The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-17

me have hope and take up heart again. Oh,
Clem, there are more tragedies In the homely
every day than will ever be written in books
or understood by men!"
! saw his face droop his mouth culver,
and then felt sob rise in his breast. Glenn
crying-thc great, strong man! could not
bear that. Forgive me, l was wrong" l
said. ~ fancied all this. You did not mean
it," But he only muttered, Blind! blind"
Still the food went on; still the dark
waters encompassed Us about, till thought
Verify, the fioodgates Of heaven are open"
Then, as the old tree rocked and writhed in
the torrent, Glen told me simply and hon.
estly that he had not understood. He thought
| was contentcd and he was not used 10 the
little caresses that come natural to other
men; he had no mother or sisters-dear,
quiet, old Clcm-to teach him. But he was
bitterly sorry, and he thought from my raw
ings after baby died that hated him and
blamed him for the chld's death. 1t was so
good To hear him reproach himself and to
have him kiss me in that passionate grief
that was indifferent to the food or future.
For moment we were silent, and looking
into his dear face, mercifully did not SEQ
the coming wave, but heard the louder roar
echoing the far away thunGV peal and com
ing with the crash Of gale in pine forest,
or the breaking of the surf on rocky coast.
There was one swift moment of agonized ex-
pectation when it washed over us, bending
the tree 10 its level but it went on and the
tree did not follow remember Glenn kissed
me and said he thought the water was going
down, but somehow did not heed think
tainted. When did begin to realize again
the flood was quite low, gone as swiftly as it
came. Only IA muddy brook creeping down
the sandy creek bed where a mighty river
had been; tho sun had come out bright and
warm and the storm was past. What havoc
and desOlation the flood caused was recorded
in all the papers, but our deaths were not
among the disasters. fancied that great
volume Of water roaring on to the Platte
river, swelling its tide to wash the shores Of
sandy plains and fertile meadow lands, far
to the turbulent Missouri, ending at last in q
shining blue sea, the great Gulf of Mexico.
Shall l carry you, you little thin thingr
said Glenn.
You might slip" said, so hand in hand
like two children we crossed the slippery
land to the ranch two miles away. On hill
by the creek | saw our wagon flung bottom
up, and by the ranch We found our horses
feeding quietly Luckily Clem's matches
in the silver case had given him long before
we were married-were dry. and he built up
n fire in the fireplace in the log cabin. When
| stood there to dry my clothes | took my
treasures ont Of my wet pocket and put them
by the fire Glen came in with some wood
and saw them. He stopped down on one
knee and took them in his hand
Il was running away when saw you,"
said, determined to keep no more secrets
from him. He looked up at me and said,
slowly:
II was running away myself. thought
you hated mel sold the ranch To Mrs.
France-good business woman--mean. though
20 hag2led year about the price, 5000
was going to mail YOU the particulars, and
she wouid pay you. One OF those visitors of
hers has offered IRE a place on his big cattle
ranch in Texas: | was gong there Yea
have had four years of misery the money
would pay you little and you could go
hnme-I would not tronbie you any more
wrote this i. II letter
Can see it, Glenn"
1t was carried Off in my coat-probably
on its way down the Platte now letter was
hard TO write-nearly broke my heart-tod
Olsen u lool; ont for you-was going to send
the team back, SO you could get away all
down 70 Dry Creek canyon
afraid I'd meet Ms France and her crowd
He spoke in quick, Jerky sentences looking
at my treasures; he turned them over in his
hands and looked up at me Fifteen dol
lars the photograph of man who ruined
your life, and--and dead babys shoe |
wonder if the pilgrim entered the gates OF
paradise with so light load" .
Glen" ! cried. lit is heaven now if you
will love me and forgive me-
He jumped up and took me in his arms
Miserable towards that we were, Molly,
running away from each other, too silly and
proud to tel! each other the truth! Shall we
begin all over again-let me win you once
more and keep you petF
1t did not seem like sober. Indifferent Glen
at all, this eager. passionate lover. 1t was
very dear to me, t)o, I had starved for love
so long
And will you take me to Texas" said
''Of course" blghed 1--WE are just mar
ried, are we not! And no more ranches for
me of my own. Somebody else can do the
work; it's beyond us two We don't want
TO be rich: we want to be happy"
While we stood there hand i'll hand, like
two young lovers, we heard loud rattling,
aud there came Olsen and Mrs. Bohm, driv-
Ing at full speed across the prairie Mrs.
BONN had come over to spend the day with
me, and then Olsen knew was gone some
other way He borrowed her team and went
to find me. He tracked my steps to the
canyon and the double tracks across the mud
to the ranch. Luckily he had missed the
food.
my wife is going TO Texas with me, said
Glenn proudly. The dear fellow had suffered,
knowing Olsen knew how unhappy we were.
That is good" said Olsen in his slow way
"for Mrs. Bohm and me are agreed to get
married, and l could not so with you"
Later, Glen and Olsen rescued our wagon
and hitched our horses ahead of Mrs. Bohm's
team. We had quite a procession. Mrs
Bohm sat with Olsen in the front seat, and
Glen sitting behind with me insisted on
wrapping blanket about me and holding it
too He had given me back my treasures ex-
cept the little worn shoe He kept that ito
remind him" he said, but he would not say
any more. Mems feelings are buried deeper
than women's, and have learned to know
that only in times of great trouble and danger
are the depths Of Clem's nature reused into