The Harvester

concerning his idea of Heaven, he never would have dreamed of describing a place of gold-paved streets, crystal pillars, jewelled gates, and thrones of ivor

ou that Medicine Woods on a damp, sunny May morning was Heaven. And he would have added that only one angel, tall and slender, with the pink of health on her cheeks and the dew of happiness in her dark eyes, was necessary to enter and establish glory. Everything spoke to him that morning, but the Harvester was silent. It had been his habit to talk constantly to Belshazzar, A

up the roots. When four heaping baskets were filled he cut heavily leaved branches to spread over them, and started to Onabasha. A

these to the city all woodsy and fresh we can't sell them. Wonder where we can

ughed, and he laughed. A crow on the fence Joined him, and a kingfis

elps them that help themselves.' Now you just watch us ma

ove through the most prosperous street until he reached the residence district. At the first home he stop

t the back door," snapped a pert mai

ster lift

lady of the house that I

name,

fine mushrooms, freshly

the door had closed before his face, and the basket had been picked deftly fro

want for th

with those mushrooms, so he took one long, speculative look d

llar a

ny are

s I sell them.

the mushrooms one by one into a dish pan and in a few minutes brought back seven dollars and fifty

e to bring all you have to sell here, and t

hrooms," said the di

street, whistled to Betsy to come, and went to the next gate. Here he hesitated. Should he risk further snubbing at the front door or go back at once. If he did, he only wo

ter gasped

e used at once,

She wants to tr

t," he said. "I-I don't usually sell

can't let her have th

fill for regular customers

e ashamed not to let people who are willing to pay your o

one party twice," said the Harvester as he entere

t your place," calle

nce more he asked to speak with the lady of the house. As the girl tur

you there?"

eaves and exposed the musk

nd of them. I will take the basket, and divide with my s

said the Har

you want fo

r a dozen; I have

't that rathe

at most people don't think of taking over a dozen.

seem expensive, but they are fresh, and the boys are so fond of them.

asket counted over and carried away, and he felt

r in the wagon. Three blocks on one side of the street exhausted his store and he was showered with orders. He had not seen any one that eve

sense are you doing?"

e no poisonous ones among them, and they were gathered this morning. Considering their rarity and the difficult work of collecting, they are exceedingly

t he could speak he said, "David, I'll bet you started with three b

d they ordered me to the back door, took a market basket full away from m

the steering gear

or rather they are entirely too much of a go. I never saw anything in such demand. I must seek a less popular article

ty sake," peep

t, so I locate her?" super

find her!" ga

anyway," said the Harvester. "Your mus

ed on her legs. Then he left her to rest and walked until

red, he started to Onabasha, and began where he had quit the day before. This time he carried a

at part of the city, for a freshly ca

en living here?" blandly

your business?"

ering something especially intended for young w

are s

hey would care for bouquets of

y, and how large

right size to appear well. They

the basket, but the

ssession," he said. "

ong-stemmed blue violets with their leaves. The flowers were

he maid. "Oh,

th them and returne

nches," she said. "

who want them

rence does

ondes, yellow for brunettes

fair, and two have bro

as if matching women's hair and eyes with flowers were

o Betsy. "At last we have it. There are no dar

a dark-eyed girl. There did not seem to be many. Long before his store of yellow violets was gone the last blue and white had disappeared. B

the door. He uncovered and in his suavest tones inquired if a brunette y

? Do you mean to tell me that there are now able-bodied men of

make a profit very well worth while. I had an equal number of blue and white, but I see the dark girls are

't call that fiddlin' business

's gay laugh

olets on my knees, make them into bunches, and bring them here in water to keep them fresh. I have another occu

have no use for a human being without a generous supply of it. There is a very beautif

the Harvester. "Would you like to

usually take my choice.

