The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-11-04

BY
ROBERT ]. C.
STEAD

ASHER ~ "T'As Cow
funchAr " ESQ.


Any disappointment which had been
occasioned by backward conditions
earlier in the season was effaced by
the wonderful crop which now
crowned the efforts Of the pioneers. On
their finest eastern farms they had
seen nothing TO equal the great stand
OF wheat and oats which now envel-
oped them, neck-high, whenever they
invaded it. The great problem before
the settlers was the harvesting OF this
crop. 1t was a mighty task TO at
tempt with their scythes, but there
was no self-binder, or even reaper,
within many miles.
Finally Morrison solved the problem
for the whole community by placing
an order, at a fabulous figure, for n
self-binder from the United States. It
was a cumbrous, wooden frame con-
trivance, guiltless OF the roller bear
ings, floating aprons, open elevators,
and sheaf carriers Of later day, but
IL served the purpose. and with its aid
the harvest Of the little settlement
was safely placed in sheaf. The farm
ers then stacked their grain in the
fields, taking care to pillow double fire.
guards, with burnt space between,
as precaution against the terrifying
fires which broke over the prairie as
soon as the September frosts had dried
the grass. A community some 20 miles
to the eastward boosted threshing
mill, and arrangements were made for
its use after it had discharged the du-
ties Of its own locality.
When Harris thrashing was done he
found he had 600 bushels Of wheat and
700 bushels Of oats in cone-shaped
piles on his fields. The roads were
fine and hard, and no snow had yet
fallen, so he determined to begin at
once with the marketing Of his wheat.
His last cent had been spent months
before; indeed, it had been only
through the courtesy of the storekeep-
er at Plainville, who was also post
master, and who had stretched the
law to the point Of accepting hen eggs
as legal tender in exchange for post
age stamps, that Mary Harris had
been able to keep up the brave, opti-
mlstic series of letters written home"
So Harris decided that he would at
once market some Of his wheat. Most
Of the oats would be needed for his
horses and for seed, and what re-
manned would command good prices
from new settlers the following spring,
but some of the wheat must be turned
into money at once. During the lat
ter part Of the summer they had lived
exclusively on the produce of their
farm; on vegetables from the garden,
fish and ducks from the stream, prai-
rie chickens, and an occasional rab-
bit from the fields. The wild geese had
deserted them early in the spring, and
returned only after harvest. But now
they should have change on their
table. Mary had accepted the pioneer
fare of the summer without complaint.
but Of late Harris had discovered a
strange longing in her eyes, and more
than once she had arrested herself in
the words 81 wish we had" Then
two penitent little tears would steal
softly down her cheeks, and she would
bury her head in his arms as he
promised that "after thrashing things
would be different"
So now he set out for Emerson with
the best load his horses could draw.
| The first few miles he drove in silence.
| for there was a heavy weight at his
| heart as he thought of the little wife
alone with the responsibilities of tho
farm. That she would be faith.
| full to every responsibility he knew
| beyond question. But he was
not quite satisfied. A strange moodi-
ness had come over her, and even with
| him at home she had at times given
way to fits of downheartedness which
seemed altogether alien to her nature
Ten days later he retraced his
course in the teeth of binding biz.
| zard. A dozen times he had been lost
| in the last AS hours, but he had deve ell
| oped the prairie dweller's sense of d.
| rection, and had always been able
again to locate the trail. The Ar
thurs would have detained him, al
most by force, but the thought of a
| pale, patient face, wrung with an ag-
ony of anxiety not for itself, made him
adamant in his resolve to go home at
whatever cost The roads were almost
impossible; he left his lumber at Ar.
thurs, but carried with him his win
dow, a few boards for door, and
little bundle Of dry goods. Everything
else had gone by the way surrendered
| I'm exchange for food and shelter for