The Harvester

xt morning, and laid a caressing hand on Belshazzar's head. "At two o'clock we are going to see her, and we

n, and polish a piece of furniture before he ate his lunch and hitched Betsy to the wagon. He also had recovered his voice, and talked almost incessantly as he worked. When it neared time to start he dressed carefully. He stood before his bookcase and

depression, improve the health, and then do the love making. So, in the most business-like manner possible and without a shade of embarrassment, the Harvester took his

ich she sat the day before to a more shaded location, where a big tree would serve for a back rest. He pulled away brush and windfalls, heaped dry brown leav

race to meet her and she bent to stroke his head. She wore the same dress and appeared even

ghtened at the stack of herbs. You needn't gather all of those. They are only suggestions. They are just

ce of exquisite beauty, but so marred by pallor and lines of care that search was required to recognize just how handsome she was, and if he had not seen her in perfection in the dream the Harvester might have missed glorious

there? Why should he take so much trouble for her? With difficulty she restrained herself from springing up and running away. Turning with t

stuff for drugs is really very serious business. You see, I've a reputation to sustain with some of the biggest laboratories in the country, not to mention the fact that I sometimes try compounding a new remedy for some common complaint myself. I rather take p

ng its place. She was looking straight at him, and as he talked he could see

suppose there are men who deliberately adulterate pure stuff to make it go farther, but when it comes to drugs, I scarcely can speak of it calmly. I like to do a thing right. I raise most of my plants, bushes, and herbs. I gather exactly in season, wash carefully if water dare be used, clean them otherwise if not, and dry them by a hot air system in an evaporator I built purpo

interested, much impressed, and more at ease. When the Harvester saw he had talked her into confi

ust me to collect for you, I will undertake only what

een cents a pound, that are in season just now. I suppose you would lik

wered, "I will commence on whatever yo

idly conscious of a broken shoe she was hiding beneath her skirts. He wanted

just now on mu

of animation in her voice. "The tall, yellow flow

hat a pretty way to describe i

flower and leaf formation, nothing at all of what anything was good for.

d pottery. They are the same old subjects worked over and over. If you can draw enough to make original copies, I can furnish you with flowers, vines, birds, and insects, new, unused, and of exquisite beauty, for every month in the year. I've looked into the matter a little, because I am rather handy with a knife, and I carve candlesticks from suitable pieces of wood. I always have trouble getting my designs copied; securing something new an

an copy correctly. I often made designs for embroidery and

buy them o

oubt

y anything

with others. One place was all I work

t," said the Har

me," faltered the Girl. "I had better g

u work, and it should bring you more money. Besides, I very much want a moth copied for a candlestick I am carving. Won't you dra

and stared straight ahead of her f

y material at the shop and I drew the design and was paid for the pattern. I didn't kn

ty-five cents a pound for them. By the time you get a few pounds I can have material you need for drawing here an

appear to me that I would be under more oblig

esitate a second about drawing on it, because I am in a hurry for the moth pattern. I find time to carve only at night, you see. As for being under obligations to a stranger, in the first place all the debt would be on my side. I'd get the drugs and the pattern I want; and, in the second place, I positively and emphatically refuse to be a stranger. It would be so much better to be mutual helpers a

what to think,

that you are too weary now. Don't dream of such a foolish thing as thinking. Don't worry over motives and obligations. Say to yourself, 'I'll

the yellow heads everywhere. Strip the petals and bring them here, and I'll come for them every d

l and notebook

ls and brushes; how man

s if struggling to decide what to

pap

wn, and asked if

n Onabasha. The art stores should keep these things. An

a flash across

of colour, but I never could afford it, and of course, I can't now. But

a certain length of time, they always veer and go right a while as compensation. Don't think of anything save that you are at the turning. Since it is all settled that we are to be pa

ever could face that! It is not quite one hun

pay more than half; that I know. I can br

k, hesitated, and a

I can find a way to go to town? It's too far to walk and I

bring it to you and you can write a note and explain to whom you want it paid, and I'll take it to the

e money to pay that much on what I owe, and then lost it, I simply

hat little bird on the bush there just told me so, and you are always safe when you trust the feathered folk. If you are going to

rather finish life in the open than return to the city. It is horri

mean to say that you are afraid any part of the

. The last few weeks constitute my entire experience with the country, and I'm in mortal fear that snakes will drop from trees and bushes or spring from the ground. Some places I

't endure it! Do you mean to tell m

his eyes

t taking a stick and poking all around it first. Every minute I th

th the tan, and that developed a ni

our tortures?"

ered. "What do I know of you or

th the atmosphere that breed

Heaven. Undoubtedly it is gracious

robably equal fear of me, you are here an

d flood for the money I owe

esture. The Harvester drew forth a roll

under your feet, and try, I beg of you, try to force yourself to have confidence

gave it a contemptuous whirl

t could I have by any possibil

ot speak, she grew restless. At last she slowly arose and circling him looked into his face. It was convulsed with a struggle in which love and patience fought for supremacy over honest anger. As h

ut

p the hill. The Girl sh

uncle?" asked

no

-morrow for your

es

is absolutely nothing, either underf

es

ublic safety, and that I would do much to help you

es

that there is nothing in all this

scream in gruff man-ton

tching up her skirts she ran through the woo

arvester pulled her around and drove toward the country. Not until they crossed the railroad did he lift his head and then he drew a deep breath as if starved for pure air and spoke. "Not to-day Betsy! I can't face my friends just now. Someway I am making an awful fist of things. Everything I do is wrong. She no more tr

ight as well have gone with a week's beard, a soiled shirt, and a leer! And I've always been as dece

anyway, Belshazzar. Maybe the man who said a dog was a man's best friend was right. You always trusted me, didn't you Bel? And you never regretted it but once, and that wasn't my fault. I never did it! If I did, I'm getti

anxiety to offer the co

'like begetting like' she is bound to care for me some day, for I love her past all expression, and for all she feels I might as well save my breath. But she has got to awake some day, Bel. She can make up her mind to that. She can't see 'why.' Over and over! I wonder what she would think if I'd up and tell her 'why' with no frills. She will drive me to it some day, then probably the