Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-29
A CLOUDBURST.


not draw back. Two years before we wers
married, Glenn went to Colorado, and all the
time he was away wrote me loving letters
full of his home in the new country, the
glorious climate and scenery, his struggles
and his failures. / longed to be with him
the quiet village life grew distasteful, home
monotonous and each day SO like an
other that hated to go to bed at night.
dreamed of mountains and plains and, OF
course, of Glenn. At last the time came when
he thought best to come for me, and we were
married one August morning. l remember
he was pale and quiet, only a look in his dark
eyes that shall never forget When l was
gstting ready to run away from him that lool.
haunted me.
When i saw my new home my heart went
back with great throb of anguish TO my
fathers house, the trees and flowers and the
pretty eastern village. Before me was a
wide desert, dotted with low huts so far
apart could not tell even if they were in
habited, and close at hand was a three
roomed log cabin Not tree, a brook, bit
of green grass, only scorched plains with gay
cardinal flowers, or miles of sunflowers
quivering in the hot, dry air. The fiat dis
lance ended in rugged brown foothills, but
Glenn said could see the Rockies on clear
day.
/ laid my pretty gowns aside, donned
sonlber calicoes and a sun bonnet that our
hired girl at home had made me for a we'd
ding gift had laughed little at it then,
but now it was my greatest comfort. / took
up the weary life of routine and labor that
falls TO the rancher's wife in this land of sand
and sunshine. / was not unhappy, for had
Glenn put my wedding presents around
the cabin, giving it lived in look, but the
furniture was very limited. and all my cook
ing lessons were of no avail for there was
nothing to cook with.
Glenn and the man worked all day in the
fields harvesting with the wild, young horses
that had brought me and my finery from the
town fifty miles off, and | stayed alone.
There was not even dog to speak to, though
Clem had a collie with the sheep herder miles
away. He couldn't understand why should
want a dog TO bring in dirt and make Inc
more work, SO | never asked again Ny
hands grew rough and hard in the aIkaii
water, and my face tanned with that deep
brown peculiar to Colorado. | could under
stand what a little western girl had said to
me in my eastern home when she cried adj
miringly: "Why, everybody is SO white
herer'
Still Glenn loved me, he thought me as
pretty as ever and our first winter was the
bappiest in my life. The man was gone and
we were all alone. We read aloud evenings,
drove to the postofiice twenty miles away for
Dur mail, and took long walks over the plains
He promised | should have a saddle in the
spring and ride with him, then he would
build a porch around the house, and my sister
Should come out and visit me
In the spring tho horses were needed for
blowing, Glenn was too busy to go to town
Tor the lumber for the porch, and we We're
too poor to entertain any one. Yet l never
thought of complaining then. L had cast
my fate with Clem's, and / worked for his
interest. l never once longed for the old
easy days at home. If be said, GIVE got the
smarteSt little wife in the world" 1 would
work myself nearly to death for week; but
he seldom talked or petted me; he was too
busy with his farm work
That second winter baby came, and the
young German widow who stayed with me
six months said it was the prettiest boy she
ever saw. | thought it looked like Glenn and
of course he thought it was my image. Like
all young mothers was easily scared, and
think / had some cause, for the doctor was
fifty miles off. | may have been over anx-
ious, but the first shadow that came between
Glenn and me was his indifference to my
worries about baby. He would laugh at me
and go about his work, while | carried the
child all day soothing its fretting That
summer was not strong and may have been,
as Glenn said "hystericy.n
q Glen grew broad shouldered and manly,
bronzed with ruddy health and life, but
was weakly and dropping, with haggard eyes
end hollow cheeks. | saw it plain enough.
and l had no ambition to alter my shabby
gowns to fit me, nor to look neat | grew
slatternly and careless. Was l to blame? I
had to cook for two men, tend sickly baby,
and wash and iron An day long the fierce
sun beat down upon our little home, where
the kitchen was like an oven and our bed
room sitting. l was on my feet from sun up
to sun down, for somehow never learned to
get through with work; it was always ahead
of me-
Then Glen would say: "You are getting
cross, little woman, YOU seem so spiritless,
Are you sorry that you married met Your
life is no harder than any rancher's wife en-
dures, it will only last a short time, then we
can get better things and some one TO help
you" That to me, when l had never COM
planned. He gave all his love words and
petting to baby now, and used to wonder in
dumb despair, why it WIS so. Was it that
be had changed or IL
The third summer Mrs France came She
was the widow Of cattle king who owned
all the land about Us but our little home
stead. She had been in Europe, but usually
spent her summers at her ranch. ten miles
from my home. / was washing that morning
on the shady side of the house, when | heard
the sound of horses hoofs, and handsome
woman, with bold, black eyes, came dashing
around the house ON a fine thoroughbred
mare / noticed her perfectly fitting habit,
her exquisite gloves and hat, her beautiful
face No need to introduce herself; from
Mrs Bohm's-the German widows descrip-
toni knew my visitor was Mrs. France
II thought I'd find somebody she said,
''where's Ciemr
''He went over on the range to see afte-
his sheep at daylight" stammered
fare you his wifef'
"Ycs" l was possessed then with q mad
jealousy Of her, and wondered if Glenn knew
her well. He had never said a word Just
then Glen came galloping UP.
"Corrigan said you were here he said
eagerly, al sent my man on and came back.
Are you wells or course you are, the picture
of health
She laughed merrily, showing her pretty
teeth, while he lifted her Off her horse, and
there | stood with my hands in the suds, like
a scrub woman
This is my wife, Mrs France" said Glenn,
then he looked actually ashamed of me |
felt it. Luckily, the baby cried, and ran |
into the house
i heard you were married, Glenn" heard |
her say, 81 wss talking TO your wife, In |