Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-05-13
CHAPTER IV-Continued

s.
"Wpnm exclaimed Selma, feeling as
e.orob She had Witnessed the first act
4, an exciting play And breathed
aao5,r So, too did the watching con
c-a.atlon. so that the widow could be
m'5 10 have driven off in quite gust.
As they logged home in the Pool
farm wagon Maartie told her tale with
rood deal Of SAVIOR.
peryus DeJong had been left a wild
aver two years before. Within
month Of that time Leendert Paarlen-
berg Had died, leaving to his widow the
richest end most profitable farm in
the whole community. Pervus De
rang. on the contrary, through inheri-
lance from his father, old Johannes,
Possessed a scant twenty-five acres of
,ae worst lowIand-practically the
only owIand-in all High Prairie. The
acreage was VIGOROUSLY barren. Per
yas belong patiently planted, sowed,
gathered crops, hauled them to mar
sct, seemed still never to get on in
th.s thrifty Dutch community where
getting on was SO common a trait as
% NO longer thought a virtue Luck
ani nature seemed to work against
him. His seedlings proved unfertile;
Dts stock was always ailing; his cab
blggs we're worm-infeSted; snout-bee-
to bored his rhubarb. When he
planted largely of spinach, hoping for
Il wet spring, the season was dry. Did
he TURN the following year to sweet
potatoes all auguries pointing to a
dry spring and summer, the summer
proved Che wettest in a decade Had
DE a'n small puuy and insignificant
Dis bla lack would have called forth
c'9.cmptu1us pity But there was
chou, him Che Iovableness and splen-
t.rot the stricken giant
TWAS on this Pervus DeJong, then,
tat the Widow paarlenberg of the
r.aa acres the comfortable farmhouse,
Die go'd neck chain, the silk gowns, the
soft White hands and the cooking tai
eltS had set her affections. She
"oood him openly, VIGOROUSLY, and
W..a @ Dutch vebemence that would
nave swept another man off his feet.
Z was known that she sent him a
weekly baking of cakes, pies and
,'ead She tricked, cajoled, or nagged
a.m into eating her ample meals. She
even asked bis advice-that subtlest
form d. hattey, She asked him about
saASo..ing, humus, rotation-she
whose rich land yielded, under her
s.'.'d management more proftably
10 tae single acre than to any ten of
penuJ.
Feeling that the entire community
was urging him toward this profitable
match with the plump, rich. red-linped
".a'| Peryus set his will like a stub
o'ro steer and would have none Of
.,1 lie was uncomfortable in his I'M
10' house; he was lonely, he was IN
.aHHy But he would have none Of
. M Vanity, pride, resentment were
81, mixed up in it.
The very first time that Pervus De-
''4s met Selma he had a chance TO
l'o,eet her With such a start the
,-o was inevitable. Then. too. Selma
''o on the wine-colored cashmere
'-' was trying hard to keep the tears
g w. 10 full view of the whole of High
..-.''e. Urged by Maartje Cand rotb-
~ .aoeyng the idea) Selma baa at.
.."aeo ne great meeting and dance
-. N"am ooms' hall above the general
W.. ~ near the High Prairie station
= '''"er families for miles around
~ mere The new church organ
,.. r.., Gme-haIlowed pretext for So
- ..,''. s-waS the excuse for tbis
s s'@.,s..ns' There was a small admis-
.t.a. '.'Ese' Adam Ooms had given
,. .ru 'ae hail. The three musicians
4. paying without fee The won.
s-v. were 70 bring supper packed IN
~ :. baskets these to be ratified
.rsra " highest bidder whose priv
NM. I 1aen was to sup with the fair
&c., 'aSNet he had bought Hot
NJ, y.1'd be had at so much the
yo,a, -" me proceeds were to be de-
7sege. 70 the organ. Maartie had
ass d. .er own basket at noon and
.ba , ..',,en on at four with Klaas and
Of ,., ,..'sn' She was to serve on one
ir-ls. se oustling committees whose
ash v.a .%lsed from coffee making to
10 ~ "sH'ng. klaas and Roelf were
sooca,, PRESSED PRESSED into service. Jakob
b. t t.., would convey Selma re-
'u'l1ts when his chores were