St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-12-17
ECOFYPIGHT BY CHARLES SCRIBNERS SONS -

ing machinery, after they. themselves,
were we'll assured that he was merely |
throwing money away.
l asked Daddy what he wished to
do with the machinery. He said he
was afraid It might be rusting inside,
standing unused so long, and he want
ed to take 1t apart; especially the
steam engine. So told him how to
begin, and he fell to work; but in just
4 few minutes his awkwardness with
the tools gave me fit OF the willies.
"See here" said; III you've got
another pair Of overalls and jumper
"Sure pop, have" he admitted;
and that was how discovered my first
real lob of to-goodness work.
We stuck at it until noon, disas-
sembling, and scraping rust, and pol
ishing and oiling, and incidentally find
ing the machinery In great deal bet
ter condition than it had any right to
be after standing idle Tor SO long
time. OF course, bunged my soft
hands all up, and got as dirty as
pig, and all that; but that first fore
noon Is written down In my life as one
of the most enjoyable I've ever known.
And when Daddy Hiram called the
noon halt, and we went across to the
cabin to wash up for dinner, I was
hungry. 1 think that forenoon meas
ured about the only useful half-day's
work I'd ever done; and the afternoon
made it full day. Say, people-it
was great For the first time In an
idle. happy-go-lucky life had a job
with d concrete object in view, and
keen ambition to see it through. was
.thtrstily eager to get that machinery
IN shane and to start those old he
n,,mps. and this In spite Of Daddy HI
rams repeated assurances that II
"wo,,ldn't do no good a-tall."
| During d Woodworking interval OF
| two weeks a number Of things had
hammered. One was visit from the
MISUNDERSTANDING Anglican who
had impressed me with the fact that
he belonged to the Ancient and Honor
| ah,e Order Of the Silver Star. I'll have
tn tell about that visit, because It
nroved what a tremendously lucky
J thing II was for me that had fallen
among friends.
| II was this way. On the second day
Of my stay In the bosom OF the I"om-
hlv family noticed that battered
surveying instrumental transit winch
was probably leftover from the time
whom the Cinnabar was a working
proposition, with an engineer to ngure
ont it's dips and angles-had been
moved from its place in the corner o.
the living room and was stood upon
It's three legs at small, square VIII
dow which looked out over the plateau
bench Of the mountain to the sou1n
eastward.
Two mornings afterward found out
the why and wherefore OF the Ole
! transit and its "set up as an engineer
would say. Daddy Hiram and ] wer'
standing with our backs to the hefrft
fire. waiting for breakfast 70 De. pn
. An the table. when Jeanne came II
} from the kitchen with great stacl
If hot batter-cakes. As she dartet
J out again after the coffee and bacon
!, she paused Just fraction OF secont
4 to put her eye to the telescope.
8 didn't see what kind Of signal II wa
t that she passed to Daddy Hiram Du
t whatever its nature, 1t made MIN &c
a action in a tearing hurry.
Cup into the loft with you, quics
< Stannie !" he yipped at me; and as
. went stumbling up the ladder In blin'
obedience | saw him hastily helpln
s hls daughter to remove my plate, knlf
= and fork, spoon. coffee cup and chair