Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-21

LAY epTeau out, q dark. nat HloHOtoHo uuueH
sheet of cold. gray cloud Close reefed poplars
shivered sibilantY In a chill breeze Yet the
boy and girl, merged into one dim blot on the
steps Of the shallow porch, In front OF big,
square. mud-tinted house, were caught into a
romance world soft and warm and entranc-
ingly beautiful as love ever finds.
But. presently. Lon Baxter broke Its spell.
81 can't ask you to marry me. yet. Edna-not
until have a home ready. II you will watt"
"Oh Lon,' Edna came back to Grindon,
=, with protest in her luminous face "Why
should we wait for that? Why shouldn't do
my share In making the homer"
Because will never let my wife go through
what my mother did. / can never get away
from that" The boyish face. already shadowed
by pain-breedng experience. set In hard lines.
II can see 1t now--the day she died. The little
bedroom off the kitchen like an oven--she'd
cooked for threshers all day-and her gasping
and lighting for breath! And my father bending
over. twisting his hands and moaning. It's the
cu'ssed NOR gage that's killed her!'"
Biting tears stood in the boys eyes. Not even
the clasp of Edna's tender hands, the brush of
her fresh cheek. could take the sting from that
memory The rasping chant OF frogs filled their
cars mooness dark wrapped them close; for the
first time Ions broodng passion found speech.
II hated that mortgage as il 1t was living
thing! / wanted to tear tito torture 1t like a
cat does mouse! hated my father, too. He
always worked like a horse--you know, Edna,
and he expected me and my mother-some-
times felt he downright cruel"
The wisdom Of womanhood. strong in
Edna, though she was but IS. She knew words
would draw out buried bitterness. Gently she
led him on to speak
only the year after ma died he come home
night and showed children long, dirty
~oaper covered with figures and blots. 1t was the
mortgage, he said. The last cent was paid. He
lifted the stove lid and dropped in onto the Goals
and we all stood by and watched it burn. Then
he almost whispered. T wish mother could
seen that couldn't hold in then. told him
I'd never mortgage anything o mine-Id die
first. And the old man sat down and spoke
quiet to me--almost II he was apologizug
to me--sad he borrowed money first when ma
was sick and had to have doctor. and medi-
cine, and nourishing food. Then the grasshop-
pers came three years runnin, and he had to
borrow to keep US all from starving and freez-
Ing and after that, little Emmy died and that
meant another loan. I could see-there hadn't
been nothing else for him to do. hadn't ought
to have blamed him so-and-I did feel differ
ent after that-but--"
His voice was hard with determination. But.
1 made up my mind right then that I'd never let.
myself be trapped the way he was. I'd neverv
have wife and children until was fixed so I'd
never need to borrower mortgage"
With the sweet, clear sense that was hers
Edna spoke:
"Yes, Lon. But that can't be, you know.
Things happen good and bad, and married folks
just have to take the chances together" .
"A man ought to have his farm clear and
comfortable house before he asks woman to
begin to take chances" Lon, boy-surc. pro-
nounced.
THAT will take long tme-years, per-
haps" Edna's voice had lost of its joy
trill.
'f'p am young and strong and can
work. God. How I'll work for you. Edna"
Il know. understand how you feel she =.
admitted But shyly, II am young and
strong, too. Lon. And am not afraid of work,
'either-with you"
His arms tight about her, hope and glad
ness pulsing high in the swift rebound of youth,
he told her confidently. =
"There'n be work enough for you when /
be long" ...
Brave words--easiIy said.
But how were these words to be made good?
That was the question with which young Baxter
wrestled all through the rushing days OF harvest
ing and threshing the crops of Ednas father
he was only hired man on the Goodrich place.
How was he to secure farm Of his own? How
was he to prepare a home fit for Edna Goodrich
he. with only his two hands and the great
urge Of love in his heart? The problem was in
his mind when he dropped into the deep sleep
compelled by long days Of hard work. and 1t
was with him when he tumb1ed into his clothes
in the pale light Of early dawn. In their snatches
cf talk at noontine and after the chores were
done he and Edna discussed 1t.
They knew we'll that "op man Goodrich"
who was popularity called 'the richest, the nigh
est, and the meanest man in four counties"
would never give his consent to Lon as a son-in-
law. As children, in the little white school
house on the corner of ga" Lon and Edna had
spelled one another down and figured the same
sums on their scratched states. AS boy and
girl, Lon had seen Edna homo from evening
her TO skating rink and ,
church ,ccias. Only the girls own tact, with
friendly connivance the part Of ina Good
rich" had kept pa from discovering what
everyone else knew-that Lon Baxter was
goin' with Edna Goodrich"
1t was In sheer bravado that the boy had
offered his services to Goodrich. His own father
TO the amaZement of his son, his neghbors. and,
very possibly. OF himself. had suddenly married
the Widow Graves. who in occasionally
to "red up and do the family mending. Lon,
though he saw that his father and the younger
children were sorely In need of a womans hand,
resented the presence Of the new wife a desc
Grafton Of his mothers memory. With taci-
turn understanding, Sam Baxter spoke:
"Ye worked we'll for me, Lon, in the days
when I needed help the most Ye shall have
your time from now son--an this'll give ye a
start" he put 500 into the boys hands. Don't
throw It away"
Lon had worked his way through high school
Edna was attending it, too Then he had
hunted a job. The unsuspecting Goodrich,
blind through seliishness, thinking only of the
sturdy Drawn Of the lad VINO had done mans
work since his 10th year hired the young man
at once Twenty-Five dollars month seemed, at
first fortune to Lon, who had worked so many
years at home for his keeps" Yet 1t was such
q Joy to live under the same roof with Edna that
he would gladly have labored for that alone
had the "ol man. but known It. And now be-
fore the summer had fairly begun, Lon had