Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1926-03-18

How old are y0u, Jake, dearr she
says. all of sudden as smooth as oil.
Forty-three,' says. perhaps be-
cause that was the figger In my mind
at the moment, an was Shawn 1t
little. at that.
""Then you've made a dollar
year-so far says she, dropping back
to her nat'ral voice that kind O.
| sounds like two millwheels an you be-
tween 'em. You'll die before you're
sixty she says; I can see 1t In your
eyes, although wasn't lookin' at her,
fndin' that rather painful, an leave
| an estate o. less than sixty dollars.
Jake, that wouldn't buy me an outfit
fer the funeral, fer believe me I'm
goin' to do you Justice when, the time
comes. We're goin' to take home
| stead
"'Not me- l says. The seat o. my
democrat is as near as want to get
to q homestead. They're all right fer
sod-busters. but fer woman O. cul-
ture-'
Il thought that would get her, but
she was as imperv'ous to compliments
as an OK to an Grafton. so to speak.
"'Very WE'LL says she. If you
won't take homestead, will
"'You can't says I, with sudden
holiness. You amt widow
with that she gives me another o.
those through-the- gizzard- and-nailed-
| to-the-wall looks o. hers. 4 will be,
in about twenty seconds she says, If
there's any more discussion she says.
So here we are"
"Have you locstedT' asked Jake,
| when he was silent for minute, and
seemed to have dropped off into medi-
tation.
yep. It was easy fer me, KNOWN
as do ev'ry willow between the Sou
ris an the Saskatchewan"
We expressed the hope that Bella
Donna would prove sticker.
"She WILL" Jake prophesied. "Of
course, that amt her real name; !
JUS gave you that fer-fer instance.
an her first names Bella, so it's half
true, which is a pretty good average
In this country. Wait til you see US,
a-chariotin' behind the flynn ants over
to Fourteen an Twenty-Five. I'm fg-
germ on organizin' a school distric'
right away"
| We gave Jake our blessing and
| watched him ride of In his wobbly
democrat with It's spring seat up
tilted to larboard and his fat figure
settling down like sack with q
hat on 1t.
| Sitting on the grassy knoll, digest
Ing our lunch by the aid of the straws
which each Of us was unconsciously
chewing, we watched Jake until he
was speck in the distance.
What do you make Of it?" said I
at last.
I'm not saying" was Jacks eau
tious rejoinder. Either he's married,
or he isn't"
But we had occasion to be thankful
we had fallen in with Jake, for he
had been able to direct US to q farmer
within q days drive who hired both
us and our oxen for the harvest, or
until the beginning of threshing.
It was the middle Of October. and
there was crisp tang In the air
night and morning, before we again
hit the trail for Fourteen and Twenty
two. During all this time we had
no word from our homes, as there was
no one to carry mail in or out, and 1t
was with anxious and eager hearts
that we hurried Buck and Bright along
the homeward winding trail.
On the second day, as we were
bowling along at the two-and-a-half-
mile-an-hour clip which Buck and
Bright considered the limit of furious
driving, Jack drew my attention to q
speck on the horizon ahead of us. 1t
grew rapidly, and although there was
no mirage this time to bring our visitor
down from heaven, we soon were able
to discern the scarlet uniform of the
mounted police. 1t came along at the
smart trot to which the police horse
Is educated, and in half an hour
Harold Brook drew up beside us.
"Hello, Lane and Hall !" the police
man greeted us. Getting back from
your harvest excursion?"
So it was evident he knew we had
been away, and why But Jack, wheth-
er he thought of this or not, answered
him cordially.
"We're on the home stretch" he ad-
mitted, "and old Fourteen and Twen-
ty-two will look pretty good to US.
after cook cars and cabooses."
The lightest kind of smile flickered
about Brooks lips. "And so it should"
he agreed, with two fine girls such
as adorn your respective homesteads.
/ was in the district last night"
"Were the girls well?', forced my.
self to say, partly because l felt my
silence was beginning to shout, and
\ partly because Of real anxiety abou,
| them.
II believe so. didn't see them, my
self; came in by the south and land
ed first with your neighbor, Spool. Cap
ital chap; stayed overnight with him,
and smoked up nearly all of his Eng
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