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About The Springfield news. (Springfield, Lane County, Or.) 1916-2006 | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1921)
7 r;-o?ri. Cefyrkjht. All Rights ResenVd HUNGRY HUNGRY." Synopsis. Dissatisfied because of the seenilng-ly barren outlook of his position as a echool teacher In a Canadian town, John Harris deter mine to leave l take up land In Manitoba and become a "home steader. Mary, the girl whom he loves, declares she will accompany Mm. They are married and set out lor the unknown country. They select a homestead, build a home and begin their lite work of mak ing the prairie fertile farm land. Ueturnlng from selling his first crop, Harris finds his wife despon dent almost to Insanity from lone liness, and with the Immediate ex pectation of becoming a mother. A son Is born to them, to whom they give the name of Allan. The story now Jumps forwa'J twenty-five years. Harris Is prosperous and all for getting rich. Mary Is toll-worn and saddened over the change In her husband. Allan works with his rather. Beulah, the pretty daugh ter. Is rebellious at the shut-In farm life. Jim T ravers is an un usual hired man. CHAPTER IV Continued. "Jim. she taild, after a while, when the noise of the milking was drowned !n the creamy froth. "I'm getting near the end of this kind of thing. Father's getting more and more set on money all the time. He thinks I should slave along too to pile up more teslde what lie's got already, but Tin not going to do it much longer. I'm not afraid oi work, or hardship either. I'd live In a shack if I had to, I'd" "Would you live in a shack?" said Jim. She shot a quick look at him. But be was quietly smiling into his milk pall, and she decided to treat bis question impersonally. "Yes, I'd live In a shack, too. If I had to. I put in my first years In a sodhcuse, and there was more real happiness romping up and down the land then than there Is now. In those days everybody was so poor that money didn't count . . . It's differ ent now." Jim did not pursue the subject, and the milking was completed in silence. Jim finished first, and presently the rising hum of the cream separator was heard from the kitchen. "There he goes, winding his am off for me," said the girl, as she rose from the last cow. "Poor Jim I wish I knew whether it's just human kind ness mokes him do It, or whether " She stopped, coloring a little over the thought that bad almost escaped iuto words. When the heavy grind of the sepa rating was finished Jim went quietly to his own room, but the girl put on a clean dress and walked out through the garden. At the lower gate she stooped to pick a flower, which she held for a moment to her face; then, toying lightly with it in her fingers, she slipped the latch end continued along the path leading down Into the ravine. To the. right lay the bench where the sodhou.se had stood, net 30 much as a mound now marking the spot; but the thoughts of the girl turned yearningly to It, and to the duys of the lonely but not unhappy childhood which It had sheltered. Presently she reached the water, and her quick ear caught the sound of a muskrat slipping gently Into the stream from the reeds on the opposite tank ; she could see the widening wake where he plowed his swift way across the pond. Then her own figure stood up before her, graceful and lithe as the willows on the bank. She sur veyed it a minute, then flicked the flower at her face In the water, and turned slowly homeward. She was not unhappy, but a dull sense of loss oppressed her a sense that the world was very rich and very beautiful, and that she was feasting neither on its richness nor Its beauty. There was a stirring of music and poetry In her soul, but neither music nor poetry found expression. And presently she discovered she was thinking about Jim Trovers. Iler mother sat In the dining room, knitting by. the light of the hanging lamp. Iler fare seemed very pale and lovely In the soft glow. "Don't you think you have done enough?" 6ald the girl, slipping Into a sitting posture on the floor by her mother's knee, "You work, work, work, all the time. I suppose they'll have to let you work In heaven." "We value our work more as we grow older," Buld the mother. . . . "It helps to keep us from thinking." There you go!" exclaimed the girl; Lut there wos a tenderness In her Th Cow lmcherfEtc S. III.. .4 L! - Irwiix yer voice. "Worrying ngnln. I wish they'd stay home for a change. The mother plied her needles In silence. "Slip away to bed, Beulah. she said at length. "I will wait up for a while." Late lo the night the girl heard heavy footsteps lu the kitchen and bursts of loud but Indistinct talking. CHAPTER V. Notwithstanding Harris' late hours the household was early astir the fol lowing morning. At five o'clock Jim was at work In the stables, feeding, rubblug down and harneselug his horses, while Allan and his father walked to the engine, where they built a fresh fire nd made some minor re pairs. A Utile later Beulah came down to the corral with her mllk-palls, and the cows, comfortably chewing where they rested on their warm spots of earth, rose slowly and with evident great reluctance at her approach. The