The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-01-30

on Its hearth! 1t rivaled, In Its nov
city and charm, any tin peddler's cart
that ever came to our door. John
Axtell and his wife, who had seen 1t
pass their house, hurried over for a
look at 1t. Every hand was on the
stove as we tenderly carried 1t into
the house, piece by piece, and set 1t
up. Then they cut 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 roomi
When the AxteIls had gone away
Aunt Deel said:
"It's grand! 1t is sartin-but I'm
'fraid we can't afford it-ayes I bew
"We can't afford to freeze any
longer. / 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 part Of the evening with
us.
Like other settlers there, Mr..
Barnes was cheerful optimist. Every
tnrng looked good TO MIN until 1t
turned out badly.
He told how he had heard that It
was growing country near the great
water highway Of the st. Lawrence.
Prosperous towns were building up
in II. 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 Grimshaw's lawyer for
the survey .and the papers. This left
him owing fourteen hundred dollars
on his farm-much more than 1t was
worth
Our cousin twisted the poker In
his great hands until 1t squeaked as
he stood before my uncle and said:
my wife and have chopped and
burnt and pried and hauled rocks an
sh0veled dung an 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, / owed six hundred dol
lars ON 1t. i thought it all over one
day an went UP to Grimshaw's an
Ixr kIo hoo nf hA vnoly
and shook him. He said he would
drive me out o. tho 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 1t. The
place is worth more than six hundred
dollars now-that's the reason. / in
tended to cut sorle timber an haul
1t to the village this winter so could
pay q part o. the note an git more
time as l told We, but the roads have
been so bad I couldn't do any haul
in"
My uncle went and took drink at
the water pail. / saw by his face
that he was unusually wrought up.
my heavens an earthr' he ex-
claimed as he sat down again.
IT'S the brain colic," 1 said to
myself as looked Mt him.
Mr.. Barnes seemed to have It also.
100 me- note" whispered.
''I'm a@S1l sorry. but I've done
everything I(copld." said Mr.. Barnes.
saint theie somebody thatIl take
another mortgage?--it ought to be
safe now" MY uncle suggested.
Money Is 10 tight 1t can't be done.
The bank hat got all the money an
Grimshaw OWLS the bank. I've tried
and tried, By I'll make you safe. I'll
give ybu q Mortgage until / Gun turn
'roundl"
So b saw Low Rodney Barnes, like
other lsettlers Lickitysplit. had gone
into Hbondagelc the landlord.
III low mucr do you owe on this
placfe2" Barne asked.
Isl seven hurried an fifty dollars"
said my une1
IT'S been q Z year an Il I have
t. pay that 10 III be- short my m
49, w 4" W." - t.