Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1920-07-08

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bonnet. and a kist full OF, things that
brought my dear mothers eyes out
like a parten's.
II took NO great stock of girls at
that time, for 1t was hard for me to
see what they had been made for.
There were none Of us at Birtwhistle's
that thought very much of them; but
the smallest laddies seemed to have
the most sense. for, after they began
to grow bigger they were not so sure
about it. We little onesfwere all of
one mind that q creature that couldn't
fight and was carrying tales, and
couldn't so much as shy a stone with
out Tapping its arm like a rag in the
wind was n 10 use for anything.
So when this one came to the stead
ing at West Inch I was not best
pleased to see her. I was twelve at
the time lit was in the holidays) and
she eleven, a thin, tallish girl, with
black eyes and the queerest ways. She
was forever staring out in front Of
her, with her lips parted as If she saw
something wonderful; but when I
came behind her and looked the same
way I could see nothing but the
sleeps trough or the hidden or ia
theirs breaches hanging on a clothes
line. And then if she saw a lump Of
heather or bracken, or any common
stuff of that sort, she would NOPE
over it as If it had struck her sick, and
cry, SLOW sweet! how perfect" just
as though it had been a painted pic
ture. When I used to tell her that
she was good for nothing, and that her
father was q fool to bring her up like
that, she would begin to cry, and say
that I was a rude boy, and that she
would go home that very night, and
never forgive me as long as she lived.
But in five minutes she had forgotten
all about it. What was strange was
that she liked me a deal better than
I did her, and she would never leave
me alone, but she was always watch
ing me and running after me, and
then saying, ooh. here you are!" as
If it were a surprise.
Jim Horscroft was away when
Cousin Edie was with us, but he came
back the very week she went, and
mind how surprised 1 was that he
should ask any questions or take any
interest in a mere lassie. He asked
me if she we're pretty; and when ]
said that I hadn't noticed he laughed
and called me a mole, and said my
eyes would be opened some day. But
very soon he came to be interested in
something else, and I gave Edie
another thought until one day she just
took my life in her hands and twisted
it as I could twist this quill.
That was in 1913, after I had left
school, when I was already eighteen
years Of age, with a good forty hairs
on my upper lip and every hope o.
more. I had changed since I lef
school, and was not so keen on game!
as I had been, but found myself in
stead lying about on the sunny sid
Of the braes, with my own lips parte'
and my eyes staring Just the same a
Cousin Edie's used to do. 1t had sat
isfied me, and filled my whole life, tina
I could run faster and jump highe'
than my neighbor, but now all tina
seemed such a little thing, and
yearned and looked up at the big arch
ing sky and down at the fiat blue sea
and felt that there was something
wanting, but could lay my
tongue to what that something was
And I became quick Of temper too
for my nerves seemed all of a fret
and when my mother would ask me
what allied me, or my father would
speak of my turning my hand to work
I would break into such sharp, bitter
answers as I have often grieved ovel
since. All, a man may have more thar
n wife, and more than n child
and more than one friend, but he car
never have but one mother, so let hin
cherish her while he may.
One day, when I came in from the
sheep, there was my father sitting
with a letter in his hands, which wal
a very rare thing with us, except wher
the factor wrote for the rent. Their
when I came nearer to him I saw thai
he was crying, and I stood staring, FOL
I had always thought that it was MOI
a thing that q man could do. Ny
mother sat beside him and stroked his
hand like she did the cats back wher
she would soothe it.
"Aye, J%eannie," said he, "poor VII
lies gone. It's from the lawyer, anG
it was sudden, or they'd ha' sent wore
of it. Carbuncle, he says and a fusf
o. blood to the head"
"Ah, well, his troubles over" saiG
my mother.
My father rubbed his ears with the
tablecloth. "He's left a. his savings
to his lassie," said he, "and, by gom
IL she's not changed from what she
promised to be she'll soon gar then
flee. He doesn't say how much, but
she'll have enough and to spare, he
says. And she's to come and bide with
us, for that was his last WISH"
ITO pay for her keep cried my
mother sharply. I was sorry that she
should have spoken Of money at that
moment, but then if she had not been
sharp we should have been on the
4 t EH - ~. 49,. III E.rE. HeLN 40 90 E sN.