Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-02-28

Eished and the first day of May found
the Warren family on wheels. The
purchase of the farm had been accepted
..sight unseen" as old-fashioned boys
used to trade jack knives. If l had even
dreamed of occupying the house | should
have paid it visit, but nothing had
been farther from my mind, and l nat
urally felt very anxious as we neared
Peachville.
1t was one of Fanny's hobbies that ou1
BOYS should be removed from the town
and its vicious influences while they
were vet blissfully unconscious OF evil.
Look iny at our rev home from that
standpoint, it was certainly a success.
Our nearest neighbOr was solitary old
man, a. deaf as post and at least a
mile away. The village was twice that
distance, and the roads so heavy that
there was little danger of contaminat-
ing associations from that quarter. My
| heart was heavier than lead as the
horses toiled through the sand between
the station and our home, making the
new carry all creak in every joint.
We found the house PRETTY en-
powered in vines whose leaves
would no doubt appear in due
time. Tidy. our maid of all
work, declared it was the dirtiest
house she sever set foot in,'' but Fanny
said that was what everybody thought
who was not used to moving INTO
old houses. 1t was Fanny's nature to
make the best of things, and ct the end
of month she and Tidy had contrived
to make our cottage snug and home
like.
And was not at all unhappy. In
deed, my own indifference caused me
the gravest foreboding at first. | seemed
to be paralyzed. Perhaps my neighbors
had recognized my mental disorder.
and attributed our change of residence
to it. AS time went on, however, | re-
turned to my old self The humdrum
life was forced to lead grew intolera-
BILE. The spell of longing for my old
hauntS came upon me.
just about this time l received a let
ter calling me to the city upon a mat
ter of business. Fanny made arrange
ments for me to 90 by an early train,
so that | might return that same even
ing, for she was timid, and dreaded the
thought of my absence for a single
night Upon my arrival, however, l
found that | could not do this l,
therefore, telegraphed my wife to that
effect, and also that Miss Jones, whom
/ had invited to visit us, would 90 in
my place. Fanny was fond of all
Young ladies, and Miss Jones in par
ticular. So l flattered myself that l
had made such satisfactory arrange
ment that | need be in no haste to re-
turn.
was hardly able to conceal the boy
ish delight with which l entered my
club that evening. My friends were
glad to see me, in way; but felt
that they were less enthusiastic than
the circumstances demanded. They
greeted me with: .'Wel', Warren, you
begin to look BETTER" and "Glad to
see that farming agrees with you,
George till l felt like knocking every
man down that / met. The salad was
fiat and the wines insipid. [ thought
of Fanny's dainty table with sigh. l
even stole a glance at my watch to see
if could catch the train and get back
that night. The thought of my wife
made me uneasy. She would be lonely,
so far from neighbors. She had owned
to me that even in our pleasant home
on Fourth street, with Tidy in the
nursery, she had sometimes been so
nervous in the long nights when
| wa: away that the beating of her own
heart sounded like a knocking at the
street door. Or when the little curly
dog pri"ked up his ears to listen she
dared not guess what lie might hear. l
wondered that 1 had not thought of
this before. There was a slow train
leaving at midnight which would reach
Peachvile about two in the morning,
and [ resolved to take it. | had not
q minute to spare, and as we crawled
alon at snail's pace l was puzzled at
my own Impotence to get back. 1t
was long enough after two when l left
the train and began my homeward tramp
through the deep sand.
Fanny in the meantime had received
my telegram and fastened to meet Miss
some drive for the little woman; so she
took Tidy and the boys along, for the
new carryall was very roomy. AS she
returned with her guest her heart sank
heavily, to remember that there was no
one there to greet her. Still, she tried
to keep up a show of cheerfulness, as
with a laughing "Open, Sesame!' and
three loud knocks she unlocked the
door and entered. Tidy fastened to
prepare supper. while Fanny slowed
the boys in their cribs. Then the two
women sat on the piazza, talking as
women will as long as they dared.
When no excuse could serve to keep
Miss Jones up longer my wife rueful-
ly lighted her to our pretty guest
chamber, dreading beyond expression.
no doubt, the return to her own quar-
ters.
Il hope you don't feel lonely, dear.
away up here?" she said at last, taking
up her candle.
mo, not lonely exactly re-
turned the girl; "a little afraid, per-
haps."
"Afraid?" cried Fanny, and the cold
chills crept along her spine.
Eyes, little, because you were all
away so long and the house was left
alone. | only thought some tramp
-" Fanny interrupted her, saying,
as calmly as she could:
''Then come down and stay with me.
l shall be glad of your company"
How good my wife was l am afraid
Miss Jones guessed by her eager in
vitation. She told me that if Miss Jones
had finished the sentence about the
tramp she should have tainted
So the two descended to my wife's
room, which was in the 81" and
opened into the nursery, as well as up
on the piazza. suppose they had UNI