ty," said the Harvester. "Won't you accept the last one f

rls. I used to gather them when I was a child, but I almost never see the blue ones any more, and I d

flowers in making delicate tests for acids and alkalies. The entire plant, flower, seed, leaf, and root, goes into different remedies. The beds seed themselves and spread, so I have more than I need for the chemists, and I

mean to tell me that lilies

vester

aris majallis of the drug houses and I scarcely know what the weak-hearted people would do without t

ll dear me! Are roses g

Harvester

hey do make medicine of Canadian rock rose and rose bay, laurel, and wi

u are not that queer genius I've heard of, who spends his time huntin

madam, I am that man

you look just like anybody else. I thought you'd have long hair, and be wild-ey

lifting his hat. "You don't wa

'em, and I'm going to keep on liking them. If you ca

," corrected

e thing. If you've got any left, as I was sa

yellow were not so plentiful as the white and blue, next day he added buttercups and cowslips to his store for the dark girls. When he had rifled his beds for the last time, after three weeks of almost daily trips to town, and had paid high prices to small boys he set searching the

gon, threw the lines to Belshazz

sake where?

the street. A policeman b

o get arrested, Doc," c

y. If I stop you jump out, and tell the blame policemen to get at the

you think you should tell me? Maybe she is in

he doctor. "I am doi

efore a large store and went in. When he returned he drove to the hospita

crazy policeman yelled at me to clear the crossing and it didn't hit me for a half block how tall and white she was and how dark her eyes were. I was just thinking about her picking up the flowers, and that it was queer for her to do it, when like a brick it hit me, THAT'S DAVID'S GIRL! I tried to turn around, but you know what Main Street is in the middle of the day. And those idiots of policemen! They ordered me on, and I couldn't turn for a street car coming, so I cal

go back to the street

and came here to see if I could find you, and we've hunted it an hour more! What's

appear il

a chair and threw ou

ad of running in before me, and there came those two girls right under the car from the other side. I only had a glimpse of her as she stooped for the f

iped his face and expressed

ave found her for me. I know you did all you could. I let her escape me. We will find her yet. It's glorio

tor med

re like you said, and she was plain, white faced, with a hue that might possibly be natural, and it might be confinement in bad light and air and poor food. She didn't seem sick,

gnosis is correct too. That's the way she seemed to me. I've thoug

the embroidery counter and she bought some silk. If she ever comes again the clerk is going to hold her and telephone me or get her address if she has to

he Harvester.

e lot! I'll bet she's walked over them for two weeks. If I were you I'd discharge the bunch. They'd be peacefully asleep if she

of and in the city or she wouldn't have picked

ed out in yours the past two weeks.

said the Harvester intensely. "Seem

ty herself. She is working at sewing in some room in town, either over a store or in a house. If she hadn't been starved for flowers she never would have stopped for them on the street

ibly I dare agree with

through with that

three f

all we have got to find her our

g, but they are not ripe yet, and a tragedy to pick. The pond lilies are just beginning to open by the thousand. The lake border is blue with sweet-flag that is lo

id, you do feel b

octor. Surely it w

cine Woods, and that night for the first time in many days he sat long over

the last remnants of early spring herbs, in the dry-r

offered bunches of exquisite wood and field flower

y thin, pale, and worried entered the offic

ed the town. I've almost walked off my legs. I've sold

I've killed two dogs and grazed a baby, because I was watching th

t a few days so I can think more clearly. I don't know what I'll try next. I've punched up

f money and heaping it on the table,

earth i

cheek my way into their homes and rob them, as one maid said, for my own purposes. Doc, where on earth does all the money come from? In almost every house I en

ou piling i

ant a penny of it. I wouldn't

to buy. You offered something they wan

d I am satisfied that I can't find her that way. I have kept up my work at home between times. I am not out anything but my time, and it isn't fair to plunder the city to pay that. Take that cussed m

re a f

natic, I am proud of the title. You c

the law that only a man can degrade himself. Knowing things will not harm you. Doing them is a different matter. What you know will be a protection. What you do ruins--if

or force it on me I'll take it

the seat beside him, recognized a silent, disappointed master and whi

If I knew where she is right now, Bel, I'd give anything I've got. But there's no use to wail and get sorry for myself. That's against the law of common decency. I'll take a