She probably supposed that she could draw
the money herself.
And what became of the hapless bank book? It was sent to Jim as he had
demanded; and we may suppose that he drew the money and spent it. At any
rate, when he next made his appearance at the old Squire's, two years
later, he had neither book nor money.
CHAPTER XIX
GRANDMOTHER RUTH'S LAST LOAD OF HAY
Haying time at the old farm generally began on the Monday after the
Fourth of July and lasted from four to six weeks, according to the
weather, which is often fitful in Maine. We usually harvested from
seventy to seventy-five tons, and in the days of scythes and hand rakes
that meant that we had to do a good deal of hard, hot, sweaty work.
Besides Addison, Halstead and me, the old Squire had the two hired men,
Jim and Asa Doane, to help him; and sometimes Elder Witham, who was
quite as good with a scythe as with a sermon, worked for us a few days.
First we would cut the grass in the upland fields nearest the farm
buildings, then the grass in the "Aunt Hannah lot" out beyond the
sugar-maple orchard and last the grass in the south field, which, since
it was on low, wet ground where there were several long swales, was the
slowest to ripen.
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