Part 1 (2/2)

”Over on that other hill is where the old lady lives,” he said.

”What did you say her name was?”

”Well, her name _was_ first one thing then another, but it's Stuvic now.

She's been married several times--a Dutchman the last time, a good-hearted fellow that used to work for her first husband--a good talker in his way, smokin' all the time, and coughin' occasionally fit to kill himself. He liked to read, but he had to keep his books hid in the barn, for the old lady hates print worse than she does a snake. He'd wait till she was off the place, and then he'd go out and dig up his learnin'. But the minute he heard her comin'--and he could hear her a mile--he'd cover up his knowledge again. One day he told her he was goin' to die, and she might have believed him, but he had lied to her a good deal, so she hooted at him; but a few days afterwards he convinced her, and when she found he had told the truth, she jumped into a black dress and cried. Strangest creature that ever lived, I guess; and if you want to come to good terms with her tell her you can't read. She gets on a rampage once in a while, and then she owns the road. I saw her horse-whip a hired man. He had let a horse run away with him. She took the horse, hitched him to a buggy, jumped in, laid on the whip, and drove him at a gallop till he was only too glad to behave himself. Well, you can get out here.”

The stranger got down in front of a white ”frame” house near the road.

The farmer waved him a good-bye and drove on. From a young orchard behind the house there came the laughter of children at play. In the yard sat an aged man beneath an old apple tree. The place was a mingling of the old and the new, a farm-house with an extension for summer boarders.

As the stranger entered the gate, a tall, heavy, but graceful old woman stepped out upon the veranda. ”Wasn't that Steve Hardy that you rode up with?” she asked, gazing at him. The visitor bowed, and was about to answer when she snapped: ”Oh, don't come any of your bowin' and sc.r.a.pin'

to me. All I want is the truth.”

”The man didn't tell me his name, madam.”

”Well, you didn't lose anythin'. It was Steve Hardy, and a bigger liar never trod luther. Come in.”

The visitor stepped upon the veranda, and sat down upon a bench. The old woman stood looking at him. ”Do you want board?” she asked. He took off his hat and placed it upon the bench beside him. She gazed at his bronzed face, his white brow, and grunted:

”I asked if you wanted board.”

”I want something more than board, madam; I want work.”

She snapped her eyes at him. ”You look more like you was dodgin' it than huntin' for it; yes, you bet. I know all about a man lookin' for work. All he wants is a chance to get drunk and lie down in the corner of the fence. Yes, you bet. What sort of work do you want?”

”A man that needs work is not very particular. I've never been lazy enough to look for an easy job.”

She leaned toward him; she held out her hand. ”Shake! You've earned your supper by sayin' that.” He took her hard hand and smiled. She frowned.

”Don't try to look putty at me! No, you bet! It won't work with me.”

There came a hoa.r.s.e cry from the old apple tree. An enormous Dutch girl ran by, laughing. An old man came forward, brus.h.i.+ng himself.

”Now what's the matter with you, Lewson?” the old woman asked.

The aged man was in a rage. ”That infernal Dutch cow ran over me again.

Why the devil can't she walk? What does she want to snort around for like a confounded heifer? If I don't get me a gun and shoot her I'm the biggest liar on the earth.”

”Now, you keep still, Lewson; you keep right still!”

”Still! How the deuce am I going to keep still when she's knocking me down all the time? Every time I walk out she runs over me; if I sit down she runs over me; if I go to my room to take a nap she runs against the house and wakes me up. She can't understand a word you say to her--and confound her, I hit her with a stick, and was three days trying to explain it. Why don't you drive her away?”

A bell at the end of a pole at the kitchen door rang furiously. There came an answering shout from the lake across the meadow. ”You've earned your supper,” said the old woman. ”Yes, you bet!”

CHAPTER II.

LIKED HIM.

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