The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-10-21

mink, kAl0y, how IL KIND OF spurs me up 70
~ and be somebody. That's what makes me
you, RaldyI want" But here Sim Pee
bles choked up. His courage had given out.
Raldy felt hers oozing out, too.
guess III 20 home till supper" abe said,
and abe darted away.
After supper she put the children to bed,
and then brushed up the hearth and put the
little cabin to rights, Sim meanwhile devour-
ing her. as usual, with his eyes. Raldy had
captured him, soul and body, and the nearer
he came to the sublime sacrifice which he felt
that he was making for her sake, tho moro
completely his passion dominated him.
Raldy moved for her hat and shawl, and
murmured something In manner strangely
unlike herself about "going home to Mart, !"
when Sim PEBBLES caught her hand-no man
had ever dared to touch Raldy SCOTS person
beforehand begged her to sit down for mo-
"Y0u know" Sim said, brokenly, and with
Q face like ashes, " it's my last night, Raldy."
With all his love, he stood in absolute terror
of her.
Raldy sat down with strange docility, but
Sim could not speak, after all, and they sat for
several moments in silence.
"Well," said Raldy at last, getting up In her
Say first, }" said Sim, swallowing hard, and
catching at her hand again-"tell me first,
Raldy, that may be when come home, II do
well, Raldy, and turn out better, that
He paused.
"That WHAT" questioned Raldy, in 60 gen.
tie tone that Sim took heart wonderfully.
"That may be you'n-you'n marry me and
live here always, and see to the children"
It was all out now, and Sim drew . deep
sigh q he turned his handsome, effeminate
face, almost strong in its expression of in
tense love, full upon the strangely hesitating
woman.
Raldy dropped into her seat again, and
buried her face in her hands. Then she let
them fall slowly, and said, with q serious and
deliberative air which would have daunted q
less persistent sutton:
YOU'RE an honest fellow, Sim-and you
know that's good deal to me-and you're
good looking, but declare I don't know OF
any other earthly reason why should marry
you. You couldn't support me. How you
have had to fly around to get enough for US to
eat since have been here! And what wages
have you paid me!"
Finn fairly covered before her, but, With a
woman's perversity, Raldy SCOTS love only
burned the more fiercely.
It's all true" he said, mournfully, " but
don't you see, Raldy, Pm turning over new
leafl Pm going to work and I'm going to
show you and the rest Of them that can be
like other men,"
As Raldy looked at him tear glittered in
her eye:
"Well, she said, rising, and with no hint In
her voice Of the tear. when you come back
It will be time enough to see."
go, but, Raldy," cried poor Sim, who had
reached just the point where despair sub.
lines to power, won't you Just tel! me that
you love me-just little." He fell on the
dress. " Haven't you any thought about me, u
he went on, piteously, "only that I'm worth
less feilow?"
Sim, you fool" said Raldy, raising him up
with more tenderness than her words would
seem to warrant, edo you suppose that
would have let you 20 on this way II hadn't!
Goodbye, sim;" and slipping away before he
could stop her, Raldy left him with such con-
ISOLATION as he could gather from her last re.
mark.
Sim did not go till nine o'clock the next
morning, and meant to have few words more
with Raldy before he left, but she was cold and
incisive as ususl, when she came in at day.
break, and she went about her work In way
that precluded further conversation. Once she
colored violently when Sim caught her eye,
and some tender words rose to his lips at the
sight, but she looked at him again so sternly
that be was glad to withdraw into himself at
once, and dared not plead his cause any
further.
The days Of the winter wore slowly
away, while Raldy did her self-appointed
task, and bore unfli1chingly the slurs OF
trials of her position At last the intense
cold began to yield. March glided into Arril
The ice in the river thawed, and daily among
its floating masses came down great RATS Of
logs, guided by sturdy lumbermen, whose
cries echoed and re-echoed from the mighty
walls of the village and gladdened the waiting
hearts in the little village.
I'LL 1,1.~n
herman, too old to go ''up rver' any more,
shouted as one great raft became wedged be:
tween the rocks and ice, near enough to con.
verse q little amid the tremendous tumult.
sin week or two," shouted back q man
who lived at the next landing and knew them
we'll There was no time for further talk, fol
the great raft just then made free, and swung
into the current, and with the loud cries OF
the men as they piled their heavy poles and the
of, as they often were in the dipping and
swaying OF the raft on its Perilous passage,
it was carried out of sight, the echoes Of the
hubbub lingering long after the vision had
vanished.
It was Friday afternoon, and the April sun.
shine was warm and bright, when the noise OF
great drive, manned by strangers, having
just died away, new one was heard coming
down the Dells. The voices seemed to Raldy'e
long, heavy red cloak, such as all the Morse
women wear, around her to cover her house
dress, which consisted, as her mothers had be.
fore her, of short stuff petticoat and black
bodice over a coarse wooden waist, and she
drew her cloak closer and gazed fixedly up the
river, where the RATS always shot suddenly
into view around a great bend.
The voices grew more distinct. ''Halloo ~
"Bear q hand!' ''Shove her in, b0ysr'
'sKeep her steadyi" And the great drive
came laundering into view, rising and sinking,
creaking and rubbing, the strong poles keep.
ing her clear OF the rocks and the shouts OF
the men coming down with startling clearness
on the gentle wind.
A cry rose from the men on shore. Yes,
these were their friends and neighbors, and
there-there was Sim PEBBLES, straighter than
his wont, and standing on the very edge of
the logs, ready to leap into the current and
swim ashore, for 1t was impossible to push the
raft to land.
Half dozen Others were beside him, mostly
the older ones, whose families needed them.
The youngsters would see the raft safe to its
destination.
On swept the great drive, the men redoub-
ling their cries a. the passage became narrow
er and more dangerous; and Just as they shot
under the great white name Of Leroy Scott,
the river pilot, one after another of the black
figures who were waiting sprang into the
water and began to struggle for the shore.
Raldy's pulses quickened, and a longing for
her old wild life came over her. She had
more than once made that leap herself, and no
man Of them all had battled more stoutly and
resolutely than she with the freezing rapids.
"A