The Coolidge examiner., 1935-09-13

amt" he said. you've got 20
drive In"
"An right. Jase." she replied. 20
have Il done with. Now I've got
10 finish the separator"
The shining metal Of the separa.
tor made whlrlIng disks before her
eyes. Jlm-Gentleman JIM Her
only brother. younger than herself.
handsome and wild as their grand.
father had been Not made for this
land their grandfather bad home.
gfcaded on. though. Going OF the
deep end when his wife. Anna Eg
strnm. that lovely Swede. had died
without asking your leave. Jim
had gone away then. leaving her.
Sonhronla. In possession Of half this
farm that had belonged 20 their IA
ther and their grandfather-leaying
her with the responsibility OF the
entire farm. his own half as well
as hers! Going OF after his wlfe's
death. with his en-ycar-old
daughter. ms though the earth had
swallowed them up. What had
there been FOR SophrouIa 20 do but
Ia marry Roderick Willard. the
widower on q farm IN the next
county, he had built this new
house on the ridge. not more than o
stones throw above the little old
place IN which the Grenoblcs had
lived for three generations, In which
silver Crenoble bad been born md
Anna Eestrom had died
Rodcriek willard had been kind
Sophron.a had loved him. she sup
pos..d. so fnr as she knew anything
~ love And his two sons. In their
early teens then. had responded 20
her mothcr.ng. had Hnectlonately
accented her. Bot Roderlcs. who
had sold his own farm before bis
marriage 10 Sophronla. had wanted
10 secure complete possession of the
crenoble farm Jim Grenoble. FOR
some romantic reason. had refused
10 sell bis section. although kod
crlck and bis sons had worked 81
through ali the years.
Two years after her marriage 70
Rodcrics willard. when her step.
sons we're In high school ut Heron
River. Sophronla had had her first
news 81 jim lie and Silver were
In Alaska. Jim did not say what
no was doing. but silver was being
looked after IN convent school
Jim sent two thousand dollars. that
time. FOR Phronle TO carry on the
work of the farmland no ques
tlnns asked. The farm was paying
its way then. and more Phronie
thought Jim had probably gone
crazy.
Next year Jim was in Nevada
And later In Mexico. Mining, he
said. His daughter was also In
Mexico. In the care of nuns. and
vas learning spanish and German
and French. Sophronia. remember
ing the fair child of seven. who was
50 much Ike that dreamy. foreign
mother % hers. wondered So
phronla wrote Jim then that her
husband. Roderick Willard. wanted
10 buy him out Bot Jim bad some
sentimental attachment FOR the
place. because OF his wife Anna,
who had called * YgdradL That
word. In Morse mythology. Anna
had said. meant the Tree of Life.
There was a huge oak In front OF
the old Greaoble farm house
They couldn; bulge Jim. lie
refused 10 sell. Why did he want
to hang on 10 a farm that be never
meant TO visit again? He was
gambling for n living. Sophronia
would have guessed that. even
though Newt Fisher. who had run
into him In Nevada. hadn't brought
the news back. But his wife Anna
had curiously loved her Ygdrasil--
silly name, silly woman, Sophronia
always grew uncomfortable when
she thought OF Anna. Well. who
hadn't loved herr She was gentle
as spring rain.
And waat would this daughter
OF hers be like? Sophronla won
dered with miSgiyIng. Product o:
converts (of all thIngs-and Jim
raised a Presbyterian , and board
Ing schools from Nome 10 Mica
ragua-daughter Of n fairy mother
who had died at twenty-elght, and
a father madder than his own
grandfather. who would lay be:s
with the moon as TO the color OF
It's back-halr - what would the
daughter be like? She had been
born on this farm, II was true. but
would she remember anything of II
that was sane and sound;
/Tn pE r0NTTNTrEnJ