barbed wire. The door-yards were bleak to
her eyes, without the ornamental shrubbery
which every farmer in her part of the country
was used to tending. The cattle stood un-
shedded in their corrals. The reapers and
binders stood rusting in the dull drizzle.

"How shiftless!" cried Annie, indignantly.
"What do these men mean by letting their
machinery lie out that way? I should think
one winter of lying out would hurt it more
than three summers of using."

"It does. But sheds are not easily had.
Lumber is dear."

"But I should think it would be economy
even then."

"Yes," he said, "perhaps. But we all do
that way out here. It takes some money for
a man to be economical with. Some of us
haven't even that much."

There was a six-mile ride from the station.
The horses were waiting, hitched up to a
serviceable light wagon, and driven by the
"help." He was a thin young man, with
red hair, and he blushed vicariously for Jim
and Annie, who were really too entertained