Harris farm, like fifty thousand others, rose from Its brief hush of rest and quiet to the sounds and energies of another day. Breakfast, like the meal of the night before, was eaten hurriedly, and at first without conversation, but at length Harris paused long enough to remark, "Biles Is talklu o' goln' West." "The news might be worse," snld Beuluh. Biles, although a successful farmer, had the reputation of being grasping and hard to a degree, even In a community where such quali ties. In moderation, were by no means considered vices. Harris paid no attention to his daughter's Interruption. It was evi dent, however, thot his mention of Biles had a purpose behind it, and presently he continued: "Biles has been wrltln to the de partment of the Interior, and It seems they're openln" a lot of land fbr home- "Say, Jim, Honestly, What Makes You Do itr" steadln awny West, not far from the Itocky mountains. Seems they have a good climate there, and good soil, too." "I should think Mr. Biles would be content with whut he has," said Mary Harris. "He has a fine farm here, and I'm sure both him and bis wife have worked hard enough to take it easier now." - "Hard work never killed nobody," pursued the farmer. "Biles Is good for many a year yet, and free land ain't what it once was. Those homesteads'll be worth twenty dollars an acre by the time they're proved up." Breakfast and Harris' speech came to an end simultaneously, and the sub ject was dropped for the time. In a few minutes Jim had his team hitched to the tank wagon In the yard. The men jumped aboard and the wagon rattled down the road to where the engine and plows sut In the stubble field. "What notion's this father's got about Biles, do you suppose, mother?" asked Beuluh, as the to women bus ied themselves with the morning work in the kitchen. "Iear knows," sold her mother, wearily. "1 hope he doesn't take It in his head to go out there, too." "Who, Dud? Oil, he wouldn't do that. His heurt'u quite wrupped up In ftp tw t v mni II II the tarm here. ,1 wish he'd unwrap It a bit and let It peek out nt times." "I'm not so sure. I'm beginning to think It's the money that's In the farm your father's heart Is set on. If the money was to he made somewhere else his heart would soon hhlft. Here I've slaved and saved until I'm nn an old woman, and what better are we for It? We've better things to eut and more thing to wear and a bigger house to keep clean, ami your father thinks we ought to be satisfied. But he Isn't satisfied himself. He's slaving harder than ever, and now he's got this notion about going West. Oh, you'll. soo It will come to that. He knows our life Isn't complete, and he thinks more money will complete It. All the exerlenco of twenty years hasn't taught hi in any better." Beulah stood aghast at this out! urt. and when her mother paused and looked at her. and she saw the unbid den wells of water gntherlng In the tender eyes, the girl could no longer restrain herself. With a cry she flung her arms about her mother's neck, and for a few moments the two forgot their habitual restraint and were but naked souls mingling together. "Your father Is hungry," said th mother. "Hungry hungry, and ha thinks that more land, mora money, more success, will (111 him. And In the meantime he's forgetting the things that would satisfy the love that was ours, the llttl devo Oh, child, what am I saying? What an unfaithful creature I am? You must forget, Beulah, you must forget these words words of shnme they are!" "The sham Is his," declared the girl, defluiitly, "and I won't stand this nonsense about lioinestendlng again I just von ( stand It. If he says any thing more about It I'll I'll fly off, that's what I'll do. And I've a few re marks for him about Biles that won't keep much longer. The old badger he's at the bottom of all this." "You mustn't quarrel with your fa ther, deurle, you mustn't do that." "I'm not going to quarrel with him. but I'm going to siiy some things that need saying. And If It comes lo a showdown, and he mu.st go well, he must, but you and I will stay with the old funn, won't we, mother" "There, there now," the mother said, gently stroking her daughter's hair. "Let us forget this, and remember how niucn we liuvc to be thankful for. We have our health, and our home, rnd the bright Bunshlne. and I declare," she Interrupted, catching a glimpse of something through the window, "If the cows haven't broken from the lower pasture and are all through the oat field I You'll have to take Collie and get them back, somehow, or bring them up to the corral." Pulling a sun-bonnet upon her head Beulah called the dog. which came leoplng upon ber with bolsterout. af fection, and hurried down the path to the field where the cows stood almost lost In a jungle of green oats. She soon located the breach In the fence and, with the help of the dog. quickly turned the cows toward It. But alack I Just as victory seemed assured a rab bit was frightened from Its hiding place In the green oats and sulled forth In graceful bounds across the pasture. The dog, of course, conclud ed that the capture of the rabbit was of much more vital Importance to the Harris homestead than driving any number of stupid rattle, and