The daily Alaskan., 1919-03-06
TIE LIEfflI1T IN THE RLEARINh A TALE OF THE NORTH COUNTRY IN THE. TIME OF SILAS WRIGHT - .&. ,H IRVINE HAEHELLER
 
 BEEN HolpeN AND DARSl OF THE BLESSED ELeS 5.Y YkiHRo yfH LIZZIE ETC, ETC
IRVINE HAEHELLER-
AUTHOR or > BEEN HoLpeN. DR AND l. DAEsRL OF THE BLESSED ELe$ y YkHEPlNo UP VIII LIZZIE. ETC ETC

III JuSl hllil pSS uh dih SN big fool that need to be reminded of It." said my uncle.
 "Pn stay home an work" pro- posed bravely.
 "You aln't old enough for that" sighed Aunt Deel.
 q want to keep you in school" said Uncle Peabody, who sat making e splint broom.
 While we were talking in walked Benjamin Grimshaw-the rich man of the hills. He didn't stop to knock, but walked right in as if the house were his own. It was common gos- sip that he held a mortgage on every acre of the countryside. I had never liked him, for he was stern-eyed man who was always scolding some- body, and had not forgotten what his son had said of him.
 Good night 1" he exclaimed curtly, as he sat down and set his cane be- tween his feet and rested his hands upon it. He spoke hoarseB and l remember the curious notion came to me that he looked like our old ram. He wore thin, gray beard under his chin. His mouth was shut tight in a long line curving downward a lit tie at the ends. My uncle used to say that his mouth was made to keep his thoughts from leaking and going to waste. He had big body, a big chin. q big mouth, a big nose and big ears and hands. His eyes lay small in this setting of bigness.
 "Why, Mir. GrImshaw, It's years since you've been in our house ayes" said Aunt Deel.
 "I suppose 1t ls," he answered rath- CT sharply. "I don't have much time to get around. I have to work. There's some people seem to be able to git along without 1t. see you've got one Q these newfangled stoves" he added as he looked 1t over. Huh! Rich folks can have anything they want"
 Uncle Peabody had sat splintertng the long stick of yellow birch. l ob- served that the jackknife trembled in his hand. His tone had a touch of unnaturalness, proceeding no doubt from his fear of the man before him, as he said:
 "When I bought that stove felt richer than I do now. I had almost enough to settle with you up to date, but I signed note for q friend and had to pay it."
 "Ayuh! I suppose sO," Grimshaw answered in q tone of bitter Irony which cut me like a knife-blade, young as l was. "What business have you signin' notes an givin' away money which ain't yours to give-pd like to know? What business have you actin like a rich man when you cant pay yer honest debts? I'd like to know that, tOOf'
 If I've ever acted like rich man it's been when l want lookin'," said Uncle Peabody.
 "What business have you to go en- largin' yer family-takin' another mouth to feed and another body to spin for? That costs money. 1 want to tell you one thing, Baynes, you've got to pay up or git out O here."
 He raised his cane and shook 1t in the air as he spoke.
 "Oh, l ain't no doubt O that" said Uncle Peabody. You'll have to have yer money-that's sure; an you will have 1t. If I live, every cent of 1t. This boy is goin' to be great help to me-you don't know what good boy he is and what a comfort he's been to us!"
 These words of my beloved uncle uncovered my emotions so that l put my elbow on the woOd-box and leaned my head upon 1t and sobbed.
 q ain't goin' to be hard on ye, Baynes," said Mir. Grimshaw as he rose from his chair; "Tll give ye three months to see what you can do. wouldn't wonder If the boy would turn out all right. He's big an cordy of his age and purity likely boy, they tell me"
 MT. Grimshaw opened the door and stood for q moment looking at us and added in a milder tone: You've got one O the best farms In this town an if ye work hard an use common sense ye ought to be out O debt tn five years-mebbe less"
 He closed the door and went away. Neither of us moved or spoke as we listened to his footsteps on the gravel path that went down to the road and to the sound of his buggy as he drove away. Then Uncle Peabody broke the silence by saying:
 He's the dam'dest-"
 He stopped, set the half-splintered stick aside, closed his jackknife and went to the water-pail to cool his emotions with a drink.
 Aunt Deel took up the subject where he had dropped It, as if no-half-ex- pressed sentiment would satisfy her, saying:
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