Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1919-01-02

Salu SODefly. You We been up here
too long. You sur need a change.
I'll have to take you out and give YOU
the freedom Of the cities, let you dis
sipate and pink-tea, and rub elbows
with the mob for a while. Then youth
be glad to drift back to this woodsy
hiding place of ours. When do you
want to start?"
"Why, Bill" she protested.
But she realized in a flash that Bill
could read her better than she could
read herself. Few Of her emotions
could remain long hidden from that
keenly observing and mercilessly log
ical mind. She knew that he guessed
where she stood, and by what paths
she had gotten there. Trust him to
know. And it made her very tender
toward him that he "a so quick to
understand. Most men would have
resented.
"I want to stack a few tons of hay.s
he went on, disregarding her exclama-
ton. "Ill need it in the spring, if not
this winter. Soon as that's done wen
hit the high spots. Well take three
or four thousand dollars, and while it
lasts We'll be a couple of-of high
class tramps. Huh? Does it sound
good?"
sne nodded vigorously.
"Perk UP, then" he wheedled.
"Bill-boy," she murmured, = "you
mustn't take me too seriously"
Il took you for better or for worse,",
ne answered, with a kiss. 81 don't
want 1t to turn out worse. I want you
to be contented and happy here, where
I've planned to make our home. I
know you love me quite a lot, little
person. Nature fitted us in a good
many ways to be mates. But you've
gone through a pretty drastic siege Of
isolation in this rather grim country,
and l guess it doesn't seem such an
alluring place as it did at first. I
don't want you to nurse that feeling
until 1t becomes chronic. Then we
would be out of tune, and 1t would be
good-by happiness. But I think I know
the cure for your malady."
In the morning he began his hay
cutting. About eleven o'clock he threw
down his scythe and stalked to the
house.
"Put on your hat, and let's go inves-
tigate a mystery" said he. II heard
a COW bawl in the woods a minute
ago. A regular barnyard below"
"a COW bawling? she echoed.
"Sure? What would cattle be doing
away up here?"
THAT'S what I want to known" Bill
laughed. give never seen a cow north
anyway"
They saddled their horses, and rode
out in the direction from whence had
arisen the bovine complaint. The
sound was not repeated, and Hazel
had begun to chaff Bill about a too
vivid Imagination when within a half
mile of the clearing he pulled his horse
up short in the middle Of a little
meadow.
"Lookl" 7
The track Of a broad-tired wagon
had freshly crushed the thick grass.
Bill squinted- at the trail, then his
gaze swept the timber beyond.
Somebody has been cutting timber
owe there" he enlightened. II can
see the fresh ak work. Looks like
they'd been hauling poles. Let's fol-
low this track a ways"
The tiny meadow was fringed on
the north by a grove of poplars. Be-
You'd that lay another clear space of
level land, perhaps forty acres in ex-
tent. They broke through the belt of
poplars-and pulled up again. On n
side of the meadow stood q cabin, the
fresh-peeled log walls glazing yellow
in the sun, and lifting an earth-covered
roof to the autumn sky. Bill whistled
softly.
Along the west side Of the meadow
ran a brown streak of sod, and down
one side of this a man guided the han
dies of q pillow drawn by the strangest
yokemates Hazels eyes had seen for
many a day.
"For goodness sake!" she ex-
claimed.
"That's the true pioneer spirit for
you" Bill spoke absently. ii mas
bucked his way into the heart Of a
virgin country, and he's breaking sod
with a mule and a cow. That's adap-
tation to environment with a .venge-
ance-and grit.v
THERE'S . woman, too, Bill. And
see-she's carrying a baby?" Hazel
pointed excitedly. "Oh, BILL"
The man halted his strangely assort-
ed team to watch them come. The
woman stood a step outside the door,
a baby in her arms, another fodder
holding fast to her skirt. A thick
bodied, short, sQuare-shouldered man
was this newcomer, with a round,
pleasant face.
"Hello, neighbor !" Bill greeted.
The plowman lifted his old felt hat
courteously. His face lit up.
"Ach" said he. 'Neighbor. Dot
ISIS a goot word in diss country we're
| 500 a.. -asll>- D,A r-Yzx