darted across the field in pursuit, wasting his breath In sharp, eager yelps as he went- Whereuon the cows turned on t ward again, not boisterously nor Insolently, bu. with a calm persistence that steadily wore out the girl's strength and patience. She was In no Joyous mood at best, and the perverse ness of things aggravated her beyond endurance. Her callings to the cattle became more arid more tearful, aud presently ended io a sob, "There, now, Beulah, don't worry; we will have th'-m In a minute," said a quiet voice, and looking about she found J I in almost at her elbow, his om nipresent smile ptuylng gently about his white teeth. "I wus down at the creek filling the tank, when I saw you had a little rebellion on your hands, and I thought re-enforcements might be In order." "You might 've hollered forther back," she suld, half reproachfully, but there was a light of appreciation In her eye when she dured raise It towat him. "I'm afraid I wus beginning to be very foolish." She tripped again on the treacherous buckwheat, but he held her arm In a strong grasp against which the weight of her til m figure seemed but as a feather blown ugainst a wall. Then they set ubout their tusk, but the sober-eyed cows t ad no thought of be ing easily deprived of their fea.it, and It was some time before they were ail turned buck Into the pasture and trie fence temporarily repaired behind them. "I can't thank you enough, Beulah was saying. "You just keep piling one kindness on top of another. Say, Jim, honest, what makes you do it?" But at that moment the keen blast of an engine whistle came cutting through the air a long clear note, fol lowed by a series of too' t In rapid suc cession, "I guess they're running short of water," said Jim. "I must hustle " So saving he run to the ford of the creek where the iank-wagin was still stand ing, and lit a minute his strong, frame was swaying buck and forth to tha rhythmic clunking of the pump. Meanwhile other things were trnna plrlng. Harris bad rcturn.'d from town the night before with tlnv-fixed Intention of paying an enrly visit to the Farther Wct. !' "' tl,"" hn'' spent mote time than they should breasting the vlllnge bnr. while the latter drew a picture of rising color of the possibilities which the new hinds afforded. Harris was not a man who abused himself with liquor, and Biles, too. rarely forgot that Indulgence wn expensive, and hud to be paid for In cash. Moreover. Allan occasioned his father some uneasiness. He was young, and had not jet learned the self con trol to be expected In later life. More than once of lata Allan hud crossed tho boundary of moderation and John Harris was by no menus Indifferent to the welfare of his only son. Indeed, the bond between the two was so real and so Intense that Harris had never been able to bring himself to contem plate their separation, and the boy had not even ao much as thought of estab lishing a home of his own. The Idea of homesteadlng together assured fur ther years of close relationship be tween fnther and son. and tho younger man fell In whole-heartedly with It. Bat Jim smiled and saldi "No accident at all. I have merely decided lo $ horae teading. (TO UK CONTINUKU.) PRIMITIVE SOUTH SEA CHART On Used by Native Navigators of the Marshall Islands Was Made of Sticks. A sea chart of the South Sea Islands made of slicks, which served as an ac curalo and authoritative guide for the daring nnvlgntors of the Marshall Islands Just as modern maps do. la one of the exhibits to be sera In the South Sea Island hall of the Amerlcau Museum of Natural History In New York. The strange sea chart Is the gift of Bobert Louis Stevenson, who lived on the Island of Samoa , four years before his death. Distances between the islands were measured by hours, not miles. These charts aro but little used now, but there was a time when each young chief was compelled to puss Ids exam Inatlon In the charts, knowing them by heart, as they never we-e taken to sea. Some students say the sJcks represent currents, as there are four distinct seta of swells from four quarters of the seas at various seasons of naviga tion, which wera closely studied bj the natives. Reform Vs. Prevention. A Los Angeles woman, who has de voted much time and effort to an In stltutlon that aids unfortunate girls, referring to the difficulties she encoun tered In gaining sympathy and support for an enterprise that Is not spec tacular, writes In the Los Angeles Times: "Isn't It queer that people always take so much more Interest In reform ing than in preventing? Should the time ever come when I need help, I shall go out and rob a bank, or some thing like that. Then I shiill be cared for, and good, charitable people will bring me flowers and things." There Is much truth In this, the Times adds. We pet and coddle the sinner, but we full to aid those who are tempted. Making Slate Pencils. In Europe slate pencils are iisomIIj made by bund, but In this country thev are turned out by machinery. There Ik In Pennsylvania a quarry famous for the line quullty of Its slate, which yields many millions of pencils an nually. The rough material Is first sawed Into suitable pieces and then each piece Is cut to standard length, Inches. Tl.a