The spectator., 1920-11-26
By ROBERT !. C. STEAD
Aufhor of "Ths Co,v Fuuciisr. Etc.

it's none of your business, you big" she looked her brother straight in the face her swollen eyes telling their own story, and repeated deliberately,
 you big coward"
 Allan bit his lip.
 "Jim's quite hero, all right. It's too bad he's gone"
 It's a good job he's gone," said Harris. By the way Beulah talks things have gone far enough. I don't want my daughter marrying farmer"
 Her grandmothers daughter did" said Mrs. Harris.
 Yes know, but things are differ ent now. I look for something better for Beulah."
 It was characteristic of Harris, as of thousands of others, that, although q farmer himself, he looked for "soDae- thing better for his daughter. He WAS resigned to Allan being a farmer; his intimate, daily relationship with his son shrank from any possibility of separation. But for his daughter no. He had mapped out no career for her; she might marry doctor, lawyer. merchant. tradesman, even q minister, but not . farmer. It is a peculiarity of the agriculturist that, among all professions. he holds his own in the worst repute. In later years has come gradually broaden ing conception that farming, after all, calls for brain as we'll as muscle, and 41,at tIA xry cessful living from nature has as much right to hold up his head in the world as the experimenter In medicine or the lawyer playing hide-and-seek with justice through the cracks In the crim- inal code. Herein is germ of the cityward migration: the farmer him- selt Is looking for "something better, for his children.
 "Jim was a good man." persisted his wife. Don't you think you were well, perhaps, a little nasty with him?"
 Harris sat back. It was his wife's business to agree For twenty years and more she had been faithful in the discharge of that duty. That she should suggest an opinion out of har- mony with his indicated lack of dis cipline. not very serious, perhaps, but a seed which, if permitted to flourish. might develop to dangerous propor- tions
 "So you're goin' to take his part, too? It's strange thing if I cant handle my hired help without advice from the house."
 Mary flushed at the remark. Any open quarrel with her husband, espe- cialy before the children-for she still thought of the man and woman to her left and right as "the children was more painful to her than any submission could have been. It would be so much easier to change the sub ject, to follow the line of least resist ance, and forgot the incident as quick ly as possible. But of lete the cOnvic- ton had been coming home to her that come time, ewhere. she must make stand. And, quite uubidden, strange surge of defiance welled in her when her husband so frankly told her 10 mind her own business.
 'I was uneer the impression we were managing this farm together, you and I, John" she said, very calm ly. but with a strange ring in ker voice. "When We came West I under stood 1t was to build our home. didn't know 1t was just to be your home"
 The look of surprise with which Harris greeted her words was abso- lutely genuine. A hot stiuging retort sprang to his lips, but by sydden effort he suppressed it. We will talk about that some other time. Mary" he said. 'lf Jim had answered my qnes- tion fairly. as he had right to, in- stead of heatin around the bush, I might we let him off. But when I wanted to know what kept him he simply parried me, makin' fool of me and rubin it in with that infer nal smile of his"
 "So that's what started it." ex- claimed Beulah. Well. I'll tell you what kept him. If he wouldn't. The cattle got IlltO tDe OdtS through a break in the fence, and l couldn't get them out. and the dog went ki-yi-ing over the prairie after a rabbit, and just as l was beginning ;o--to--con- dense over 1t Jim came up and saved the situation. What |: he did Keep your old engine waiting? There are more important things than blowing"
 Aha v saiG Harris, knowingly. "Well. ! guess it's just as we'll 1t hap pened as it did. Jim was Yetdn' ai- together too good at runnln' at your heels"
 That's all the thanks he gets for working late and early. like no other hired man in the district. All right. You and Allan can milk the cows to- night for I won't-see?"