Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-01-16
LYDDY.
By THEODORE BARTLETT.

: - u y - Il
By THEODORE BAnr1xr.
Ny friend, we will not inquire about her
psi lie; Joe Coble did not, and he mar
ned her, 90 why need we? Her laces
were bought for a few cents yard, and
her silks came from an old clothes shop,
but for what purpose she wore her little
ineries, or how she paid for them we
' not question. You and I passed her
with averted eyes. Lydia had heart, and
he lifted q hat to tan imaginary hat;
he seldom removed his own. Later he
found he loved her; and, in blunt way,
Of coursea rough man Like Joe cannot
make love in the refined way you and 1
can-he told her so.
"Eft hedn't ben fur you, Lyddy,
(really I can't help calm ye familiar
ike), eft hedn't ben fur you, these yer
three days't vepassed t Frisco wouldn't
hev ben nowhere ter me-'cept fur the
sights"
He took her hand awkardly in his, as
though it were piece Of fragile lace, and
regarded it admiringly. He did not see
the black and blue spots her sleeves COW
cred
~ live kind of lonely life up in the
olearin' (it amt all clearin', though I like
Ter call it 50, for the sake of old Carliney)
n somehow the sosherable time I've he'd
ysr's 11(L6e ct seem loneier'n ushul. Yer,
80, when ye hauled me in out O the wet
that night, n asked 4 1 wouldn't come in
N wiring myself out" he laughed,
st seemed's tho was mungst m old
nebbors down ter the corners. N then,
afterwards, ye was SO kind n sosherble!"
She had bold, questioning eyes (you
remember how defiantly they looked at
~ as she entered the old clothes shop),
but they had lost all their defiance while
he was talking, and even gathered little
moisture.
1.-THE clearin's rather lonely" he con-
tinued, after pause; the highest neb-
boris five miles, n the railroads ten. But
it's right purty-'t's right purity! Theirs
tn old mount'n back on us loomin' up,
n the valley before us sweepin' down,
n not fur offs tn ocean peepin' over
the cliff. N all around's trees It I left
standin' n flowers t planted tn m own
hands. N ye ken see all this from the
v'randy. Oh, its purity, Lyddy, right
purity! But" after pause, set does seem
lonely now, does seem lonely"
A more experienced observer would
have noticed strange little drop making
. wet roadway down Lyddy's cheek.
sTer tell the truth, Lyddy I've begun
tc think thet-thet I couldn't go back
without ye n thet's the long m short
OF" She withdrew her hand and cough
cd 90 course" rubbing his chin, ner-
vously, ''this sounds little forard, N a
lady like you, Lyddy, m know how at
tractive the city is, but couldn't help
askin' ye. M reilly ye might like the
clearin' better n ye think. Z + = But
I wish ye would speak, Lyddy; cts kind
o. nettlin not to hear no answer"
He looked up. She was sobbing.
You remember, my friend, the night
we passed that rather tall, roundabout
dered fellow at the ferry buying tickets
for way station up the coast (the night
we tried to beat the company out Of a
pass }, and you remember when he bowed
@ me how sweet his blue eyes were, in
spite of the ticket agents insolence be-
oans of his two or three simple ques-
tions about the time card. That was the
night Lydia disappeared and Joe Coble
was married.
Poor Lydia! While Joe was talking
70 her 30 sweetly, she had pictured to her
self happy little wife, breathing fresh
air, singing under the trees, and picking
rcd roses, away up in the ''clearin;" such
. happy little wife with a real home and a
real husband No more wickednees and
trouble and heartburns, but life OF un-
ending bliss. And just before the hour
came when she must bid Joe good bye
orsver, she would be lying there on the
grsen sod OF course she would die on
IL green sod, with the blue sky above
md she would take his hand in hers and
IN him all al about her past life. And
1hsn, Of course after she had been good
- him % very, very long, then he would
4orgive her-when he knew all. But she
nsednt tai him now, oh, no, not now
He couldn't understand, and besides he
didn't know her we'll enough. She wasn'i
sftaid- No, indeed She could tell hin
1T - we'll as not, only only and ther
Joe looked up and found her sobbing.
Butattsr the first Joy Of the pure coun.
~ air, and the green trees, and the vel.
Inv and ned flowers, that vague, tremb.
49, n IN