The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-02

Board floors are another luxury not en-
joyed by the majority, dirt floors" being
the rule. That's, the earth enclosed within
the four walls is leveled down as smoothly
as possible with spade, and considered quite
good enough. 1t is no uncommon occur
renee to see people who own hundreds Of
heads of cattle and three or four sections Of
land living in sod houses-or even dug
outs" sometimes, with dirt roofs and dirt
floors-buildings which Eastern farmers
would not consider fit to winter stock in.
This being the usual style of living among
the pioneers of Nebraska, of course when
Mrs. Ashley took claim and fixed 1t up so
much better than the surrounding ones, it
was no wonder that she was at once set
apart by her neighbors as being 'too fine
haired for any thing"
Perhaps it was owing to this, or, it may
have been because she never encouraged
familiarity with her neighbors, that she had
not single intimate acquaintance among
them, after living in the vicinity over five
years. She had made proof on pre-emp-
ton at the end of the first six months of her
residence there and had Immediately placed
homestead fling on quarter section ada
cent to her tree-clain. That she had oonsid-
cradle stock and was making money was all
the people whom she hired to do her work
knew nothing more, except that she was
never backward or afraid of putting her own
shoulder to the wheel when work was press
ing.
She had boy, twelve years of age at the
time of which we write, and girl three
years younger. To any inquiries concern
ing her husband, she invariably replied:
II lost him many years ago"
One hired girl, more daring than the rest,
ventured to continue the subject in spite of
her mistress forbidding looks when the
matter was alluded to by inquiring:
What allied him'
"Heart disease" replied the lady, while a
grim smile rested on her face, as she went
outside and closed the door to end the con-
versation.
She was handsome woman, not over
thirty-one or two years of age, and several
of the bachelors of the vicinity had made
advances with view to matrimony, all of
which were politely, but firmly, repulsed.
She always declared she was opposed to
second marriages. The truth of the matter
was that, owing to sad experience, she
did not have much faith in men, or in mar
riage of any kind, whether second or first
She had passed her girlhood in a country
village in the vicinity of Chillicothe, Ohio,
and at seventeen had become engaged to
Ashley Winthrop, rising young lawyer of
that city. Her acquaintance thought she
had married extremely well-but she hadn't
She had become acquainted with young Win
throp while he was rusticating in the vii
lage. She, being the belle there, he engaged
her in what he at first intended 10 be a
Irritation; but before he knew it he was
more interested in her than he had intended,
and when it came time to leave some way
it was SO easy to ask permission to come
back for her some time. She seemed to
look and long for some such proposal too,
and he could not but acknowledge to
himself that she had right to do so, after
their intimacy. Yet he had never meant
things to go 50 far, and knew that it was
not for the best. She was too thoroughly
a country girl to bear transplanting to the
city. She was not the sort of woman he had
always looked forward to marrying, yet so
proud was he Of what he termed his
honor" that, CALLING as the bondage would
be to him, he would not make clean breast
of it, and end matters between them. So
they were married and went to Chillicothe
to live. If her unassuming country ways
annoyed him before, when there was no one
but himself to note them, how much more
so now that all his friends could witness
them. She soon learned that her husband
was ashamed of her, and this made matters
even worse, for she tried to please him by
affecting the fine lady, and made miserable
failure of it.
To man of domestic tastes only she
would have proven "a treasure. Her house
was the best ordered, anG her table afforded
dainties unsurpassed. But her husband
overlooked her virtues entirely, in contem-
plating what he considered her DEFICIENCIES.
He avoided taking her out with him when
ever it was possible, and made both himself
and his wife miserable.
When they were married five years, Mr..
Winthrop was elected to the Legislature,
and, of course, never offered to take his wife
to Columbus with him when he went, which
was bad move for both Having no one
to look after and no one to look after him,
he had too much time for getting into mis-
chief. At the same hotel at which he was
stopping Senator from northern district
was also boarding, accompanied by his
daughter.
1t is hardly likely that man so tenacious
of his honor that he would fulfill distaste-
Iul contract OIL marriage lot lUS sake, would
willfully withhold the fact of his marriage
and enter into Irritation; so, perhaps the
opportunity for disclosing the fact never
presented itself. However that may have
been, certain it is that Ashley Winthrop
soon began to seek the society of Senator
Seelys daughter, Louise, and acknowledge
to himself that, If he were only Free here
was the woman he would choose for wife
And the girl' Why, she was fiattered by
the evident interest and admiration of the
bright young member from Chillicothe en-
joyed his society at first, and later on-why
will women be such fools proceeded to fall
head and ears in love with him without so
much as trying to find out any thing about
his past life Her father also, rather en-
ceuraged the intimacy, taking it for granted
that young man whose fellow-citizens re-
spected him enough to elect him to the
legislature must be all right. CThis goes to
prove, by the way, that men are not always
as acute as they ought 10 be, either)
No mutual agreement as to the state of
their hearts was arrived at in so many
words, but each knew the others feelings
intuitively. The only reference made to
the subject was in parting. Then, as Ash
| ley held her hand and noted her look of re-
greet at the separation, he said earnestly:
"Much as have enjoyed your society, l
trust we may never meet again"
"Why'" she asked, opening her eyes wide