The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-08-02
MR.. BROWNS "

IhomaS IhOmpSons lace wore the ueclueu
look which all who knew him were well
aware meant that the matter, whatever it
was was irrevocably settled.
81 know, father, but Mr.. shales is get
ting in his hay.n
II know it, Maggie, l know it, but them
Shaleses is a queer lot. They don't seem
TO have no respect for the Scripter nor its
teachin's, and | shan'tt touch my hay Sun
day" The voice was not unkind, for Wild
over Thompson, as tho %eighbors said, Hsot
the world" by Maggie, though to all Others
he was hard and cold, strict and rigid. He
was well to do, thrifty in all his ways, a
hard working, close-iisted man, whom fifty
years had wrinkled and grizzled, taking
good care of his cattle, attending church
regularly and worshiping in the old Puri-
tanical fashion. And the only human be-
ing to whom he showed the least pliancy
was his little brown-faced, dark-eyed girl,
who came and went at her own will, assist
ing about the house when she wished, milk
ing the cows or doing nothing whatever,
just as her fancy dictated. She was II
years old, yet to him she was a little girl,
his baby, almost.
Tho father turned away, leaving the girl
looking out over the meadow with its rich
burden of hay-cocks thickly dotting its sur
face. 1t was 0 o'clock Sunday forenoon,
and the farmer md his spinster siste- of
nearly his own age. and also his housekeep-
er, were on the point of starting for church,
n couple Of miles away-Maggie remaining
at home, at her own wish, 10 prepare din
ner for the two hired men, who were loung-
ing in the shadow of some trees in the
backyard. The week previous had beer
dark and lowering, not raining much, and
at times promising fair weather, and then,
before any material progress could be made
at curing the hay, settling in blacker than
ever, q regular "hay-spiler." On Thursday
the weather had frightened considerably
and Mr.. Thompson had cut the hay in the
south meadow, a fine field lying just across
ting road from the Shales farm. His now
ling machine had ratified round and round,
butDthe tickle sun had refused 10 come
forth clearly, and toward night the clouds
had thickened, and a drizzling, misty rain
filled the air. But the fragrant grass lay
green and sweet, for as yet it had not dried
sufficiently ~ blacken with the rain, and
Friday apd Saturday, though not clear, ha
been half hay-days, but though tedder and
lrake hadhdone their work, the thick grass
on the Thompson "medder" could not be
gotten into shape for housing ere the week
closed, and Saturday afternoon the most
that could he done was to get it snugly
cooked up. Saturday night the wind had
Aahhk1o vi Nht ~ NtlC toNr
and all night long had blown from that
quarter, drying out the half-cured hay, rs
no dew fell during the night, and Sunday
morning the hay was in fine condition
The farmers, most of whom were in like
Ipfedieament with Mr.. Thompson, had TAX
en- advantage of this and were busy haul
ing in their hay. The wind was veering
round to the northeast and dashes of clouds
or "h~oss-tailsn crept up from the horizon.
But Squire Thompson paid no attention
TO this. He drove his horse and carryall
to the door, helped his angular sister in,
and telling his daughter that he should
probably take dinner with his brother
james, who lived beyond the village church
n mile or more, drove away.
G Miss Thompson sat stiff anu erect beside
her brother She had no patience with
this N tender spot in Brother Toms"
heart, this love for his daughter. Time and
again she IA etched to let the gal know
her place. when she would clasp her plump
arms around the neck of the hard visaged
old man and nestle in his lap. At such
times the 'Squire's face would soften, and n
hungry look creep into his usually cold
eyes, oftentimes succeeded by u suspicious
moisture, aud Aunt Martha would 20 about
her work, hitching her shoulders and won
dering what tom was cryin' about"
But Squire Thomas Thompson, who was
also n deacon and a pillar of the church,
with all his rectitude had u skeleton in his
closet, of which his round-cheelted daugh-
ter, much less his sharp-nosed sister,
dreamed not. Long years befIoe Thomas
Thompson, then n sturdy young man of %,
had taken unto himself n wife, q shy
brown-eyed girl, full of lender little win
some ways, with a heart yearning for love
and caresses, and really marrying him from
pure affection. She was almost n stranger in
the place n knew but little of the Thomp-
son characteristics The senior Thomp
sons were then alive, though well burden
ed with years, and Thomas had taken the
homestead MS his own upon condition that
he should see his parents safely beneath
the sod. Everything WAS business-like.
and m~cthodical, and at their death he
would come into full possession, while in
them meantime, though he was nominally
the head of the household, the old folks
did n vast deal of prying round and seeing
after things, and when the n~ewly-wedded
wife had vcntured to caress her husband
in their presence she was accused OF I'M
seemly conduct.
"Unseemly conduct to kiss ~herhusband
and set upon his kneel But he yielding
TO n force of his early training, sided
with his parents and chilled her with the
rcmark that the time for such nonsense had
gone by. Bitterly, bitterly, years after lie
cursed himself for his heartlessness And
so the light went out from the young life,
and nothing remained but the dull routine
of duty. Bravely she took up her burden
and labored uncomplainingly, though the
drudgery of n New England firm proved
too severe n tax for her strength, never
over much, and what wns n mole-hill to
the iron-sided T~hompsons was a mountain
TO the frail wife. By and by n little child
came to her, a boy. This little creature
she could love, fondle and caress TO her
hearts content. But he inherited ms
mothers frail constitution, and lived but n
puny life for a few brief years, and then
she wept and prayed over n marble-faced
semblance of what had been her living,
breathing idol. hen the dull dreariness
of the old house grew more intense, broken
only by the death of her husbands parents
1 quick succession, and this was shortly
followed by the birth of her second child,
little Margaret, named for herself. But
the aching limbs never again toiled in
kitchen or barn-yard, the punched, patient
face put on the majesty of death, and the
pale lips were mute. The loving spirit had
passed away, and Thomas Thompson real
lied how little he had done to detain it to
cheer and bless him. And this thought
mad haunted him, day by day, year by year,
and the whole strength of his narrow soul
was lavished upon tht- little Margaret who
came but to herald the departure of the
other Margaret, who had given so much,
yet received 80 little.
Old Elder Doolittle, who for 90 years or
more had looked after the spiritual welfare
Of the faithful elect OF that vicinity,
preached M prayed, married, baptized
aud lurfaI sIa oiVnpIa .nnnIr.s fnIlr 40 ,.-