyes Of Aunt Drel ns she sat
with her bend leaning wenrlly OF -"