machinery produces the pencils In the form of cylindrical rods of that length, which ore pointed on emery wheels by boys, who handle them by twos and threes with great dexterity and rapidity. I-'Inully they are put up In pasteboard boxes of 100 each. Wanted to Bs "Parked." Mother, auntv nnd little Ktta were downtown shopping. Ktta was quite tired, and they still had many places to go to before they had finished their purchasing. Presently they happened to pass through the rest room and the leather-covered chairs looked Inviting to Ktta. Turning to her mother, she remarked: "Couldn't you park me here while you nnd aunty do the rest of your shopping?" Genius. Genius Is supposed to he a power of producing excellencies which are out of reach of the rules of urt; a power which no precepts can teach and which no Industry can acquire. Sir JokIiiih Beynolils. After .'10 you can't make anybody mad by not Inviting lilin to a picnic. 6XDUT5 (C'undui'led by National Council of the Hoy Mcoule of Amor lea SCOUTS, OFFICIAL FIREMEN In Stamford, Conn., boy scouts ara drilled to assist the police lit holding buck crowds at fires. They also make Inspect Ions of tho schools and report to the fire department the condition of lire escapes, tire extinguishers, flra doors, hose an. alarms, and how long It takes to get the children out of the school building In fire drills. They ac lively assist In fighting forest fires un der the direct Ion of the flra depart ments. After having attained second class runk, a Stamford boy scout may take an examination, which, If satisfactorily met, entitles him to re ceive a certificate signed by the chief of the fire department, the Ore marshal and the scout executive. This cer tificate makes him formally a luemlier of the fire department, which may call upon him for service In time of emer gency. All Blackstone Valley, B. I., Is also lo have boy scouts as regular fire de partment aids. Scouts are to Ihj In structed In flru fighting and preven tion, and will be so moHllxcd as to be ready for action at a given signal when their assistance Is required. From the oilier side of the map, too, comes Hie report that In Cordova, Alaska, a boy scout troop Is to co-operate with the local fire department ami will use a fire station fr meet ing place and gymnasium. A SCOUT 18 PREPARED. I Miring an Ice hockey game Inst winter at StotivUle, N. V., one of the players. Keiinelh Mucl'hnil, skated off Into thin Ice over the chnnnel, fol lowed closely. In the excitement of the game by three other lads. The three had Just time to draw back as the Ice gave way under the other boy, letting him down Into the deep, frigid water. The frightened boy clutched at the Ice which, of course, broke with his touch. The two older boys. Kenneth Gardner and Balph Schmcr horn, were all for Jumping Instantly to the aid of their friend, but tha third and youngest boy, Kintl Tcgt melr, urged different prnedure, know. Ing that rashness would only succeed In endangering the lives of all with out helping the victim. According to Kmlt's orders, the rescuers laid them selves flat on the Ice. at safe distance from the hole, one holding onto tho next, forming a human chain. Thus distributing their weight, they wrig gled toward the danger st and ex tended a hockey stick to MacPhatl, which he grasped and pulled himself out to safety. The whole Incident serves as nn excellent Illustration of the fact that a scout really Is "pre pared." resourceful, clearheaded, brave quick to see what his Job Is, nnd to do It, no matter at what risk to himself. A false movement, a waste of a moment lu argument would have undoubtedly spelled disaster. 6C0UT8 FOR FORESTRY. Boy scout of Comanche county, Oklahoma, are going In extensively for forestry work. At the suggestion of the forest supervisor of the Wach itu national forest, Frank Bush, the local chamber of commerce of Law ton, gave a free nursery site uud pro vided enough money to stock It with seed. Boy scouts did the planting Un der the supervision of Mr. Bush, and have Meverul thousand seedlings which are to be distributed free among the boys and girls of tho county. Several hundred trees will be planted this spring lu Oklahoma City, Atlus, Okla., and Wichita Fulls, Texas, from seed lings supplied by the Law ton scouts. Supervisor Bush Is very enthusiastic about tho plan and believes' that the boy scouts cun be a great fuctor In starting a movement for foresting the barren plains of the southwest. RESCUES WOMAN FROM DEATH. Senior Putrol Leader, John Hoi lings of Pleusantvllle, N. J., a thirteen-year-old youngster, saved tha life of a woman not long ugo by his prompt und courageous action. The woman wus on tho ru 1 1 road truck und suw one truln coming, but did not see the other until it wus almost ui on her. She was paralyzed with fright us the thundering express boro down upon her. This was ttie mo ment for uctlon, and luckily a wout wuu on the spot, an lustunt before the truln was, Ho leaped onto tho truck regardless of his own danger and lit erally dragged the bewildered woman froiy the path of tho engine, holding her with one urni and the fence with tho other, mIi'Id tho monster Hew pust, only a few hiches uwuy from tho two.