, 1925-04-15
tended, the vegetables pulled, hauled

tendsd, the vegetables pulled. hauled
to market, sold. Upon the garden de.
pended the boys future, and hers.
For the first few days following the
funeral one or another of the neigh
boring farmers drove the DeJong team
to market, aided the laundering Jan
in the fields. But each had his hands
full with his own farm work. On the
fifth day Jan Steen had TO take the
garden truck to Chicago, though not
without many misgivings on Selina's
part, all of which were reulized when
he returned late ext day with half the
load still on his wagon ard a sum of
money representing exactly zero In
profits.
Selma was standing In the kitchen
doorway, Jan in the yard with the
team. She turned her face toward the
fields. An observant person (Jan Steen
was not n of these) wOuld have noted
the %slngularly determined and clear-cut
jaw line of this drably calicoed farm
woman.
"Ill so myself Monday
Jan stared. Go? Go where, Mop.
day?'
&c market"
At this seeming pleasantly Jan Steen
smiled uncertainty, shrugged his shout
ders, and was off to the barn. She
was always saying things that didn't
make sense. His horror and unbelief
were shared by the rest Of High Prairie
when on Monday Selma literally took
the reins in her own slim work-scarred
handles.
"To market - argued Jan as excited
ly as his phlegmatic nature would per
NIT. "A woma she don't go to market.
A woman"
This woman does.' Selma had
risen Mt three in the morning. Not
only that. she had got Jan up, grum-
bling. Dirk had Joined them in the
fields at five. Together the three Of
them had pulled and punched n wagon
load. Size them" Selma ordered, as
they started to bunch radishes, beets,
turnips, carrots. And don't leave
them loose like that. Tie them tight at
the heads, like this. Twice around
with the string. and through. Make
bouquets of them, not punches. And
were going to scrub them.'
Selma, s%crubblng the carrots vigor-
ously under the pump, thought they
emerged from their unaccustomed bath
looking like clustered spears of pure
gold. Jan, by now, was sullen with
bewilderment. He refused to believe
that she actually intended to carry out
her plan. A woman-a High Prairie
tarmer' wife-driving to market like
a man! Alone at night in the market
place-or at best in one OF the cheap
rooming houses! By Sunday somehow,
mysteriously. the news hat filtered
through the district. A fine state of
things, and she II widow of a week |!
high Prairie called at the DeJons
farm on Sunday afternoon and was
old that the widow was over in the
wet west sixteen, poklng about with
he boy Dirk Mt her heels.
BY Monday afternoon the parlor cur
tains of every High Prairie farmhouse
that faced the Halsted road were agi-
tated as though by a brisk wind be-
tween the hours of three and five, when
the mnrket wagons were TO be seen
moving toward Chicago.
Selma. having loaded the wagon in
80 Jaih' sui HtNtu IL Will iubTt sDuThit
in her y than High Prairie would
have approved in a widow of little
more than "A week. They had picked
and punched only the best of the late
crop. Selma stepped back and re-
garded the riot of crimson and green.
of white and gold and purple.
Aren't they beautiful! Dirk, aren't
they beautiful 20
Dirk, capering in his excitement at
the prospect of the trip before him.
shook his head impatlently.
Il don't know what you mean. Let's
go, mother. Aren't we going nowi
You said as 500 as the load was on"
"Oh, Sobig. you're just exactly like
your" She stopped.
Like my wha,?"
We'll go now. son. There's cold
meat for your supper, Jan. int pota.
toes all sliced for frying and half an
apple pie left from noon. You ought
to get in the rest Of the squash and
pumpkins by evening. Maybe / can
sell the lot instead of taking them in
by the load. I'll see a commission
"A Take less. If l have to-"
She had dressed the boy in his home
made suit cut down frcm one of his
fathers. He wore q wide-brimmed
straw hat which he hated. Selma her
self, In "A full-skirted black-stufr dress.
mounted the wagon agllely, took up the
relns, looked down at the boy seated
beside her. clucked to the horses. Jan
Steen gave vent to u anal outraged
below.
"Never in my life did l hear Of such