The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-12-17
From the Wisconsin State Journal
The Prairie Storm.
BY MARGARET LEE.

1t was az August light, with the white
moonlight falling over everything, seeming
to turn the dew drops into plittering dia-
mouds, and lending an indcscribable beauty
to even the commonest objects on the bread
prairie, where the scene Of our story is laid.
A short distance from the road stood house
of m oderate dimensions, with a garden in
the rear. the whole being enclosed by rail-
fence, from the prairie which surrounded 1t.
Vines covered the house, and beds Of gaily
colored dowers adorned the front yard, aud
everything about the plaee.ooked neat and
thrifty, bespeaking the careful farmer aud
the prudent house wife.
Leaning over the gate In front of the house
were two figures, one that of young man,
perhaps twenty -one, with a straisht, 1.-the
form and really handsome face, the crown
Ing beauty of which was q pair OF lustrous,
black eyes. The other was girl of sixteen,
with hair like spun gold, violet eyes, and
cheeks that seemed TO have borrowed their
tint from the blush rose, so rare and perfect
were their ccloring. He was talking In
low, earnest tones, and she was listening
with an air half proud, half tender.
"Can You not give me some encourage
ment, Ida, that at some day, If it is far in
the failure, you Will be my wife o.
II have given you all the answer that
can" she answered. II know l can never
be content with the life you have offered me;
to settle quietly down here's and live as
have slved for the last two years, is simply
impossible"
''Is that all the reason on have for re-
fusing me, Ida p
She was silent. She scarcely knew herself
why she 80 perslstenty refused him, and
changing the subject. she said, Il shall start
for school the first of September, and do not
intend to leave until have graduated with
tLe highest honors"
"And what do you intend to do then ~
20, perhaps shall teach, or may become
famous gu horess yet, who knows9 At
least l hope it will De something better than
the life one has to lead here. And you must
forget that you have ever cared for me, only
as friend
every well Ida, since you cannot give
me favorable answer, will at least hope
that you may be happy, and that your future
may be all you may wish il to be. And now
l must say good bye, for l shall not see you
again bifore you leave"
SO they separated, and Ida never guessed
what 1t cost hi i'm to give up the hope he had
cherished for the last year and settle down
quietly into the life she so despised but he
was too noble to wish her to be miserable
because she could not love him. And away
down In the depths of her heart there lurked
secret consciousness that she was not
altogether blamoess IN the affair. She had
always liked Will Hunter. and if it had not
been for her dreams of fame and fortune,
her answer might have been different on
that August evening.
September came. and Ida went to CLAYTON
to attend the High School, and, as she was
ambitious to excel, 1t was not long before
she was called one of the best scholars, and
babe fair to graduate with the highest
honors.' as she had prophesied. Her genial
and lively disposition had won her hosts of
friends while her rare beauty attracted uni
versal notice FROM the opposite sex. Every.
where she was peted, courted and admired.
until her brain was nearly turned bat in
hef calmer moments. her thoughts often
went back to that night she had last seen
Will Hunter. and she was obliged to confess
that amid the throng of young men who
sought her favor, there were none half so
handsome or agreeable as the one she had
rejected, because he had chosen a farmers
life.
Meanwhile, he was not Idle. He lad
resolved to carve out for himself q future