Hiram the Young Farmer

erved Hiram Strong when he was two blocks away from Dwigh

he country at once. It was too early in the season. Nor did it look so much like Spring as it had a week ago. Already H

the city for a few weeks to tide me over, I'm afraid I shall h

r, Hiram decided that there was nothing in that game. He must

etty soon, if business isn't better," was the

swers, pleasant ones and some that were not so pleasant

N

t, as he walked through the snow-blown streets. "How

-and that's sure. But I didn't know. I thought there

ght now. Why, I'll have to leave Mrs. Atterson's

ng for work. And when it comes to office positions, I haven't

ce wouldn't suit me. Oh, as a worker in the city I a

work at Dwight's Emporium. Indeed, the job he had lost now loomed up in his troubled min

han taken off her bonnet, however, and had had

n the front step!" she declared. "You can't fool

ng before his time, "I saw the poor old soul laid away, at least. I wish now I'

leasures in this world of toil and trouble!" added the boarding house mistress, to whom e

d me bein' his only blood relation, as you might say, though it was years since I s

n old horse that looks like a moth-eaten hide trunk we to have in our garret at h

egg as far as I could see, besides a sow and a litter of six pigs that

feed the boarders, too, I don't for the life of me s

ing to the significance of the old lady's cha

k skirt. "They go with the house and outbuildings-`all

asped Hiram. "He must h

, complacently. "And what I'm to do with it

his face flushing and hi

cularly handsome youth, but in hi

nodding. "That's the way it reads. The perches is in the henhouse, I s'pos

land!" repeated

," declared Mrs. Atterson. "If it wasn't for them it might not be so bad. Scoville's an awfully nice place, and

rs," pursued the lady, "I might go out there and live in the old house-which is

n!" broke in Hiram. "Thin

tell me," exclaimed the old lady, tartly. "I ain't go

a good farm?" quer

uldn't know one farm from another, exceptin' two can't be i

o-

the state of the real estate market in that section. Prices would be

s it been cropped to death? Is the soil worn out

od lady, "how should I know? And I c

s costin' me a dollar and a half a week. And there'll be taxes to pay, and-an

ittle and crops put in it would make a thousand dollars' di

Mrs. Atterson, "I'd be swamped

ong, trying to repress his

n one o' those aeroplanes and try to run it. I wouldn't be no mor

Atterson," said Hiram. "You could keep house out there just as wel

dness! I'd just as quick lea

s so wicked to you," laughed Hira

ake butter again-I used to do that when I was a girl at my aunt's. An

-Oh, stop your talkin', Hi Strong! That is too

ou, Mrs. Atterson," pers

de work-put in crops, and 'tend 'e

pportunity should not get p

a chance to show you what I can do," h

could be made to pay us, Hi?"

to the surface, "I'd want to see the place-to look it over pretty well, in fact-before I made any agreement. And I

n't approve of your going out there a

ain Monday morning," sa

ey say at the sto

Hiram, steadily. "So I won't l

uch money while I'm out of a job, of course. And I shall be out ther

pay you for my next week's board to-night, I'll pay my own expenses

r spectacles and now put them on

you can run a farm,

e smiled conf

ake it

e farm is fertile, and the marketing conditions are

full and there are always lone women like me with a little driblet of money to exchan

bles enough to part keep us, Hi, eve

nd the pigs, and milk from

terson. "I'd been lookin' on all them things a

so," responded

y. "Do you suppose it's true, Hi? Get rid of worryin' about paying the bills, and whether

an that you ever seen. It's a bargain. Don't you pay me a cent for this coming week. And I shouldn't h

e'll strike a bargain, I know. And-and-Just to think of getting rid of this house