The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-04-17
CHAPTER VIII Continued



find panic-stricken Dirk sure Of moth
ing but that he had been deserted by
his mother. Fifteen minutes later the
| two were seated at a table on which
was spread what Chris Spank
noebel considered an adequate break
| fast. A heartening enough beginning
for the day, and a deceptive.
The Haymarket buyers did not want
to purchase its vegetables from Selma
DeJong. 1t wasn't used to buying OF
women, but to selling to them.
Selma had taken the covers OF her
vegetables. They were revealed crisp,
| fresh, colorful. But Selma knew they
must be sold now. quickly. When the
| leaves began to wilt, when the edges
| Of the caulifiower heads curled ever
| so slightly, turned brown and limp.
| their value decreased by half, even
| though the heads themselves remained
white and firm.
Down the street came the buyers.
little black-eyed swarthy men; plump,
short-sleeved, greasy men; shrewd, to-
bacco-chewing men in overalls. Stolid
| red Dutch faces, sunburned. Lean. dark
| foreign faces. Shouting, clatter. tur-
! moil.
The day broke warm. The sun rose
/ red. 1t would be humid September
day such as frequently came in the
| autumn to this lake region. Garden
I stuff would have to move quickly this
| morning. Afternoon would find it
/ worthless.
The peddlers looked at her punched
bouquets, glanced at her, passed her
by. 1t was not unkindness that
prompted them. but q certain shyness,
fear Of the unaccustomed. Her
wares were tempting but they passed
her by with the instinct that the ig-
norant have against that which is I'm.
usual.
BY nine o'clock trading began to fall
off. In a panic Selma realized that
the sales she had made amounted to
little more than two dollars. If she
stayed there until noon she might
double that, but no more. In despera-
ton she harnessed the horses, thread
ed her way out of the swarming street,
and made for South Water, street
farther east. Here were the commits
sion houses. She knew that Pervus
had sometimes left his entire load with
an established dealer here, to be sold
on commission. She remembered the
-Talcott-though she did not
know the exact location.
USI,o h0,- bo1 hoor1 al rnncf fx1opadihlu
patient and good. At the wagon he
had stood sturdlly next his mother,
had busted himself vastly assisting her
in her few pitiful sales; had plucked
wilted leaves, brought forward the
freshest and crispest vegetables. But
now she saw that he was dropping a
little as were her wares with the hea.
and the absence from accustomed soil
where we going now, mom?"
'.To another street, Sobig-"
"Dirk." 81
Dirk, where there's a man who'll
buy all our stuff at oIiSA-maybe
Won't that be fine! Then We'll &c
home. You help mother find his name
over the store. Talcott-T-a-lc-o.
double t."
William Talcott had known Pervus
and Pervus' father before him, and
had adiudged them honest, admirable
men. But of their garden truck he had
small opinion.
In his doorway, he eyed the spare
little figure that appeared before hin
all in rusty black. with its strained
anxious face, IT'S great deep-sunk eyes
"DeJong, Ell? Sorry to hear about
your loss. ma'am. Pervus was fine
lad. No great shakes ut truck farm
ing, though. His widow. him? HIM.
Here he saw, was no dull-witted farm
woman no stolid Dutch woman truck
ster He went out to her wagon
tweaked the boys brown cheek
"Wa-al now, Mis- DeJong, you got {
right smart lot of garden stuff here and
1t looks pretty good. Yessir, petty
good. But you're too late. Ten, pref
near"
"Oh. nor cried Selma. "Oh, no
Not too Later And at the agony IL
her voice he looked at her sharply.
Tell you what, mebbe can move
half of EN- along for you. But STUFF
don't keep this weather. Turns wilt.
and my trade won't touch it.
First trip in?"
She wiped her face that was damn
and yet cold to the touch. "First-triI
In" Suddenly she was finding it alb
surdly hard to breathe.
He called from the sidewalk to thu
J men within: 'Georgel Ben! Hustl,
this stuff in Half of it. The best
Send you check tomorrow. Mis- De
Jong."
One hand on the seat she prepare,
10 climb up again-did step to tn
hub. You saw her shabby, absur,
side boots that were so much too bi
for the slim little feet IF you're jus
buying my stuff because you're sorr.
for me-" The Peake pride.
"Don't do business that way. Can
. afford TO. ma'am. NV da'ter She