Show A GIRL FARMER i I 1 by OSSIE BRIGGS ad D J walsh service ANCY HALE took the pan N of golden brown biscuits biscuit ts from the oven and covered them careful carefully ily with a clean white towel she hoped oliver would come while they were just ready to eat but there was still no sign of him else shep would let h her er know shep the shaggy pup that oliver thought t so po much of was outside eagerly watching for his master i what had oliver gone to town for anyway the girl wondered as she iset the supper table which for more than a year now had been laid only for two she was afraid he was wa S troubled about something but but why zant want he wi her ever since the farm came cam e into their hands they had been par partners t and co workers coworkers neither had had a secret from the other until now I 1 an explosion of joy joyous ous barks from shep told her her brother had arrived j she ran to the window and saw him driving past to the barn j it was still raining hard and the ibay bay horse was drenched so was oliver for he had neglected to take his slicker supper smells good he remarked as he entered nevertheless he ate so little that nancy felt more concerned than ever the matter she asked A trouble shared is half borne you know the old saying she tried to smile but her eyes were unusually serious ive been putting oft off telling you in the hope everything would come out all right oliver replied its ajust I 1 just this I 1 cant get a cent to pay I 1 for the potatoes I 1 why not demanded nancy in dismay mr barnes has no money when he be send the check as he prom iseda felt mighty uneasy I 1 went to see him today I 1 think hes honest but the bank has refused him an other loan and money is tight everywhere lery ery where else nancy dropped her head on her hand across the table the brother and sister regarded each other in troubled silence they were very young brave strong very much alike in their slim dark honest eyed way never amare more alike than now when this mutual problem bothered them they had toiled from dawn to dusk over their potato crop three I 1 hundred bushels sold at the current prices would put them through the winter nicely but now what were they to do if you could get along here alone oliver said 1 I could go to texas with mr sherman he ha has S bought a big tract of farming land i and he wants a man to go down ethere there with him and help him this zinter winter I 1 saw him today he said hed board me and give me a month the fare be anything because hes going to drive hes going to start tomorrow morning at 3 I 1 said id talk it over with you 1 I can get along of course nancy said she knew how big that a im j month anth look looked ed to her brother after what had happened to the potato 1 crop why dont you go I 1 can get you 1 ready in no time got everything i handy for a good lunch you better I 1 run right over to mr sheldons sheldona Shel dons and telephone mr sherman that 1 I leo igo oliver sprang to his feet A flush of hope made him look years younger than the worried man he had been a few moments before nancy youre the best ever was all he said he started for the door but paused as a fresh thought smote him 1 I got a cent of money to leave you megs going to need some feed before the week is out and with a laugh nancy ran to the cupboard snatching down grandmother hales cracked blue teapot which was minus both spout and handle she poured out a stream of silver coin upon the table before her brothers eyes butter and egg money saved against a rainy day she said dont worry about me oliver ill manage he almost laughed in return opening the door he sped away into the rainy night toward the neighborly light that beckoned from a distant hilltop hill top daybreak of a sunny morning so grateful after yesterdays rain found nancy hard at wor work she now had olivers tasks as well as her own feeding the pig milking the cow j caring for meg and getting the place aready I 1 ready for winter besides looking after her flock of poultry making butter and keeping house but under the ithe circumstances she was glad to be busy mrs sheldon stopped on her way past the house that afternoon well ive no doubt get along fine she said but if you need anything you know where to awe look for friends well do anything ive can for you ill begin to ask a favor right now nancy said last summer mr lar sheldon wanted to buy ray my cow buttercup I 1 think I 1 could part with her then but now that olivers going to be away all winter I 1 shall be glad to sell her ill tell my husband next morning mr sheldon came rope in hand and led away the sleek pretty buttercup nancy stoutly tried to think only of the check he left in her hand with that check she bought feed for meg and other necessary supplies and paid a bill that was due these errands attended to she went to the public library and stocked up with farm literature she might as well study up about her profession for of course farming was a profession nowadays all that winter the brightest moments for nancy were those when running down to the mailbox beside the road she found the letter from oliver which the rural postman had left there once each month oliver sent as much of his earnings as he could coul d spare nancy always banked the money oney for him although she did not tell him so A bairn warm march brought fresh problems oliver had not finished the plowing and it must be done now help was scarce she could not ask aid of mr sheldon who had all he could do she decided to don a pair of old overalls oliver had left behind hitch meg to the plow and see if she could turn a decent furrow by herself she turned one furrow with great difficulty the soil stuck to the plowshare resisted force meg sweated with effort and nancys arms were fairly torn from their sockets releasing the plow handles she let meg rest while she leaned against the fence studying the situation this land be plowed that was plain queer soil what was it anyway she took up a damp clod and crumbled it slowly in her fingers something she had read flashed into her mind enough for today meg she said well go back home but she took the lump of earth with her ten days later she received the analysis of her clod from the agricultural department of the state university ver sity to which she had sent it her specimen contained a fine percentage of marketable clay useful for building purposes if she wished they would send her an expert who could tell her more when he had looked the situation over one afternoon a dusty car stopped before the farmhouse door from it stepped a gray haired man the expert nancy flew to welcome him twenty minutes later she was running across lots to mr sheldons sheldona Shel dons would he come please mr owen wanted his help this was the first the sheldons sheldona Shel dons had heard about nancys discovery both husband and wife left their work and went home with her i this field always kept you folks poor is going to take care of you now said mr sheldon smil ing have some good news for your brother when he gets home hes coming tonight nancy said breathlessly he hurt his hand so he cant do any more work for a spell oh mrs sheldon dont you think we ought to have some sort of celebration for him mrs sheldon patted the girls shoulder 1 I guess oliver will think youve got up celebration enough when he finds you discovered what comes pretty close to being a gold mine in that old weed patch she laughed |