"He with the sod corn." She pointed to-
ward the north, still standing in front of the
cow as if she hoped to conceal it.

"His sod corn will be good for fodder
this winter," said grandfather encouragingly.
"And where is Antonia?"

"She go with." Mrs. Shimerda kept wig-
gling her bare feet about nervously in the dust.

"Very well. I will ride up there. I want
them to come over and help me cut my oats
and wheat next month. I will pay them
wages. Good-morning. By the way, Mrs.
Shimerda," he said as he turned up the path,
"I think we may as well call it square about
the cow."

She started and clutched the rope tighter.
Seeing that she did not understand, grand-
father turned back. "You need not pay me
anything more; no more money. The cow is
yours."

"Pay no more, keep cow?" she asked in a
bewildered tone, her narrow eyes snapping at
us in the sunlight.

"Exactly. Pay no more, keep cow." He
nodded.

Mrs. Shimerda dropped the rope, ran after
us, and crouching down beside grandfather,

[[154]]

p153 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p154w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p155

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