Show r J t The Cow Puncher pun her E E IG Y sp B ti S The Homesteader d S nie O by Robert By iy ROBERT STEAD d n a AA BUT BUTTell ON THESE PRAIRIES PRAIRIES- Tell me J Jean Jean ean I 1 pressed at length why cant can't we go lack bade why cat cant can't t we start ov over r again like again like that than lire We e have always been good friends she murmured Good f friends friends i yes Must it stop slop r at that f fAnd And neighbors she continued lYe We have always been good neighbors Perhaps that is the trouble How the thc the trouble r JV Well ell its it's like this she said and again the toe began to gyrate in the snow un Weve known each a other so 80 well and so long there isn't much to know is there f Could stand the anything much left left you boredom of a person who has no new thoughts no strange ideas no whims whims nothing nothing that you haven't already seen and known a hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred times There never could be boredom with you dear Just to have I you t wish h me vie to feast on you to know you were mine would be enough for mc me For about a week r You'd ou d soon tire of a feast with no flavor to it it I 1 would world at any rate Oh Ok I see it working out already I dont don't want to Lo gossip and Jack Jacl and Marjorie Jarjorie have been een everything they could to me ale but already 1 can can see them settling down to the rout routine the routine the the deadly routine n Bad enough anywhere but on these pra prairies ics with their isolation their immensity un unbearable Go I couldn't stand it Frank Frnnk Hall and Jean Lane hero and heroine of ot this fine story of ot homesteading on the Manitoba prairies arc aro the two persons persona talking Its It's a n case caso of ol love since sinco childhood In itt Ontario But now the lovers seem to have come como to an stream In Manitoba You sec the tho girl thinks s she knows the young young- m man too completely to be happy happ with him himat himI him him- I at leant leat under the conditions of or homesteaders' homesteaders life Ure on these theDe great prairies Th The romance of or Frank Frnnk and Jean Jein begins early Lured by his four four- year-old year playmate Jean Frank Fran aged six ventures on the forbidden wall of or a dam Ho He falls Into the water and Is saved from possible death by clinging to Jeans Jean's outstretched arms Next day ho has a vision of or ro romance ro- ro manco mance when Jean Informs him that because of ot their adventure of or the day before he Is In duty bound to marry her He agrees the only proviso being that the they are to wait walt until they are grownups grownup With Jeans Jean's brother John also aged six Frank begins school Two years later tho they are joined by Joan Jean and Franks Frank's sister Marjorie A little later Jean confides to Frank In verse verso her hor hope of ot some Bomo day becoming Mrs Mra Hall He accepts the proposal Frank Is fourteen when his mother dies lie JIe takes a R. Job In the mill wh where re his father lather works The Thebo's boys bos are eighteen when Johns John's father Is killed In to an accident Two years later Franks Frank's father and Johns John's mother are married Dissatisfied with conditions and ambitious the two boys bos mal make o plans to go to Manitoba and homestead the girls agreeing to go with them thorn Evidently the study of or life among the homesteaders of ot Manitoba Is la at nt first hand So In addition to the love story the story has a sociological and historical value The story of or the marriage e of ot John and Marjorie on Christmas day tho the gathering of or the tIle neighbors and the presentation of ot their wedding gifts Is an Illuminating Illuminating- glimpse of ot tho democracy of ol the frontier Robert Stead the tiro author was born on a farm Carm In Manitoba He lIe has been beon a newspaper editor and publisher and Is now an official of ot the Immigration immigration immigration gration and colonization department of ot the Canadian government So he knows whereof he writes 1 II CHAPTER IMy I 1 1 My earliest recollection links hack back r- r t to ton a n s. s stone house by uy a n road entering entering entering en en- a little Ontario town Across the road WS W a mill pond nn and across the mill pon pond was a mill mm nn an nn old old-fash Ione woolen mill nIll which was was the occasion occasion oc oc- oc- oc casion and support of the little town Beside the tle mill mm was a water wheel not a n modern turbine e but hut a wooden wheel which on sunshiny days a s 's sprayed ed edIt u It mist of jewels Into the river beneath beneath beneath be be- neath with the prodigality of a fairy prince The mill pond was held In check by bya byn a n stone dam am which crossed from the road almost In front of our door cor to toa ton Q n point on the mill itself The stone crest of this dam rose about two to t feet foet et above the level le of the water in th thc mill pond and was about two feet wide Along this crest m my father walked waned on n his way to and from tI the e mill rum but hut T I had strict orders not to attempt the feat with the promise that I would be thrashed within an un anInch anInch Inch of ot my life if it I did And now I must Introduce Jean Tenn Lane daughter of our nearest neighbor neighbor neigh neigh- bor Mr Peter Lane Jean is