The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-01-21

flowers on the prairie 10 weave the word
"Welc0me" over the door of the new
cottage. lie would get Mary Freedom
10 help him decorate the rooms, aud AZ
thought Of his boss's quiet, brown-eyed
daughter, for the first time there came
queer, tinghng sensation in his veins
Great patches of the green prairie
were now all aglow with the flaming
red Indian pink, exquisite, long-stem-
med yiolets Of many dyes, and yellow
iewer, that lit up the grassy holows
like vivid sunshine. IL was near the
middle Of May, and very warm for the
season. Jack set of over the blossom
ing earth like a school-boy broke loose
He was not alone good carpenter.
There was a fund Of sentiment and
poetry at the bottom OF his nature, and
his sympathy with his friends happiness
was intense.
Harry, meanwhile, his head almost
giddy from the blissful emotions that
filed his breast, was driving Brown
Bess at smart trot over the level road
towards the river town of La Porte.
where the morning steamboat would
land his expected bride. The wagon
was open, and he had vast expanse of
sky over his head, with placid white
clouds sailing through the deep blue
field. The wide, treeless land rolled
gently away in sinuous swells and vivid
sheets of green as smooth as an English
park, with large inlets Of tender young
grain. Harry felt that he needed this
great wide, open world TO let his Joy
loose. lie was in maze of happy
thoughts, trying 10 realize his bliss or
idly allowing his mind TO form pictures
Of the past and future. He recalled the
first time he saw Clara i'm the old farm
house, the blue dress she wore, and even
the ribbon in her breezy. light hair. He
thought of how his love for her had kept
him straight and true all the time he
was roughing it in the Colorado mines.
1t was there he first met Jack Calender,
while wearing his beard eight inches
long, with bowie-knife and six-Shooter
stuck in his belt. After bar-r0Om fight,
in which each of them had knocked
down his man for a needless. unprovok-
ed insult, the two friends walked out of
camp togetherundert the starlight They
walked and talked until the dawn came
up over the mountain tops rosy and yir-
ginal. That night they promised TO cut
the desper te reckless life they had
been leading, in the hope of making a
fortune in a wear. Each of them would
take his little sspile" and they would 90
together to some good community in
the Northwest, and settle down 70 hon
est labor, Harry as a farmer and Jack
at his trade of carpenter. Providence.
which we call chance, had led them To
the small but pleasant village of TART
ley. Jack was now partner in the shop
though he stilled called old 81. Free
born . boss" and Harry was the proud
owner Of small but excellent prairie
farm. and the little home; and to-day,
this happy day, Clara was coming to be
its mistress andqueen.
All these things floated through his
head. and then he seemed to swim of
into a sea Of vague andblissful feelings,
and did not wake up until he found him
self driving into the boardy, new town
Of In Porte, on the bank of the great
Father Of Waters. His heart was
throbbing in his manly breast He
could hear IL thump like the piston Of a
steam engine, as he stood on the levee I
amid a Western crowd of loungers, I
smokers, and dock hands waiting for 4
the high-decked steamer TO round Snake 4
Point. "There she cOmes-hurrahi'
his hat was in the air while she was still
mile away.
On and on came the big boat steadily
roasting the yellow current with even
power. The outline Of maiden's form
could be discerned ON the forward deck
"a light, trim figure in brown dress
and polonaise. with the ribbons fiutter-
ing from her hat and wisp Of veil.
Harry shouted at the top of his lungs,
although he was unconscious. in the ex-
element Of the moment, of having ut
tered sound.
The steamer slid majestically past the
low row Of piles and glided into the
dock. Before the plank had been run
out Harry made a frantic rush. He
hardly knew what happened until he
was holding his Clara close in his arms
quite regardless Of bystanders.
"That chap has got his wife out"
remarked peanut boy TO vender Of
newspapers.
"'Taint his wife," replied the know
ing one. scornfully. "Do you s'pose
he'd kiss her that are away II she was
his wifea III bet you copper it's his
gall
There they stood, grasping each
others hands, gazing into each Others
eyes. Clara was laughing, blushing. I
and crying all at once. She had win !
some face, with light and feathery curls
scattered over full white forehead, the
eyes beneath blue as fax flowers, dim |
pied chin, and rosy lips, around which
a bevy of smiles always lowered
"You are not bit changed, Clara;
only,'' he added, in half whisper,
"prettier than ever"
"Nor you either, Harry; only big
rer and hrnwner and dare saN more |