The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-04
AFFAIR PRE-EMPTI0NIST,

Haynes.
We were in a Pullman sleeping car
and 1 had been from the first impressed
with her appearance, which was rather
distinguished, as compared with tht
other passe myers. Her dress indicated
the judicious union of gentility and econ
omy. Her jacket, 1 remember, was
trimmed with Yak lace. Such OF my read
ers as are old enough to remember When
Yak lace went out of fashion will have
an idea of the antiquity of the garment
which, however was made and worn so
we'll that the Yak lace actually seemed
to add a kind of elegance.
She had the soft coils of fine black han
which usually accompany delicate feat
ures, and contralto voice, and unhesl-
tatingly marked her as a We're de we're
The accident, which in itself hardly de-
serves the name of incident, caused heI
to seat herself by my side about O'CLOCK
and to my utter amazement, because the
We're de We're are not cOnhdlng seU' aS
rule, to talk to me about herself.
@I am one of those dreadful creatures,
pre-emptionist, she began, with frank
laugh "See my hands, how brown they
are 7 have been working FOR my Ooard
all summer, carrying water JWeAIy rous
for washing, and doing the cooking IoI
five men and two women, and was never
so happy in my life"
I have no doubt that my face was a
Temptation to continue revelations, for l
was intensIy interested and as tonisned,
not 80 much at her words as the rare JOY
in existence which rang in her voice. vas
written on her face, and made the whole
woman as inspiring as a bird song in the
morning.
II never meant to do it," she continued;
"never in the world. 1 have taken care
of myself since was 16. Then worked
for my board and went to school Then l
taught school in IllinOis-fifty or sixty
children at a time. That was pleasant
enough, but after three years of it l
seemed to break down. and the doctor said
that laust die before winter.
The only person in the world who be-
Ionged to me was a brother, whom 1 had
not seen foT five years.
@He was q Dakota farmer and kept
writing to me to come there, but l re-
fused, declaring that one mania from
which I would be utterly free was the
land craze, which seized everybody who
set foot on prairie soil. / should not pay
taxes and groan under weight of Dor
rowed money to be the proprietor of end
less acres. But that summer 1 made up
my mind that the doctor was right about
my dying in the fall, and it occurred to
me one day that the memory of visit
with my brother might possibly be q
pleasant thing to take to heaven, and l
wrote to him that / would come and stay
two weeks
hardly believe myself when I tell it,
but had not been there twenty-four
hours before had re-empted the claim
next to his, 100 acres of land.
81 can't describe it, but felt like a new
creature with the first breath of that clear
prairie air and the first touch of the blessed
ground.
AT the end of the two weeks i returned
to Chicago to make arrangements for
coming back to keep house for my brother,
but before l came again my brother was
dead. After that 1 felt that l could not
live away from Dakota. Because of the
law could not have his claim; he had not
paid all that was due-so it went back to
the government.
"But had my own. That fall had a
little shanty put up and hired myself to
the people on the next place. In that way
I earned my living and enough more to
pay for breaking my Lar d in the spring.
Every night used to go over and stand
on my territory-mine every blade OF
grass and grain of sand, down to my CEN
trail spark Of fire, which it is hard to be-
Heve exists during Dakota winter
grew strong every day, ana in little
while could build fires in the morning and
milk cows, and think nothing of it. / did
feel SO rich every time 1 remembered my
estate, with my fine castle in the middle
of it-not in the least like a maid-Of-all-
work or broken-down school teacher.
"Not much of castle, either. WANTED
to have lack on the door as a slight con
cession to conventionality, but the car
penter looked so surprised that 1 did not
insist. 1 will confess to you, though, that
rugged up kind of button arrangement
to use nights.
'I had a mighty struggle with that car
penter about the window, but that point
would not yield. Eight big frames of
glass let in the sunsets to me, so that /
have daily glimpses of as much Of the
New Jerusalem as am capable Of ap-
preciating.
II do feel real pity for the people who
don't know from experience what it is to
be of more value in an honest, CONNER
cial sense than the clothes and bread that
go to in life.
"I have had such a good garden this
summer, three kinds of tomatoes, two
kinds of beans, lettuce, peas, quantities
of things to eat, and have set out three
baby apple trees and planted lots of maple
seeds"
ado you intend to live there aIone?" ]
said in some dismay for to me solitary
life in palace would be utter barren
ness.
Eyes, shall have so much to do, fixing
up my house and cooking, that I shall
not De lonely. 1 shall read Goethe this
winter l have never had time to look
out German words with a clear con
science, but the owner of acres can afford
such luxuries as time and leisure When
get so trightfully rich that have more
money than spend L shall invite used
up, discouraged women out for breath
of LIFE wish you would come and see
me- will give you three kinds of to
znatoes and two kinds of beans My berth
Is ready, see; good night! l always re-
gard this sleeping car business as piece
of extravaganza on my part, frlghtful
enough TO warrant a smash-up by way Of
Judgment, but it is really cheaper than a
two-days's sick headache / wish you
would come and see me. Good night"
l thought about her during the night
and again early the next morning when
/ stepped out of the car, while the cur
tains hung straight and still before every
section but my own.
The absurdity of her invitation had not
struck me before, but as the morning air
cleared my thoughts I laughed to remem-
Der that she did not know my name nor
dwelling place, nor hers.
1t was extremely improbable that
should ever know the rest of her history.
Indeed, as frequent repetition of her story
{ y,rOvad an interesting I came aft last m "a