The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-08-24
TARA.

a -Eugene Field.
----.--
lara.
BY CLAUDE WILLIAM SMITH,
A driving, binding snow, the sky dark
and sullen, . wild wind sweeping over
the plains the mountains quite hidden
from view by the storm.
Tara threw more pine logs on the fire,
drew together the red chintz curtains at
the small window Of her s'best room,'
and tried to make things a triae cozier
in the ranch cabin.
Father will soon be home,n she said
-she had fallen into the habit of talk
ing 70 herself out in this lonely country,
this new, far west" He will put the
sheep in the corral early t%o-night-it is
d stormy
A small clock on ashelf, which served
V : msntel, and which was draped with
some simple but pretty chiltz, like the
curtains, struck four. lara sighed a lit
lie as she heard it. How many times
had she listened to that same silvery
chime--it was . pretty little French
clock-in happier days in the dear east!
lis musical sound recalled so muchl-
brought back the pretty, old-fashioned
New England home 30 plainly. Tara
could almost smell the great creamy
roses that climbed over the front porch.
She could see the tasteful little home
parlor, % different from the meagrely-
furnished room she now sat in, with its
poor little attempts at c%heerfulness.
She could fancy herself, rs of old, sitting
before her sWeet-toned piano, singing
all the "old tunes' she could call to
mind Ito please father;'' or she could
picture the long, happy summer days
spent ID the large naples in the gar
den lying idly in a hammock, drinking
I the sweet air, and dreaming MS girls
will dream. :,
How her dreams had turned out!
when her father came to her one fall
DAY and said very gravely, cara, | have
lost money. This place must be sold. I
shall go West,p her heart had leaped
with foolish JOY, She had dreamed so
often Of tine West; she knew it was a
paradise, so free and wild. "Roughing
u" would be so very pleasant Had she
mot read In books about ii? So she had
only smiled at her fathers grave face
and exclaimed: 81 am so glad we are
going West! We shall make our for
tunes there. I know"
was az now-had been "rouehinp it,
hve years. She was wiser.
The lovely New England home had
been sold, all debts paid-for Tara Joss
lyn's father was strictly honorable-and
father and daughter had sought the west
the great. undeveloped territory of
Montana. Mr.. Josslyn'a remaining a D
itai, which was not large, had been in
vested in sheep.
1--WE shall have to be content to wait.
Fart. child, while our little flock grows,J
Mr. Josslyn had said, and at the same
time had cast q rueful glance around
the small lighthouse they were to call
home for the years to. come. But
cara was young and hopeful.
iWe shall be rich before we know it!'
she had cried gayly, and went on tack
q muslin on the cabin walls, in lieu Of
plastering.
The years came and went--the little
Hook OF sheep grew larger, and money
came III q little more plentifully; but
- SVSStJ ~ llOL ulau6 u fortune
yet, and life on a ranch WAS not easy.
Para pined, secretly, for the east. She
hated those desolate plains, the barren
f0ot hills,o the deeply furrowed snowy
mountains, SO differentfrom the wooded
New England hills! The sun blinded
her-it shone n such q glaring way
and she missed the trees! The few cot
t0n-w0od' trees she detested; size
k0nged for naples, elnis, and oaks. II
want real trees or noneln she would say.
"A lew vines, in summer, were trained
about the cabin-door and windows, and
some wild, pale, pink sweetbrier roses
grew III the house. But Tara had not
the heart to cultivate flowers, besides,
her time wa we'll taken up in other
ways..@Her days, though monotonous,
were busy ones. She did not dream
often now, unless of the past, and life
was wholly practical to her.
Again the little gilt clock chimed-
this time. Owe.
I wonder father does not comet" ex-
claimed Tara, rising from a low foot
bench by the fire, whore she had been
went 10 the window. and vainly
tried to peer through the darkness. The
Wind moaIed and walled, the snow
blew aRetnsssthe windOw-pane. lara
1htvefsd aad drew back. AS she did so
sekoaeAnRhk the soundApf voices. Lamp
In mndSShe hurried to the door.
right I'M she heard her father
aAyssstd0nst wait for me. just tell her
you; are from the east-ehat will be suffi-
cient Recommendations
Then Tara saw her father turn toward
the barn leading another horse beside
sshia own, and q tall man, well mutfied,
patas atttding up tha path fromthe gate
May 7 cone inY'' asked the stranger.
51e1sing for moment at the door and
ing q fur cap.
Certainly, replied Tara, and re-
.kknee4&ed into the warm, fre-lit oom
g4 tall man followed, and quickly di-
xesdNe himself of his sff6N-covored out
I & Nssppinss' drew near the blazing
my name is Storey-Wiliiam Storey
has rid ,4miling, "and your father adj
xises me tell you that I am from the
EZRA smial also. Father knows how
clad / amselways TO sec any one from
konle,n she aid.
have been in Montana, however
saali5fLis fall, Mr.. Storey went on tossay,
tssend leone heresnearly every fell tt
hunt. Mstutana is good hunting ground
nut I have fingered a little toe alon,
among the Rockies this time; winter hal
gDvertaken met
Ii our first real snow storm, but i
Makes one feel it ought to be in January
Sf6gtead Of only November" Zarf
IA With = sigh, as q gust o
IND bat wildly against the ranct
SSYou do not like the West?'' asked
h6soonpanion, glancinAupa at the yount
somewhat sad face