8EE8-TJME Ai^D HARVEST. 
t 
opinion since they went to the primary 
school together,” thought Susy, indignant¬ 
ly. “And as for business,” she said aloud, 
“I do not see that George has any advan¬ 
tage over you in position. You both have 
been left farms, both of you are indepen¬ 
dent, both have the means of making a 
sure though not a large income.” 
“Now that shows just how little you 
know about it. Harvey’s has just the 
same amount of acres that mine does, it is 
true. But his is on the south side of the 
creek, in rich alluvial soil, mine on the 
hillside, where nothing will grow but pine 
trees and Jimson weeds.” 
“II lloa! What’s the matter, Jack?” 
said Squire Hall, riding up to the porch 
on his gray mare. 
“I was grumbling about my patch here, 
to tell the truth. It will t yield nothing; 
absolutely nothing.” 
“Don't be too sure of that, my ^boy. 
Come out here a bit,” beckoning him mys¬ 
teriously aside. 
They whispered tor sometime together, 
and then John came in, his face flushed, 
his eyes glowing. 
“There’s great news, Susy! Oil has been 
discovered in the bottom, and a company 
from New York has sent out inspectors to 
test the property on either side of the creek, 
among the rest Harvey’s and mine. It 
there are any indications of oil being there, 
we can ask our own prices for the land.” 
“Oh, John, I knew all would go well 
with you.” 
The little girl’s face was pretty and spark¬ 
ling, and her brother stooped and kissed it 
heartily. 
“The inspection is to be made to-morrow, 
and then I'm made or lost for life, If only 
luck is not against me!’’ 
“God will be for you in any case, John,” 
said Susy, gently. 
But “luck” to John Alden which came in 
good fortune of dollars and cents, or even 
praise, was a much more real thing than 
the unseen power which his sister worship¬ 
ed so faithfully. 
He rose the next morning with a haggard 
face, which showed that he slept but little. 
“To-day,” he said to Susy, “it will be all 
settled. The inspector from New York 
will be here by 10 o'clock. In an hour he 
can tell if there is any oil on the land. He 
is an expert, you understand. If there is 
any I will sell, and build a house like Squire 
Peter’s, only larger. And then, Susy— 
who knows!—I might marry. I am as old 
as Ben Scott.” 
“Yes, that is true.” 
She could not bear to discourage him by 
a hint of defeat. He watched nervously 
by the door for the men to appear, and 
when he saw them coming—the New York 
expert, one or two of the proposed stock¬ 
holders in the new company, and Squire 
Peters himself—he snatched up his hat and 
hurried down the road to meet them. 
Even Susy’s heart throbbed fast. She 
told herself in vain that it was not a matter 
of life and death; it seemed to her that her 
own fate as well as John’s depended on a 
few words to be spoken in the coining half 
hour. 
The hour passed. She had seen the 
groups of men passing from point to [joint 
of the farm, until they turned to the right 
of a big red barn, and disappeared in the 
corn patch. After that they were lost to 
sight. 
Noon came! One o’clock! The dinner 
was ready, but she dared not sound the 
horn. The inspection was no doubt success¬ 
ful, and they were now chaffering for the 
sale of the farm. Would they give the 
money in cash? Hundreds—thousands— 
a million? Susy’s ideas on the subject of 
the price of oil or oil lands was very un¬ 
settled. 
Two o’clock came at last, and the dinner, 
do what she would, was dried to a crisp. 
Just as the clock struck, Squire Peters and 
the stranger from New York rode past the 
door. Susy could not help listening intent¬ 
ly for any chance words she might hear. 
“The land for the purpose of cultivation,” 
said the squire, “is worthless, perfectly 
worthless.” 
Think so, eh? Now near New York a 
man would make it pay gold to the foot,’’ 
looking with half-shut eyes down to the 
ground 
“How?” 
“Berries. Finest variety of berries;’’and 
with that they passed out of sight. 
