Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-02-11

" A'oi lHeTH new YORK. Ihere
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
MN owing fourteen hundred dollars
ca mis- farm-much more than it was
, worth.
our cousin twisted the poker in
MS great hands until it suueaked as
he STOOD before my uncle and said:
My wife and l have chopped and
burnt and pried and hauled rocks an
shoveled dung an MIXED an churned
| uhtlI we are worn out. For almost
twenty years we've been workin' DAYS
an nights an Sundays. MY mortgage:
was overdue, L owed six hundred dol
lars On 1t. 1 thought it all over one
Gay an went up to Grimshaw's an
TOOK him by the back of the neck
| ana shook him. He said he would
drive me out o. the country, He
gave me six months to pay I'D. I had
20 pay or lose the land. 1 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
1 I
| dollars now-that's the reason. l in
tended to cut some timber an haul
1t to the village this winter so l could
| pay a part O. the note an git more
! time as l told We, but the roads have
been so bad couldn't do any haul
| in"
My uncle went and took a drink at
the water pail. l saw By his face
that he was unusually wrought up.
my heavens an earth % he ex-
claimed as he sat down again.
IT'S the brain collie" l said to
| myself as l looked at him.
Mr.. Barnes seemed to have it also.
TOO much note" l whispered.
I'm awful sorry, but I've done
everything could" said Mr.. Barnes.
"Ain't there somebody that'n take
another mortgage?-it 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 mortgage until l can turn
round"
So l saw how Rodney Barnes. like
other settlers in Lickitysplit, had gone
into bondage to the landlord.
How much do you owe on this
place" Barnes asked.
Seven hundred an fifty dollars"
said my uncle.
rs it due?"
ITS been due a year an if have
to pay that note I'll be short my in
terest."
God O. Israeli I'm scairt," said
Uncle Peabody.
Down crashed the stick of wood
into the box.
what abOut?"
at would be like him to put the
screws on you now. You've got be-
tween him an his prey. You've taken
the mouse away from the cat"
remember the little panic that
fell on US then. / could see tears
in the eyes of Aunt Deel as she sat
with her head leaning YEARLY on her
hand.
eff he does I'll do all 1 can," said
Barnes, whatever, I've got will be
yours"
Rodney Barnes left us. and / re-
member how Uncle Peabody stood in
the middle of the floor and whistled
the merriest tune he knew.
"Stand right up here" he called in
his most cheerful tone. STAND right
up here before me. both O. ye."
/ got Aunt Deel by the hand and
led her toward my uncle. We stood
facing him. STAND straighter,' he
demanded. Now, altogether. One,
two, three, ready-sing."
He beat time with his hand in imi-
tation of the singing master at the
schoolhouse and we Joined him in
singing an old tune which began: "Oh,
keep my heart from sadness, God"
This irresistible spirit of the man
bridged bad hour and got us off
TO bed in fairly good condition.
A few days later the note came
due and its owner insisted upon full
payment. There was such a clamor for
money those days! Il remember that
my aunt had sixty dollars which she
had saved, little by little. by selling
eggs and chickens. She had planned
TO use ii TO buy tombstone for her
mother and father-a long-cheriShed
ambition. My uncle needed the most
of ii TO help pay the note We drove
TO Potsdam on that sad errand and
what a time we had getting there
and back in deep mud and sand and
iolting over corduroysi
Bart" my uncle said the next
evening. As I took down the book to
read. 81 guess we'd better talk
things over little tonight. These
are hard times. II we can find any
body with money enough TO buy 'em
l dunno but we better sell the
sheep"
IF you hadn't been fool" my
aunt exclaimed with look of great
distress-"ayes If you hadn't been
fool"
I'm Just what i be. an amt so
big a fool that / need TO be reminded
of IL" said my uncle.