The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-02-12
BY
ROBERT J. C..
STEAD
Author OF The Cow
P,xncI,sr. ETC.


among all professions, he holds his
own in the worst reptile. In later
years has come a gradually broaden
ing conception that farming, after all,
calls for brain as well as muscle, and
mat. the man who can wreStle a sue
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 i'm the GRIM
inal code. Herein is gerQ of the
cltyward migration: the farmer him.
self 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 hasty with
| him?'
Harris sat back. 1t 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 a lack of dis
cipline, not very serious, perhaps, but
a seed which, if permitted to flourish,
might develop to dangerous proper
| tons.
$50 you're goin' to take his part.
too? It's a strange thing if l can't
handle my hired help without advice
from the house,"
Mary flushed at the remark. Any
| open quarrel with her husband, espe-
cially before the children-for she
| still thought of the man and woman
to her left and right as 1.-The children"
was more painful to her than any
submission could have been. 1t would
be so much easier to change the sub
| ject, to follow the line of least resist
ly as possible. But of late the cOnvic-
ton had been coming home to her
that some time, somewhere, she must
make a stand. And, quite unbidden,
strange surge of defiance welled in
her when her husband so frankly told
her TO mind ha own business.
Il was under the impression we
were managing this farm together,
you and /, john" she said, very calm
ly, but with strange ring in her
voice. "When We came West 1 under
stood 1t was to build our home.
didn't know it was just to be your
home" e.
The look of surprise with which
Harris greeted her words was abso-
lutely genuine. A hot, singing retort
sprang to his lips, but by a sudden
effort he suppressed it. "We will talk
about that some other time, Mary" he
said. IF Jim had answered my ques-
ton fairly, as he had right to, in
stead of beatin' around the bush, |
might we let him off. But when ]
wanted TO know what kept him he
simply parted me, maxim a fool of
me and rubin 1t in with that infer
nal smile of his"
$50 that's what started til" ex-
claimed Beulah. "Well, I'll tell you
what kept him, If he wouldn't. The
cattle got into the oats through a
break In the fence, and 1 couldn't get
them out, and the dog went ki-yi-ing
over the prairie after a rabbit, and
just as | was beginning tO-to-con-
dense over it Jim came up and saved
the situation. What If he did keep
your old engine waiting? There are
more important things than blowing"
"Ahaw said Harris, knowingly.
swell, guess it's just as well it hap
pened as it I'D. Jim was gettin' al
together too good at runnin' 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 won't-see"