to travel I with us through most of ot the chapters of this som somewhat what Intimate account and you may as well meet her at ot four footed bare-footed and halted golden rI and eyed blue with a n. n wisp of white cotton dress and a n gleam of ot whit teeth set between lips of rose leaf Demurely Demure down the road she came to where here I lay Ivy sprawled on the river rarer riverbank bank contemplating the leisurely precisIon precision pre pre- of ot the water wheel beyond When she reached me she paused sat down and burled h her r feet In the soft Ban sand of the bankI hanki hank bank I scant to go to the mill mm she said r when her little toes w were re well out of r sight t. t Put you cant can't go Jo to the mill mill millI I I Isaid said Faid with the mature authority of or orf 2 f sIx six fall in I wouldn't neither she neither she glanced at al me elfishly from under her yellow locks not locks not If It you helped me II n was Vas a 0 diO difficult cult situation Here nEre nEreas was as r I I a oun man man of six honored by hy a n commission of ot great responsibility from Crom a young woman of ot four tour My native nathe gallantry us as well as a n I pleasant feeling of competence urged I that I r Immediately le lend lead ul her across that two foot font strip of f masonry masonry But But- th parental veto an and the promise of bring ing thrashed within an nn Inch of ot my life ilfe sorely and as It seemed to me unfairly curbed my chivalry Id like to take tale you ou over Jean I conceded hut but my wont won't let me e. e I Hid Did you you father s siy suy you ou mustn't take me rue over o With almost uncanny Intuition she thrust nl at the vulnerable e spot In III the armor of my good beho be- be 1111 ho vi nr No 0 he didn't say eay anything about abou t you ou n n you ou can take me I t tug lug my toes toe Into th sand beside P bers nut 3rd hd id not If tIt mr r hi He vcr hru John wa Wi her here I Il I II I II l I i tl I hed he'd take me over quick she continued con con- with a quivering lip John Lane was six like me me and no bigger The allusion to him as herbig her herbig herbig big brother rother who would take her over oyer quick and the quivering lip were too much I scram scrambled led to my feet Come Isaid I IsaI Isaid saI said with masculine recklessness starting for the dam and she followed jo Joyously We are fire about half way over when something happened I I never knew what what but but I plumped Into deep water like Ilke a stone thrown from the shore I took a great mouthful and came up spluttering choking frantic The slippery wall gave no grip for m my hands and In a moment I must have gone down again but hut Jeans Jean's head hend came carne out over o the ledge and her little lIttle little lit lIt- tle arms were readied reached down doun own to mine I t grasped them and hung on on hung hung i lu n water to my neck while Jean and andI I both oth shouted lustily Help came quickly In the person of ot m my father who had seen the accident ent from oi one mJe e of the upper windows of the null mill and had come rushing out at a pace which Ilich had quite upset the operatives ou on his route I was dragged up on the dam darn In a moment and I Ican Ican ican can remember T Jean Tenn ean standing beside m my father cr crying Ing a little and saying Please don clon scold him Mr Hall Imade I r Imade made him film do o It I expected m my fath father f to scold her bel but hut he lie took teok her up up- in his arms arras and held her to his breast Youre a brave little girl 1111 Jean Jenn youre you're a u wonderful little girt girl I h lieu heard rd him sn say and he I kissed her on the fn face e which he he harI hardly ever er dl dlo to me Then homeward he led lell me w wet t and miserable and and ond speculating on what hat It may mean tp be he thrashed ecith- ecith In an nn Inch of ones one's life Hut flat It proved to be a n day lay of slur sur I was not thrashed within an nn Inch of ray rny life nor at all nil I was vas undressed and rubbed with a warm worm towel and put In bed hed nn and given l en a l large of hot chokecherry choke wine wIlle because be It was stilt still early In III Inthe inthe the tile season and the water was col cold And little sister my Marjorie came and looked at me with 11 large rge dark comprehending c eyes cs and find said T J know why you didn't get th thrashed Why didn't I get thrashed 1 T r ventured u Because you yot were ere so so- awful wicked When youre you're awful bad bod you ou dont don't got get t thrashed Its only when youre you're a little little lit lit- tle tie ho bad she explained 1 I had t to sty stay in bed for tor the tho remainder remainder re re- Y v t the day duy which I think was more a punishment than a li precaution so 80 I had opportunity to think on Marjorie's Marjories philosophy It was evident e that she was Vas right I 1 had hod the proof In m my f own experience I t had been heen very ery wicked and had escaped punish punIsh- ment neat My cons consciousness of do evil Ing lug however rested l lightly g upon mo me I I hud had escaped the strap which h Inn ins behind the kitchen I door and u was a much more Immediate mf menace I than any possible torments of ot the time after r world I ipe It U the remaining I l hours boars or or r the Ule finS day In G Im Ions rions in