The Holly chieftain., 1919-02-20

~ bushels Of wheat for cook stove
ana brought 1t home in the big wagon.
Rodney Barnes came with him to help
set up the stove. He was a biz giant
OF man with the longest nose in the
township. have often wondered how
any one would solve the problem Of
kissing Mr.. Barnes In the immediate
region Of his nose, the same being in
the nature Of defense.
That evening I was chiefly inter
ested in the stove. What a 10y It
was to me with its damper and grid
dies and high oven and the shiny edge
on Its hearthl It rivaied, in its nov.
city and charm, any tin peddler's cart
that ever came to our door. John
A1tell 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 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 1t roared and began to heat
the rOoml
When the Axtells had gone away
Aunt Deel said:
ITS grand! Il is sartin-but I'm
'frafd we can't afford it-ayes I be Z"
1--WE can't afford to freeze any
longer l made up my mind that we
couldn't go through another winter
as we have" was my uncle's answer.
"How much did 1t cost?" she asked
mot 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.
thing looked good to him until 1t
turned out badly.
he told how he had heard that II
was growing country near the great
water highway of the st. Lawrence.
Prosperous towns were building up
in 1t. 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 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 It squeaked 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
until we are worn out. For almost
twenty years we've been workin' days
an nights an Sundays. Ny mortgage
was overdue, lowed six hundred dol
lars on 1t. i thought 1t 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. tho country. He
gave me six months to pay up. had
to pay or lose the land. got the
money on the note that you signed
over in Potsdam. Nobody in Cam
ton would "a dared to lend It to
me-"
"Why?' my uncle asked.
"'Fraid o. Grimshnw. 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, l in.
tended to cut some timber an haul
1t to the village this winter 30 could
pay part O. the note an cit more
time as told ye. but the roads have
been SO bad I couldn't do any haul
in'."
My uncle went and took drink at
the water pail. I saw by his face
that he was unusually wrought up.
my heavens an earth!" he sx.
claimed as he sAt down again,