The Dolores star., 1919-02-21

uieS ana nlSn oven ana the SHINY edge
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 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 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:
IT'S grand! 1t is sartin-but I'm
'fraid we can't afford it-ayes l be :"
ave 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.
mot much differ'nt from thirty
four dollars in sheep and grain" he
answered.
Rodney Barnes stayed to supper
and spent a part of the evening with
us.
Like other settlers there. Mr..
Barnes was Il cheerful optimist. Every
thing looked good to him until it
turned out badly
He told how he had heard that 1t
was n growing country near the great
water highway of the ST. Lawrence.
Prosperous towns were building up
in it. There We're going to be great
cities in Northern New York. There
we're rich stores of lead and iron
In the rocks. Mr.. Barnes had bought
two hundred acres ut ten dollars an
acre. He had to pay fee of five
per cent. to Grirnshaw's lawyer for
the survey .and the papers. This left
him owing fourteen hundred dollars
on his farm-much more than IL was
worth.
Our cousin twisted the poker in
his great hands until 1t squeaked rs
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
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 it. | 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 thu country. He
| gave me six months to pay up. l had
| to pay or lose the land. l got the
/ over in Potsdam. Nobody in Can
ton would IA 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-that's the reason. l in
tended to cut some timber an haul
| 1t to the village this winter so / could
pay n part o. the note an git more
time as / told We, but the roads have
been so bad l 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 earthv he ex.
claimed as he sat down again.
ITS the brain collie" 1 said to
myself as | looked at him.
Mr.. Barnes seemed to have 1t also.
| "Too much note" l whispered.
I'm awful sorry, but I've done
everything L could" said Mr.. Barnes.
N"Ain't there somebody that'll 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 a mortgage until / 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
placer" Barnes asked.
"Seven hundred an fifty dollars, T"
| said my uncle.
"Is 1t duel"
"It's been due year an II ! have
to pay that note I'll be short my In
terest."