Hiram the Young Farmer

try isn't such a bad place

he valley in which lay the small municipality of Crawberry on the one hand, while on the other open fields and pat

d were cottages, or the more important-looking homesteads on the larger farms; and in the d

-afternoon of an early February Sunday-the time of the m

n some fence corners and beneath the hedges, there was, after all, a smell of fresh

aths of the clean air. "Just to look at the open fields, wit

, standing alone there on the upland, fe

and the town stifled him. Besides, he had begun to

Hiram. "Somehow, I'm cramped down yonder," and he glanced back at the squ

stand Old Dan Dwight much longer. Dan, Junior, is bad enough-when

he pleasanter prospect of the farming

d six jobs in less'n two years. That's a bad record for a boy, I bel

eats 'em all!" finished

though to wipe his failure out of his memory.

er was an unknown season. Every cloverleaf sparkle

way. He could he

had been a tenant-farmer only, and when his tools and stock and the few household chattels had been sold

ropolis of his part of the country. He had set out boldly, believing that he could get ahead faster

er-tall, but sturdy and able to do a man's work. Indeed

his shoulders were just a little bowed from holding the plow hand

ecially for a growing boy. Many farm boys w

ore for most country boys who cut loose from their old environmen

um will never get me anywhere," he thought, turning finally

re-waiting for some better job to turn up. What chance doe

oney. And goodness knows I can't make more than enough to pay Mrs. Atterson, and

. Not for a fellow like me, at any rate. I'd bette

as he returned but the stuffy parlor of Mrs. Atterson's boarding house, the cold supper in the dining-room, which was attended in a desultory fashion by

es or caustic remarks about Mrs. Atterson's food from Fred Crackit and the young men boarders of his

face, near-sighted eyes peering through beclouded spectacles, and her gown buttoned up hurriedly and with a gap here

. Atterson's little slav

rows of ugly brick houses on either hand. "I believe Fred Crackit has got it righ

ution. "Sister," as the boarders all called her, for lack of any other cognomen, would have her yellow hair in four atten

is now," exclaimed

or the erection of some business building. Running across this open space with wild shrieks and spilling

esent "pigtails," bounded a boy of about her own age-a

t little scamp at this end of

uriosity of a few people. It was a locality wher

d told Dan, Junior, so. But he only drove her the harder, yelling

hat!" called Hiram, stepp

stopped exhaust

anded Hiram. "You've pl

-ram!" returned Dan, Junior, g

er boy by the shoulder

, quietly. "No, you don't!" he added, gripping Da

hen he found he could not easily jerk away

urned Hiram, laughing. It was an easy matte

squalled the boy. "Wait

tell your father th

, Junior, and suddenly aimed

r Hi's kneecap-the latter certainly would have been

nly toward him, and then gave him a backwar

puddle several inches deep. Dan, Junior, lost his balance, staggered b

ed before he scrambled out. "I'll tell my fath

d Hiram, who could not help laughing at the young

re in bad odor with Mr. Dwight than I am already. But this escapade

reckon I will be looking for a