The Washington herald., 1921-09-04

tCoutinued from preosts.c psse.I
take her back with ye nS~f L. she afraid
O. bein' a poor mans vt:e7"
IRIS me that's sfratd-not her,- Lsa
seknovied-ed. . She was ready to go, nrst
OF Shes Offering to go now. But. I Amt
ready for her. yet
-Me60e ye're risht-mebbe - wont havs
50 much to regret Sam Baxter's voice was
unstsa-y. Outfits a mighty hard thing to
k..O~ ~nen we are ready to live
II don't guess IN have any troubis telling
whom I'm ready Lon ststed fsventiJ. stin
blind to the VISION Of ase -oniy-rm not
going into oebt for n
And though Edna, once more putting -
servo aside. urged pleaded even. that shs
was ready to 60 back with HIM. he refused to
listen, and left her With . renewed promise.
-rT have the house done and ready fer ysa
by New Years.
Another surinE was come and Lon. WITH
high hopes in hir heart. again walked step
by step hour after hour. day succeeding day.
week in and week out, over bis fields, plough
ing. narrowing. seeding going through all
the infinite motions, performed with blind
faith in forces beyond human control. that
makes up the gigantic game called farming.
Again he saw the gentle mist Of green
creeping over black loan; the delicate curing
fingers Of corn reaching upward; the ethereal
blueness Of fax blossoms. bending and blend
t. IL, h. ~ lafa hA Ha
sun rise higher and higher. shining each day
With a pitiless heat from . csoudless skJ.
He kept the plough going while the psrshsd
soil burned his soIes and clouds Of dust
choked his lungs. But the dry winds and
the blazing sun scared and yellowsd ths
wrfthing grain. the half grown corn blades
vflted. and the nax stalks became dry straw.
Lon watched It an. at times with q heavy.
dad feeling Of despair. and again IN . blazs
of resentment IT'S tough he cried out to
Jim Prosser. MS damned tough-efter an
Tie rest And there's my weI-watsr with
cut snd-you know how it nearly got away
with me before could get the curb In. n
-
Yea Prosssr nodded -thars h. We
must have irrigation In this country. Thsrs
10 plenty Of water underground-ws'vs got
TO get It on top. where We can use IT when
vs need II But you can't do anything this
year. Wen just have to lose this CROP
Il WONDER Lon began With q sudden
a,sperats hope he sst himself to rigging up
. crude nume and opening up burrows.
Then he began pumping water By hand On
70 his eornheld- The greedy sun and thirsty
soil snatched up the ltttls streams almost b.
fore they reached the neh- Altar pumping
steadily for two days to put . now through
two turroyzs he decided: IN pump At night
the sum won't eat IT up % fast then
ITS no uss. Lon." Prosssr objected -Isu
can't beat the drought this year. But ven
20 at the thing right and b ready for nsEt
dry spsa-
Il can't wait, man. Lon burst out; rvs
rot To have q crop. or at least part Of q
crop. this YEAR,
Despite the protests Of his friends hs
started In to pump at sunset Hour after
hour hs stood. steadily moving the pumI
handle up and down. with . dogged per
sistencs from which al spring sf youth and
faith had been drained He kept on pumping
until II seemed ~ though his very hear
would be torn. out By the strain Prosser
Lana and other neighbors came to watch. ts
orsr to spell him. to admonish and 10 ridi
euis: but Lon kept On pumping nrst with on4
hand. then ths other. untn st moonsst b,
crept away with bleeding hands and sor'
r,r,.,is~ fo~ . f~-w hr..r- ~ sx,au.f,H si>~u
He sucossdsd IN saving . portion Of ht
corn bscrs he sank down ens night un
kncvtns. unear1ng. The esei ot morun,
mr. brought him b esnscioomsss of a1.dni
pains ana trrpf.g nssh. He managed q
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