The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-02-18
+" You don't know what


fix I'm in.'
But she did know-had we not told her,
could she not seea-that he was very Ill, and
weak and nervous; and he seemed to guess
her thought, for in the next breath he said,
81 don't mean the sickness" and then, point
ing finger in the direction of the mother and
child, he added: That's my baby, yender
'Cindy."
He waited for her to reply; he looked up into
her face imploringly, but she said not word.
Surely she had heard him; did she not under
stand! He waited a moment longer. Then
the mother and child, and suddenly, with woe
begone but blunt and cruel force, exclaimed:
8 'Cindy, I-I've-got another wife"
She did not scream, poor woman, nor faint
nor stir. The voice of the child broke the still
ness, at length, with quick, impatient call.
Aunt 'Cindy carefully released her arm from
about his neck and turned her head away, and
hid her face with her hands and sobbed:
30, Aaron, Aaron, Aaron"
The sight was not one for strange or acct
dental eyes and We retired, my companion and
l, to respectful distance What more was
said We could not know, but they cOnversed
there to geiher for several minutes, the three
of them-not angrily nor loudly but very ear
nesLly-andtwO or three times We detected the
shrill voice Of the child's mother above the
Others, as if in special entreaty. Our hearts
invOluntarily went out to Aunt 'Cinda. and
yet there was the shrinking mother with her
babe, AMI there was the sorely beset and help
less Aaron, also. The stars glittered sharply
but cOldly: the advancing night made the
landscape sinister and spectral. We did not
notice the sick man get out Of the wagon, but
presently he came moving toward us. On either
side of him walked one of the women, sup
porting him-and Aunt 'Cinda carried the
child. 1t was group that Millet would have
liked to paint; it seemed blended part
of the grotesque and iuctuating shad-
ows. Their talk had ceased. Their
thoughts We could not catch, of course. But
as they drew nigh us, they halted; and in an
anxious, coaxing tone, Aaron said: "Remem-
Der, though, that one or t'other OF you must
go on with me tomorrow" The women gave
their assent, we inferred, for he added, as if in
answer, "That's bracin'." Then they re-
sumed their way, in silence again, and slowly;
and looking after them. we saw them reach
the cabin and enter at the open door-just as
the stage came rafting up, an hour late,
crowded with passengers.
The supper was DELAYED that night, but its
quality made ample amends. We had never
before seen Aunt 'Cinda's table so invitingly
spread, particularly as to canned fruits and
unsupported tumblers of jelly and preserves;
and there was buttered toast, too, and Jumps
of old-time loaf sugar for the coffee. One
guest said the feast was good enough for
wcdding-at which Aunt 'Cinda colOred, and
sighed fOrlOrnly, and they all laughed. All,
they did not guess how that suggestive word
wounded her! But Aaron was not to be seen,
nor the woman with the baby; they had eaten
by themselves, before We were called, as was
proper. anu were waiting for Aunt 'Cinda in
"the extry ROOM" as she had named 1t. the
room so long sacredly kept for AarOn's coming.
And so the merriment around the table went
on unchecked. The guests were blameless, to
be sure; nevertheless, their jokes and laugh
ter were eXasperating; their very presence
had the effect of an intrusion. We felt SUI
preme relief, know, when 1t was over at last,
and the stage had departed, and the secret
was safe; and then we ventured to inquire
after the sick man, and to tender our services
should he need or desire them.
"He's weaker'n he lets on" Aunt 'C1nda
informed us, "an' he don't pear to have no
appetite. felt so sorry for him, a-tryin' SO
hard to eat when he couldn't. 1t was sech a
nice supper, he said. l could "a cried to see
him a-lookin' so wishin' at them picked tama-
tuses-like used to make 'em back yender.
He is Aaron, you know" and she turned from
us, rather abruptly, we thought, and left the
room.
We lit our pipes, and sauntered out to look
after our ponies. 1t had grown much darker.
We could not see the shallow, crawling river.
The wagon still stood by the roadside, the
loosed cover tapping like some great fateful
wing; the oxen were grazing contentedly
few rods away. From the far-Of mystery OF
space and vagueness, came an echo of a coyotes
spiteful challenge. The daily yellow of the
Gent and crumbling ruins; for moment, we
felt as if We ought to find moss and vines
there. Our ponies lay reclined upon the trod-
den feeding ground, and did not SO much as
prick up an ear when we talked to them and
patted them with accustomed familiarity In
vain we tried to chat of pleasant things, of
other scenes. The solitude would not be dis
turbed; and somehow the smoke from our
pipes, instead of floating upward, was waited
back into our faces, and confused our sight.
When we returned to the cabin, finally, we
were surprised, though not displeased, to
learn that Aaron was to share our sleeping
room. They had kindled blaze for him in
the big fireplace, and made him a generous
couch of blankets, clean and white with aston
ishing sheets and pillow-slips, that were
full OF deep creases' and must have
6een long e hoe }hsn anv,hin D We
had seen for months, albeit there was no bed
stead. He evidently felt out of place and en-
barrassed in it; he would have rested better
We fancied, had they given him less OF sOftness
and daintiness and brought him his frontiers
mans saddle, with a sheep-skin top for pill
face, and gave it downcast expression. We
aimed to avoid conversation with him, know
ing how fatigued, unstrung and in need OF
sleep he was; but he talked in spite of us, and
regardless whether we responded or not. In
deed, he seemed morbidly resolute to tell us of
himself and his affairs-not as one reaching
out for pity, but rather as one Offering an ex-
PLANTATION. We could not but listen.
81 was fool" he said, frankly, but I
meant right, an what man means ort % be
sot down for him. 1t wasn't my fault at
didn't git along down ther' among the greas-
ers. Luck was ag'in me from the very jump.
Sometimes l axed myself if may be it wasn't
a Judgment onto me; an may be it was-may
be it was. was crazed to git rich you under
stand" And he paused to indulge a hooking
smile.
But meant all the time to go back, he
continued, "only wanted to git ahead first.
1t would IA groun' me in an inch o. my life
to "a had 'em a-naggin' me all over Boone's
Lick about comm home dead broke after all my
fine talk about gittin' rich. So jist hep on,
an KEEP a-sayin' to myself, ole man, play
your ham out, trumps or no trumps.' Did /
think much about 'Cindyl Well, l rather cal
kilate my head was full of her. That was the
pizenest part of it." He hesitated a moment,
refectively, and then. " She don't know how
much hankered for herr he said, under his
breath.
''I'll never git done despisin' myself,
though" he resumed, "for not sendin' letters
to her. But wasn't a-doin' bit o. good an
thought what was the use O. worryin' her!
I'd orter "a sent letter anyhow; 1t
would "a been money in my pocket was
a-reckonin' l mOught start back any day,