which I would save Jean from all kinds of disasters Next morning found me none the worse for my experience Indeed m my lip dip over the dam data already seemed a n amore amore more or less Y vague ue g-ue recollection Aft After CI breakfast I made a Journey to the big pine which grew at nt the very en end of our little farm farm n a surviving monarch monarch mon mono arch of the forest that In some wa way ha had escaped the time locust cloud of ot ax- ax men raen which ha had swarmed through tho country twenty years before Perhaps It wits was as ns' asI I lay IllY under the great pine on that sunny sunDY summer morning and watched the filmy clouds float gently overhead that I caught m ms my first glimpse sh shyly ly wonderingly through the golden olden gates of ot romance It was a vision of Jean Jenn a vision which has remained with me through the years growing thrilling In my moments moments moments mo mo- ments of ef f happiness fading In my hours of darkness but at no time quite obscure Perhaps it was my first glimpse of that vision which brought me on that morning to my feet where the great grent pines pine's swaying lacework lacework lacework lace- lace work of sun and shadow patterned the green grass and nd set my heart henrt lilting lilting lilt lilt- ing with the Joy of being alive I was about to shape my lips for tor a n whistle when I became berame conscious of ofa a n presence It was Jean her golden locks hel held tog together ther by a n midget sunbonnet sunbonnet sun- sun bonnet onnet save for some somo vagrant curls which ne nestled led against the pink peach bloom loom of ot her cheeks her chubby bare feet seeking cover coyer In th the grassI grass I saw you going to the bl big tree she explained d. d so uso I corned too huh Uh I commented cautiously being gripped with a n sudden sense that this young woman had led me mo Into difficulties only a day ago Men cannot be too careful She sidled toward me Do TIo yon you know what you have haye to do for yesterday she queried No I said with some misgiving thinking that possibly my behavior had been reported to the Lanes to my dis dIs- advantage nd says when a young la-dy la saves a young tle man to he-has-to- her she said speaking very slowly at nt first but finishing he her r sentence with a little run So you ha have ve to mn me She was beside besIe me now and her face was radiant with the excitement e nf of f i r But I cant can't marry you I 1 Only grownups do that I 1 I protested Wont we he be some day clay I guess so I admitted And then with a sudden burst of ot resolution I added And then Ill I'll marry you She held her f fie face e up to me and andI I leaned over oyer and kissed it shyly Then hand Band in hand we retraced our way down the along the rows of sprouting corn by the sta stables les and past our house Jean led me e to her own h ho me whIch was next to ours down the road rood You have ho to ask mamma she said as our little figures dropped their shadows across Mrs Lanes Lane's kitchen floor This was more than I had bargained for I was beginning to dl discover cover that Miss Jean was teas n a young oung woman of action action ac nc- tion as well weB as decision But nut I was game Mrs Irs Lane I said bracing my legs for the ordeal want I want marry marry to-marry- Jean Jenn Jeans Jean's mother looked at me me with a n smile that broadened until until It broke Into open laughter I am afraid you ou are very ery precocious precocious precocIous cious children she remarked I didn't know what that meant but she gave us each a n doughnut and we went n a away happy hap Jean twirling hers on her finger for a wedding weddIng- ring CHAPTER II That same summer I began benn going to school Perhaps I should say that John Juhn Lane and I r he began hen n going to school us as It was something of a joint ad- ad 1 venture We talked of It together for I we weeks ls before the tho great event At that time my objective In life In so far as ns asI I had one one oneUS was US to be a locomotive engineer but John had elected to be bethe bethe bethe the owner of ot a R woolen mill mill blandly blandly overlooking overlooking- the little tIttle question of capital and capital and we discussed our school training In the light of these honsOn hons On the eventful morning I rem remember em- em her ber my father coming Into the loft and leaning over o m my bed where I Ifen fen feigned ne sleep wee mannle I r heard him sa say dropping Into tha the Scotch ton tongue Ue which he reserved for moments of emotion its UltI a n long road hes he's starting on on and a u hard one too or hell he'll no be ue Mice like the rest o 0 u us My Iy mother scoured me well and dressed me In a clean clenn new suit and took tool my cheeks checks between het her hands and kissed me ne and told me to work hard and grow brow up a good man mun like m my father tuther At the gate ate I met John and t together we ve started down downy the turnpike of life liCe I spent the day becoming hemming accustomed tomed 10 to my new now environment and I lIn over a 11 certain halts bald spot on the rile t head which shone re- re when IHn the lite lI light lIt struck It a 8 ertain nay ny anti wondering what pos id 1 nc It t cm cuil 1 be Le to a lo 10 lo- lo engineer to know that A Ahad Ahn Ahad hn had two slanting legs tied together n the |