The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-01-22

heaviest on the poor. It was hard to
get money even for black salts.
Uncle Peabody had been silent and
depressed for a month or more. He
had signed a note for Rodney Barnes,
"a cousin. long before and was afraid
that he would have to pay 1t. didn't
know what a note was and I remem-
Der that one night, when lay think
Ing about II, decided that II must
be something In the nature of horse
collie. Ny uncle told me that a note
was q trouble which attacked the
brain instead Of the stomach.
One autumn day In Canton Uncle
Peabody traded three sheep and twen-
ty bushels Of wheat for a cook stove
and brought II home In the big wagon.
Rodney Barnes came with him to help
set up the stove. He was q big 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 Joy II
was to me with its damper and grid
dies and high oven and the shiny edge
on Its hearth! 1t rivaled. I'm its nov
city and charm, any tin peddler's cart
that ever came to our door. John
Axtell and his wife. who had seen II
pass their house, hurried over for
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 a 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 roomi
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 1 bew
"We 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 II costY she asked.
"Not 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 a cheerful optimist. Every
thing looked good to him until II
turned out badly.
He told how he had heard that II
was a growing country near the great
water highway of the ST. Lawrence.
Prosperous towns were building up
in It 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 a 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 II was
worth.
Our cousin twisted the poker In
his great hands until 1t sQueaked as
he stood before my uncle and said:
my wife and I 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, owed six hundred dol
lars on II. I thought II 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. ths country. He
gave me six months to pay up. had
to pay or lose the land. I got the
money on the note that you signed
over In Potsdam. Nobody In Can
ton would "a dared to lend 1t to
me-"
''WhyT 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. / in
tended to cut some timber an haul
II to the village this winter so could
pay a part o. the note an git more
time as 1 told We, but the roads have
been so bad I couldn't do any haul
In"
My uncle went and took a drink at
the water pail. I saw by his face
that he was unusually wrought up.
my heavens an earthl" he ex-
claimed as he sat down again
ITS the brain collie" said to
myself as 1 looked at him.
Mr.. Barnes seemed to have it also.
TOO much note" / whispered.
"Tm awful sorry, but I've done
everything / could" said Mr.. Barnes.
saint there somebody that1l take
another mortgage?-it ought to be
safe now" my uncle suggested.
Money is so tight 1t can't be done.
Il III L. rx.t