The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-02-18
AUNT 'CINDA'S RANCH.

-Chdriss FOlten Adams.
AUNT 'CINDA'S RANCH.
There was plenty of game in the neighbor-
hood of Aunt 'Cinda's Ranch, as We had been
told; but our informant had neglected to state
that it was also one of the dreariest places on
earth. Far as the eye could reach in every di-
rection lay only prairie, prairie, prairie-tree-
less and nat, with short, trivial grass, and
over the face of it all, that indescribable,
tawny blur, peculiar to the outlying Kansas
plains the little level river in front of the
ranch had no banks, and flowed sluggishly
the ranch itself was a fOur-roOmed cabin of
melancholy adobe, flanked by a stone corral in
which were awkward racks and troughs for
horses.
The interest and excitement Of our chases
after antelopes, jack-rabbits and occasionally
wandering buffalo, served to kill time for US
during the day, but when evening came, and
we returned to the ranch, tired out and think
ing Of home, the sense of exile became almost
painful. The fact that the ranch was stage
station, where brief halt was made for sup
per, alone redeemed it from utter desolatiOn,
for this gave US our sole glimpses of the dis
tant world, in the faces and conversation of
the passengers, with now and then q stray
newspaper. We used to stand watching the
slow and gorgeous sunsets with pretty pre-
tense OF admiration, when in reality, our
thoughts were bent upon catching sight of
the first curl of dust that should denote the
approaching stage. The passengers were not
always either attractive or communicative but
all the same We hailed them warmly; and when
they left the horizon seemed swiftly to widen,
and the stars to creep farther upward in the
high, inhospitable sky.
1t was at such empty times that We turned
fOrlOrnly to our associates OF the ranch-tO
the landlady, Aunt 'Cinda Mcmillan and the
swarthy Mexican and his wife, who were in her
service. The resource was an Improbable one at
first, but gradually We found Aunt 'Cinda to
be character worth knowin8 and you may
be sure We left no artifice untried to win from
her all she had to tell She was robust, strong
featured and about forty-five years old; there
were streaks of gray in her heavy black hair,
few wrinkles in her cheeks; her eyes had an
alert and seeking look, such as you see in the
eyes of persons who live much alone. Some
times, when she grew animated, and a f1eetng
smile came to her aid, we could believe that in
her girlish days she had lacked but little-say
merely change of mouth-to make her pref
ty. But it was her story, and not herself, that
mainly held our attention and encouraged our
inquiries: indeed, she usually appeared, when
recounting the strange incidents of her history
to be talking of some one else, so free from
vanity was she and so candid.
She had been reared, We learned, in the
Boone's Lick country, in Missouri, and there
had Aaron Mcmillan known and wOoed her.
The memory of her courtship was very vivid to
her and she dwelt upon it with lingering fond
ness Aaron wasn't the purtiest man in the
world, by long Odds" she would say; che was
Gght-complected and had sandy beard and
freckles: but he was jest as good as ever they
make 'em. disremember how twas that he
fust begun keepin' company with me. Their
was likelier gals than me in the settlement;
Lucy Walker, for one, that sung alto and
played onto the melOdeon; and Samanthy Pet
tbs, that had money in her own right an sech
little taperin' feet, an she liked to show 'em,
too. But Aaron and me, we both
pear S if he keered button for
any O. the balance of 'em. ''Cindy,' he
used to say, some gals is purity an high-step-
pin, an some is handy about bakin' an weav-
in an sech, an some is peart in Parnin' ;;
but it's the average as counts, 'Cindy.' I'll
never forgit that, not if 1 live thousan' years.
'It's the average as counts. can Almost
hear him sayin' that now. He used to come
to see me every other Sunday, rain or shine,
an when the was moon, he'd take me to
meetin', over to the Chapel, four mile away.
The Complexities an Methods used to have
union meetin's there, an revivals, an shout
in. Aaron's folks was Complexities, an he
leant that way, an mine was Baptis'. But We
didn't never argy about religion. Bless you,
no."
Then she would detail to us, bit by bit, the
current of their closer talks together, as they
porch behind the morning glories. 1t could
hardly be called love-making, Aunt 'Cinda
herself termed it "sparkin'," and even that
sounded too hectic for an intercourse that had
in it apparently SO little of passiOn-sO small a
chance of heart-break. But perhaps beneath
had throbbed wealth of reverent and tender
preference that was worth anything else in
1ife-these simple, undemOnstrative natures
so frequently shame the best of loves exam
pies with their unguessed and quiet power.
Certainly this humble woman, no longer young,
and living over again that far-of dream, still
kept her faith and made royal comfort OF it.
And yet. so far as We could ascertain, her
matter-of-fact Aaron had bur once in all their
courtship ventured to kiss her. ''Tll never
forgitit. not to my dyin' day." she said. at
was of a Sunday night. the last Sunday in
September, out by the gate, as he was goin'
away. W'd been a-talkin' of things as furrin
as could be to sparkin', an all of sudden, likes
if he'd been possessed, he put his face close
up to mine, and-I declare to gracious, /
couldn't "a been worse surprised II he'd
"a hit me. Land sakes, Aaron!' Iscreamed.
An the next minute snickered right out. l
couldn't help it for SEEM how flustered he
was, and kind o. undecided. VOW, l b'lieve
he thought he'd miffed me. But he hadn't.
Lordy, lordy, it comes back to me jest like
twas only Yesterday"
Then she dropped her head, and her fin gers
recating tone:
"YoI 'uns IL think I'm soft, expect; but
can't help it. can't forget some things"
The tears in her eyes said as much, and more.
They were married in time. we came to
know, and went to housekeeping; but they
were poor: they had to rent land: bad luck
followed their planting, and finally, Aaron de-
termined to go west with the Santa Fe
freighters, many of whom, once as poor as
himself, had been known to return from that
mysterious region with money enough to buy
well-improved farms ip the Boone 8 Lick coun-
try. IL didn't cross him about it" said Aunt
'Cinda she was alters dreadful sOt in his
ways, an couldn't be coaxed agin the grain.
That was his weak spot; everybody has one,
you know. 1t was almost too much for me to
see him start off on sech journey, but made
myself think it would turn out for the best !;
an l knowed he'd come back"
Two years passed, however, and he did not
return, nor did she hear aught from him, eN-
cept that he had duly reached Santa Fe. A
third year. almost, dragged away without
sight or tidings of him; and then she resolved
to move out into Kansas, along the route he
hoI ,f, stco> 70 ho niohar N him ~ she