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Annie said nothing then； but a day or two after she ventured；
〃Perhaps it would be as well now； dear； if we kept in the kitchen。 I'll
keep it as bright and pleasant as I can。 And； any… way； you can be more
about with me when I'm working then。 We'll lay a fire in the front…room
stove； so that we can light it if anybody comes。 We can just as well save
that much。〃
Jim looked up brightly。 〃All right；〃 he said。 〃You're a sensible little
woman。 You see； every cent makes a difference。 And I want to be able to
pay off five hundred dollars of that mortgage this year。〃
So； after that； they sat in the kitchen； and the fire was laid in the front
room； against the coming of company。 But no one came； and it remained
unlighted。
Then the season began to show signs of opening； bleak signs； hardly
recognizable to Annie； and after that Jim was not much in the house。 The
weeks wore on； and spring came at last； dancing over the hills。 The
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ground…birds began building； and at four each morning awoke Annie with
their sylvan opera。 The creek that ran just at the north of the house
worked itself into a fury and blustered along with much noise toward the
great Platte which； miles away； wallowed in its vast sandy bed。 The hills
flushed from brown to yellow； and from mottled green to intensest
emerald； and in the superb air all the winds of heaven seemed to meet and
frolic with laughter and song。
Sometimes the mornings were so beauti… ful that； the men being afield
and Annie all alone； she gave herself up to an ecstasy and kneeled by the
little wooden bench outside the door； to say； 〃Father； I thank Thee；〃 and
then went about her work with all the poem of nature rhyming itself over
and over in her heart。
It was on such a day as this that Mrs。 Dundy kept her promise and
came over to see if the young housekeeper needed any of the advice she
had promised her。 She had walked； because none of the horses could be
spared。 It had got so warm now that the fire in the kitchen heated the
whole house sufficiently； and Annie had the rooms clean to exquisiteness。
Mrs。 Dundy looked about with envious eyes。
〃How lovely！〃 she said。
〃Do you think so？〃 cried Annie； in sur… prise。 〃I like it； of course；
because it is home； but I don't see how you could call anything here
lovely。〃
〃Oh； you don't understand；〃 her visitor went on。 〃It's lovely because it
looks so happy。 Some of us have well； kind o' lost our grip。〃
〃It's easy to do that if you don't feel well；〃 Annie remarked
sympathetically。 〃I haven't felt as well as usual myself； lately。 And I do get
lonesome and wonder what good it does to fix up every day when there is
no one to see。 But that is all nonsense； and I put it out of my head。〃
She smoothed out the clean lawn apron with delicate touch。 Mrs。
Dundy followed the movement with her eyes。
〃Oh； my dear；〃 she cried； 〃you don't know nothin' about it yet！ But
you will know！ You will！〃 and those restless； hot eyes of hers seemed to
grow more restless and more hot as they looked with infinite pity at the
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A Mountain Woman
young woman before her。
Annie thought of these words often as the summer came on； and the
heat grew。 Jim was seldom to be seen now。 He was up at four each
morning； and the last chore was not completed till nine at night。 Then he
threw himself in bed and lay there log…like till dawn。 He was too weary to
talk much； and Annie； with her heart aching for his fatigue； forbore to
speak to him。 She cooked the most strengthening things she could； and
tried always to look fresh and pleasant when he came in。 But she often
thought her pains were in vain； for he hardly rested his sunburned eyes on
her。 His skin got so brown that his face was strangely changed； especially
as he no longer had time to shave； and had let a rough beard straggle over
his cheeks and chin。 On Sundays Annie would have liked to go to
church； but the horses were too tired to be taken out； and she did not feel
well enough to walk far； besides； Jim got no particular good out of
walking over the hills unless he had a plough in his hand。
Harvest came at length； and the crop was good。 There were any way
from three to twenty men at the house then； and Annie cooked for all of
them。 Jim had tried to get some one to help her； but he had not succeeded。
Annie strove to be brave； re… membering that farm…women all over the
country were working in similar fashion。 But in spite of all she could do；
the days got to seem like nightmares； and sleep be… tween was but a brief
pause in which she was always dreaming of water； and thinking that she
was stooping to put fevered lips to a running brook。 Some of these men
were very disgusting to Annie。 Their manners were as bad as they could
well be； and a coarse word came naturally to their lips。
〃To be master of the soil； that is one thing；〃 said she to herself in
sickness of spirit； 〃but to be the slave of it is another。 These men seem to
have got their souls all covered with muck。〃 She noticed that they had
no idea of amusement。 They had never played anything。 They did not even
care for base…ball。 Their idea of happiness appeared to be to do nothing；
and there was a good part of the year in which they were happy； for
these were not for the most part men owning farms； they were men who
hired out to help the farmer。 A good many of them had been farmers at one
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time and another； but they had failed。 They all talked politics a great deal；
politics and rail… roads。 Annie had not much patience with it all。 She
had great confidence in the course of things。 She believed that in this
country all men have a fair chance。 So when it came about that the corn
and the wheat； which had been raised with such incessant toil； brought
them no money； but only a loss； Annie stood aghast。
〃I said the rates were ruinous；〃 Jim said to her one night； after it was
all over； and he had found out that the year's slavish work had brought him
a loss of three hundred dollars； 〃it's been a conspiracy from the first。 The
price of corn is all right。 But by the time we set it down in Chicago we are
out eighteen cents a bushel。 It means ruin。 What are we going to do？ Here
we had the best crop we've had for years but what's the use of talking！
They have us in their grip。〃
〃I don't see how it is；〃 Annie protested。 〃I should think it would be for
the inter… est of the roads to help the people to be as prosperous as
possible。〃
〃Oh； we can't get out！ And we're bound to stay and raise grain。 And
they're bound to cart it。 And that's all there is to it。 They force us to stand
every loss； even to the shortage that is made in transportation。 The railroad
companies own the elevators； and they have the cinch on us。 Our grain is
at their mercy。 God knows how I'm going to raise that interest。 As for the
five hundred we were going to pay on the mort… gage this year； Annie；
we're not in it。〃
Autumn was well set in by this time； and the brilliant cold sky hung
over the prairies as young and fresh as if the world were not old and tired。
Annie no longer could look as trim as when she first came to the little
house。 Her pretty wedding garments were beginning to be worn and there
was no money for more。 Jim would not play chess now of evenings。 He
was forever writing articles for the weekly paper in the adjoin… ing town。
They talked of running him for the state legislature； and he was anxious
for the nomination。
〃I think I might be able to stand it if I could fight 'em！〃 he declared；
〃but to sit here idle； knowing that I have been cheated out of my year's
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work； just a