Book II -- The Hired Girls

II-I

I had been living with my grandfather for
nearly three years when he decided to move to
Black Hawk. He and grandmother were get-
ting old for the heavy work of a farm, and as
I was now thirteen they thought I ought to
be going to school. Accordingly our homestead
was rented to "that good woman, the Widow
Steavens," and her bachelor brother, and we
bought Preacher White's house, at the north
end of Black Hawk. This was the first town
house one passed driving in from the farm, a
landmark which told country people their long
ride was over.

We were to move to Black Hawk in
March, and as soon as grandfather had fixed
the date he let Jake and Otto know of his
intention. Otto said he would not be likely to
find another place that suited him so well;
that he was tired of farming and thought he
would go back to what he called the "wild

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p162 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p163w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p164

v?