The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1921-02-03
1sFor Sale. "

The time was nine o'clock and break
fast was nearly DONE Nancy Reid was
out for little walk before she finished
her prune sauce and her thickly buttered
toast prince" Nancy's own dear doggy,
was at her heels, and "Greylock," the
pet squirrel, was not far away. Nancy
hurried through the flower bordered paths
and neat rows of beetA and cabbaees It'll
she came to ''The four;acre field" as her
mother called it. Now "The four acre
field'' was rough and rockytfield with
coarse grass growing in it. ancy's
father owned no farther than ''The four
acre field" and after that there were Just
woods. Nancy paused and looked about
her, everything was just the same as
when she saw it last except that there
was one new object.
Nancy was eight and half years of
age and had been to school nearly three
years. Sine could readss cry we'll indeed
for her age. The new thing that Nancy
saw was sign which she, with some
trouble, read What she read was this
'For sale, this choice lot Apply to John
W. Reid Cor your brokerD Nancy stood
for second motionlesS, then turned and
ran for home All the |way she thought
of the "for sale sign" Nancy was frigh-
tened over the sign, for she knew that at
that very moment as she pushed her way
through the corn, there stood, in the left
hand corner of the Reid's big barn 'Gwen-
dolyn," the big yellow and white Jersey
COW, and beside her there stood, though
rather shakily, her heifer calf, yellow and
white like herself, and named of course by
Nancy, Lot" or 'Lottie" as she, Nancy,
sometimes called her Now Nancy,
not being as old as she might be, had
forgotten Gf she ever knew that field
like her fathers might be called lot, so
to her the word lot meant the calf in the
barn and nothing more. So her young
mind instantly rushed TO the conclusion
that it was her calf they were going to
sell and she was desperate. Nancy was
not the kind of child to sit on a stone
and cry; instead she went right on as if
nothing had happened though her mind
was busy. She finally formed plan, the
substance of which was this: when the
prospective buyers went into the barn to
examine the calf she would take the calf
out of the back way and quickly, too
This plan seemed feasible to Nancy; so
she let her mind rest on that score. She
saw, however, several parties stop and
examine "The four acre field" and its
sign. Some of these would keep on up
the road and stop at her house, where
they would have long talks with hel
papa. One party in particular went to
her house a great mar ~ times, Nancy
said oceans of times" but l don't
know. One day Nancy walked into the
sitting room to find her Gather and moth
er talking earnestly. Her father paused,
"Well, well, l guess l haven't told Nancy
about the sale; it will be finished today
and we will give them all the papers and
they will take away-IE." His talk
was interrupted by the Wentworths
themselves, for that wa4 their name.
Nancy ran from the house and straight
to the barn, where, partly by pettine,
partly by punches of grass. partly by
pushings and pullings and partly by COM
mands to hurry up and get up, she man.
aged to cajole Lott" (who, by the way,
had grown very large) to 60 out of the
barn and way down in far away field.
Really don't think Nancy's father own
ed it, but she didn't think of that There
in this field Nancy and 'Lott" stayed till
Nancy's patience was worn to fragile;
then they went back to the barn where
Nancy left "Lott" while she continued
on into the house. There she found her
mother watering plants. "Nancy, where
have you been?" she questio Toned. ooh,
Just little way off," said Nan cy, evas-
lively. "Were you, deary2 We have
sold The four acre field this morning to
the Wentworths, very nice people. Pm
sure; who, understand are going to build
summer home there. Now what do you
think of that, Nancy?" said her mother
rather excitedly. "Why, Mother, the
-four acre field'?" eyes, didn't you see
the sign?" eyes, but it said lot and
that is my calf" "Why, you funny
girl, didn't you know that good places to
build houses on, like the four acre field,
were called lots2" "No," said Nancy,
simply, turning away rather doggedly
So after that when Nancy was displeased
with "Lott" she would say, Lott, you
are as stupid as place to build house. ="
KATE ELIZABETH ROSE
Wellesley Hills. Mass.