II 



OUR farm was bought in March of 1908. 

 Six weeks later, in early May, we had cut loose 

 from our old life and had come to Arkansas 

 to begin the new. 



Nothing would satisfy us but to go at once 

 to the farm. Thinking back, I have to laugh 

 at our impetuous temper. There wasn't a 

 building on the place fit to live in; besides, the 

 tenant's lease covered that year, to the end of 

 the cropping season. We had no rights at all 

 upon the land, save by sufferance, until the 

 new year's crop would be gathered. There 

 was some satisfaction, though, in thinking that 

 this tenant was our tenant now. We had ac- 

 quired him with the farm. He was farming 

 "on shares," and was to give one half of what- 

 ever he harvested, by way of rental. We dis- 

 covered after a time that this share of the crop 

 had almost enabled the former owner to keep 

 the taxes paid. 



No matter about that. We had a tenant; 

 31 



