Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-01-31
Two Bites to
a Cherry

(Copyright.)


tCopyright.)
r ORAINE had climbed to the gram
- airy without thought Of trouble.
Her pet Brahma had stolen a nest
somewhere and since Lorraine had
searched all the likely places, she had
turned to the unlikely. The ventilators
were too high for chicken f1ights-es-
pecially for the shOrt-winged, heavy
bodied.
Adventurously climbing the ladder
by whose help the high openings were
shut, she saw, amazed, upon a few
loose boards, and handful, no more,
of bright straw, seven beautiful big
eggs, white at first view but pinkish
pearl if you studied them. Clean out
of reach unless you took chances. The
boards lay loosely upon the wind
beams, so might tip If one strained to
reach.
A swift thought set her laughing
silently. If she fell, the clean wheat
heaped below would save her bones,
but what a mess the breaking eggs
would make Of it! And dad so proud
of tits bright color, it's weight and
plumpness, it's uniformity, scarcely a
weed seed to a bushel. Already he
had sent samples to the state fair
which opened next week, and chary as
he was of idlings and outings, she had
almost a certainty that he would go
himself and take her with him. He
wouldn't think of it, though, If she
spoiled more than a handful of the
wheat.
But she wanted her prize eggs.
Specs neck ought to be wrung for
what she had done-only one does not
wiring necks of feathered folk that win
prizes. :
i By crawling lightly across the wind
beams, Lorraine reached the insecure
nest and gathered all seven eggs. Her
heart beating with excitement, she
thought, "What can I do with them.
Then the sleeves of her blouse flashed
across her consciousness. Carefully
but swiftly she stripped it off, knotted
the sleeves together at the ends,
weighted them as equally as the num-
Der seven made possible, slung the i'm
provised carrier over her back, and
began slow and cautious descent,
followed by merry: Don't shoot
I'm nothing worse than wheat buyer
coming up to see the wonder crop alb
the neighbors have been Dragging
about"
pnff or oil
bushel just to look at it-and thirty
to take away half a handful" she
cried, intent only on sending the man
away. He laughed, merry, whole
some peal, mounted the steep stair
two steps at time, and darted out
to the wheat bins, to plunge arms and
!elbows into the splendid grain, then
all but bury his face in it, before look
ing about him.
The granary was oddly dusk, yet
oddly lighted-cross-lighted indeed
from the double row of ventilatOrs.
Those westerly let in narrow ribbons
of gilded notes that criss-crossed into
a weird lattice with the gray-blue
streams from the east They wove a
magic garment about the girl upon the
ladder, her bare arms flashing white
against the brown dusks of the wooden
wall.
/. Huddling herself into the narrowest
: compass she said plaintively: "Oh,
please go away-I'll fall in just an
other minute"
! "Not with me here" the stranger
said alertly, darling to the tipping
ladder, and firming it with his Shout
! der. "You come down-quick! I
won't look-on my honor! Now!"
! "Take care! Eggs are the messiest
! things!" Lorraine cautioned.
/, fright you are" he assented, then
, setting her feet on firm floor: "I1l
wait Outside-and never tell anybody
just how and where found you"
go to the households at home
: maybe I'll see you later" Lorraine MUIR
INJURED, making haste to nest the eggs
in the far corner of the farthest bin.
Cliff Byram, wheat buyer, obeyed,
somewhat dazedly; the girl had laid
upon something inside him never be-
fore stirred. His pulses had leaped
as he lifted her down. He did not put
into words what he had felt-simply
because he could not He'd see her
again-many times unless he lost his
eyesight. By this time he had reached
the porch where comfortable looking
gentleman sat smoking a cob pipe
Followed explanation. BY time that
was all settled came the call to sup,
per. Byram accepted it in matter Of
course fashion. 1t was the custom Of
his country to feed the stranger with,
in the gates. He could not vision any;
ether.
He sat next to Lorraine, but without
losing appetite for the light rolls,
honey, and butter, such as he had;
dreamed of, yet never before tasted.
The state fair was the very best,
ever. Burton grain swept the boards,
and Loraine's yearling heifer carried
off the blue ribbon in her class, also