Grand Change by William Andrews Read Free Book Online Page A

reason I asked is because a claw on that old digger of mine got broke on a heavy stone. She still digs, but she smashes up the odd potato. I was wondering if I could get the lend of yours.”
    â€œSure,” The Old Man said. “Might need to throw a little grease at her.”
    â€œThat’ll be great. I’ll just hook her onto me wagon on the way home.”
    The Old Man and John Cobly rolled a making apiece, lit up and settled back while Nanny collected the lunch dishes.
    â€œAre they holding the tyme in the hall?” Nanny said from the pantry.
    â€œNo. George is going to straighten up the main floor in the old mill, him and Charlie.”
    â€œI thought Alf wasn’t letting anybody near the old mill anymore,” The Old Man said.
    John Cobly chuckled with a belch of smoke.
    â€œAnd him blacksmithing in the west side room with the roof half buckled in and the windows about to pop out. They were out in the yard a while back jawing over it. Alf just finished shoeing a horse for me. ‘That place ain’t fit for man nor beast,’ George said. ‘You just stick to your farming,’ Alf said. ‘Them fences ain’t nothing to write home about, big mouth.’”
    â€œNow George is going to hold a tyme in the main floor and Alf thinks it’s too dangerous,” The Old Man said. “Sounds like them.”
    â€œCharlie and Joanie going to move in?” Nanny said.
    â€œJust ’til they get a piece built on.”
    â€œPoor Hilda,” Nanny said. She was back at her knitting. “It would be something if Alf got a woman.”
    â€œAlf is too busy with his blacksmithing and inventing,” John Cobly said.
    â€œHe takes after Willard,” The Old Man said. “You’d go for grist and it would take half an hour to find him, then another half hour to get him away from something he was dreaming up. Remember the time he put the sail on the wood sleigh?”
    â€œYeah,” John Cobly said. “Must have got her going fifty or more on a good crust of snow, with no way to steer it.”
    â€œNo way to stop it either, but the woods did a pretty good job. Wonder he wasn’t killed.”
    â€œThen he put the windmill on the pump in the barnyard.”
    â€œYeah, gust of wind took it while he was gearing it up and the thing started chasing him across the barnyard. Just missed him, too. Hit the barn and tore off a big patch of shingles.”
    There was a pause.
    â€œDon’t seem long since Alf took over the mill,” The Old Man said.
    â€œDidn’t run it long. Once the feed mill in town got underway and people started buying flour… Gorsh!” John Cobly stared at the clock. “Is that clock right? Is it really ten to nine? Agnes will skin me alive if I ain’t home soon.”
    â€œJake, take the flashlight and give John a hand with the digger,” The Boss said.
    â€œNo need, Harv. I can hook her on. Not much of a trick.”
    â€œYou sure?”
    â€œYeah, no trouble.” John Cobly rose stiffly and stretched his stubby frame. “You and Ella will have to come over for a game of auction when things quiet down.”
    â€œI don’t know. Might not be enough competition.”
    â€œJust youse come on over. I don’t recall any Jackson ever giving me any trouble.”
    â€œWe’ll be over. We’ll try not to trounce youse too bad.”
    â€œWe’ll be seeing you,” John Cobly said. He paused with his hand on the doorknob and peered back at The Old Man. “Now remember to get ready to vote right, next election, so they’ll fix up the road.” He flashed another sardonic grin and left.

Prelude to
Late Fall and Early Winter on Hook Road
    When the potatoes were stowed and the binders and dig gers were back in storage, the three-horse gang plows appeared along Hook Road, with the plowers limp-footing their way along, one foot on sod, the other in the groove of