Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-08-18

much patient work and faithful care.
Now. If were only q boy" she
said to Aunt Cathie in one of their
talks. ~ should coax father to let me
raise piece Of wheat, or potatoes. and
sell them: and then l should nave some
money Of my own"
What do you want with money.
Cathie?" asked her mother. who hap
pened to hear her. Cathie blushed. but
! did not answer Immediately.
"DOn't YOU have all you want to ca,
and to wear, my daughter?
Eyes. mother, l don't want a thing
for myself. s.... r-.l.-
Nor !, neither. dear. Let us not be
getting ambitious and discontinued, be-
cause we are poor"
Aun. Cathie thought OF some ambi-
tious. disconnected daughters that she
knew. and c0nirasted them with little
Cathie.
About this time, Cathie was cherish
ing one of her dreams-tOO sweet ever
to be realized. she felt. but which did
her good to keep it in her heart.
Oscar GRAY. lame boy who lived
near. her faithful friend. and scholar
of real promise, was hungering for
books and struggling manfully to earn
them. He was so proud that nobody
dared offer him aid. and so poor. that.
at times. his utmost efforts seemed
hopeless to those who did not realize
the uncOnquerable energy that was in
him. He had fallen into way of con-
fiding his pet hopes and dreams to his
little neighbor. partly because he knew
that she was as poor rs himself. and by
no possibility could help him, and part
ly because he knew that a secret with
her was safe. Then. too. she was such
an intelligent. warm hearted little soul.
that it cOmfOrted him much to talk with
her.
He was now pursuing certain line
Of study in natural history. and had
come to "a deadlock" as he express
ed it to Cathie, for want OF ten dollars
worth of books. Now. if she could only
bestOw those books upon Oscar, in such
way that he would never guess who
gave them. how happy she would be!
She could not help planning. and BROOD
ing over it. although in her sober :. COM
nonsense moments" rs she called
them, she had no hope of ever bring
ing it about.
Ii were only q boyr' she would
think to herself, as she weeded and
spaded and huttered about among her
lovely flowers. snow, l have worked
as hard for you, dear flowers, as boy
works in his wheat patch, but you are
only sweet and beautiful; you do not
pay" And then she would smile at
her mercenary thoughts. As the sum-
mer deepened, the garden grew in
beauty hour by hour. until it seemed as
if every twig and stalk bore all the
bloom and sweetness it could hold, and
the bees and humming-birds held high
carnival there every day.
One day, just after the noon meal,
Cathie was washing dishes in the back
kitchen. farthest from the road, when,
all at once. great commotion seemed
to fill the air about her She felt n
heavy, rumbling jar that shook the
house; hOarse bellOwings, wild shouts.
and the barking of dogs mingled in the
laundering din that was rolling nearer
as she listened. She ran through to
the front door with her towel in her
hand. and saw, in great dust-cloud, a
drove of at least a hundred cattle tear
ing along down the road. She ran for
her father. but he had gone to the field.
Her flOwer-pOt slOped from the door to
the road, unfenced. Nearly every week
large drOves of cattle went past from
up-cOuntry down to the distant market,
and the drovers always stationed boys
and dogs ahead at the UNPROTECTED
places, while the herds marched oy.
But panic had seized upon this drove.
and. before help could arrive. the fran
tic animals had surrounded the house.
trampled every green thing into the
dust, and rushed on and away like an
avalanche.
Cathie stood among the ruins with a
faco Of .lasna;r. and bar ,,,otho- -,