Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-07-07
CYNTHY.


feel it. She thought sight of Dan,
and Dan always was pleasant aIosnd
the house, there's no denying that.
Lucy James been a god wife. She's
got temper and good deal OF sper-
rit. but she needed it all to make a
middIin' good man OF Dan Pierce.
Late years he's been pretty stiddy.
I'm sure he was old enough to settle
down. though his father KEEP it up till
eighty, and died in his sins.
dldn'C go TO the grave, and after l
Strengthened up the house, as set by
the fire waitin' for 'em to git back,
got 10 thinkin' about Cynthy. It's
curious. L haven't thought of her in
twenty years, as 1 know of, though
long at first Id wake up every few
nights dreamin' she wanted something.
"WnO was Cynthy?" Why, Dams first
wife. Didn't you ever hear of her {?
Well. L don't know as it's anything
strange. She died before your mother
was born. L couldn't help wonderin'
as set there whether she and Dan d
meet. 1t don't seem as Heaven would
be Heaven to her if he was left out.
I'll never forgit the first time saw
her. Twas when your grandfather
brought me- here. We drove up just
at sunset. Sle was standin' in the
dOoryard, liftin' her little boy up so he
could catch hold of the lilac branches.
and then they'd swing back into Dams
arms a5 he stood behind 'em. She had
on a whits lawn, and as the slantin'
rays OF the sun touched h-r she looked
Jest like one of the roses that was
clambsrin' all over the roof. Baltimore
B9lle, the name was. They used to
look dreI1ful pretty. The bush is dead
now. Her hair jest curled up round
her forehead in bright little waves.
and she had the biggest, bluest eyes
As We was comm up the path toward
'em she didn look a day over sixteen.
1 asked John who that beautiful girl
was. Tnat pleased him. Dan" he
chilled out "Marg'ret wants to know
what beautiful girl you're rompin'
with" Dan pinched her cheek and
says, "Dye hear that. Cynthy ?" and
she turned as pink My, he seemed SC
fond OF herl But there never was
any rat feslin' about Dan. No stabil.
ity. Petty soon we all went into the
house. and after was introduced t.
the Old Oip'n and Johns stepmotheI
had chance to look at Cynthy when
she was quiet. and L saw that she
was older than I'd thought, and had
some faint little experience lines in hel
face.
Well. we stayed with the Cap'n's
folks three weeks before our house
wa' ready. | wasn't happy. but tried
no. u show it, for knew John want
ell everything to be friendly between
his folks and me, as long as his farm
was ii the same township. l like
Mother Pierce well enough. She wa.
forever In the kitchen, but she'd a
been rad Kind IL she'd had time. AND
the CtP'n was az pleasant to me n
tSAs IN HIM to be to anybody, but b.
vas p'SssSSei, IL ever man was
Cdrsin' AM swearin' and drinkin' wieI
he wI1 70 home, and OF, and Dan will
him. To every horse race aud carous
IA the country; and such set as he KEEP
around ths hOu5el John wasn't a bi
like EN-. He'd never lived to hom
uuch, and was always stiddy. He wa
real good, and stayed with me as mucI
as be could, bit those weeks went slow
Cythy was Away sweet and pleasant
sShs hsw round, helpin' Mother Pierce
aud kept her baby jest rs neat as wax
but she didn't seem to take no real in
t'rest when Dan was By. When n
com" N she jsst lighted up and bloom
et Ike Sls'd begin to smile when sh,
heart 1he sHu1d Ot his horses feet nj
the rHli. AMI while he stayed She,
talk md laugh and sing (she was ,
pretty singer). and didn't think littl
DInny was like his papa? she'd say
aud she hoped he'd be tall like him
COO; aud Dan would laugh and throw
her kiss and tell her-nO. he neve
had to tell her to bring his slippers OF
a drink or whatever he wanted. i
used II seem to ms rs IL she knew
what he waS gOin' to want, and fairl,
dew TO fetch 1t.
Bot IL the Capn happened To com
an she quieted right down. / 500,
found out why. When Dan wasn't Il
the house ste KEEP out of the old man
way. but 1t seemed as IL she eouldu'
be far from Dan when he was With,
reach, so she tried to be still so tn
Cap'n couldn't hnd fault with her. Blu
twas no use. He had a pick ut he
and he never lost chance to show II
remember one day DaL had left tn
room and she hadn't had time to sli
out after him. when the Cap'n said /
me. do you know why Dan brough
his interestin' young family and hs
been maxim ma a visit Of Z wo mr. thro
yearsr / didn't say anything. and h
went on: "rwasn't because he was to
shiftless to support 'em (speakia' slo'