Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-06-22
of head of cattle and three or four

sections of land living in sod houses
or even "dug-outs," sometimes. with
dirt roofs and dirt tloors-building
which eastern farmers would not con-
slider tit 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 it
up so much better than the surround
ing ones. il was no wonder that she,
was at once set apart by her neighbors
as beng "too fine haired for any
thing.
Perhaps it was owing TO this. or. II
may have been because she never en-
couraged familiarity with her neigh
bSrs. that she had not single intimate
acquaintance among them, after living
in the vicinity over five years. She
had made proof on n presumption ut
the end of the first six months of her
residence there and had immed ately
placed homeste ad filing on quarter
section adjacent to her ree-claim.
That she had considerable stock and
was making money was all any of her
neighbors knew of her. Even the
people whom she hired to do her work
knew nothing more, except that she
was never backward or afraid of put
ting her own shoulder to the wheel
when work was pressing.
She had n boy, twelve years of age
at the time of which we VIZ &c. and n
girl three years younger. To any in
quiries con corning her husband. she in-
varably replied:
81 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 grim smile rested on her face.
as she went outside and closed the door
to end the conversation.
She was n handsome woman, not
over thrty-one or two wears of age,
and several of the bachelors of the
vicinity had made advances with view
10 matrimony. all of which were po-
litely. but firmly. repulsed. She always
declared she was opposed to second
marriages. The truth of tho matter
was that, owing to n sad experience.
she did not have much faith IN men.
or in marriage of any kind whether
second or first.
She had passed her grlhood in a
country village in the vicinity OF Chill
licothe. Ohio. and at seventeen had
become engaged TO Ashley Winthrop,
IA rising young lawyer of that city. Her
acquaintance thought she had mar
ried extremely well-but she hadn't.
She had become acquainted with young
Winthrop while he was rusticatmg in
the village. She. being the belle there.
he engaged her in what he at first in
tended TO be a tlirtat on but before he
knew it he was more Interested in her
than he had intended. and when II
came time to leave. some wa Il was
so easy to ask permission to come back
for her sometime. She seemed TO look
and long for some such proposal. too,
and he could not but acknow ledge to
himself that she had right To do so,
after their intimacy. Yet he had new
er meant things 10 60 80 far, and knew
that il 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 look
ed forward TO marrying vet so proud
that. calling as the bondage would be
to him. he would not make clean
breast of ID, and end matters between
them. So they were married and went
10 Chillicothe to live. IL her unassum-
ing. country ways annoyed him be-
fore, when there was no one but HIM
self to note them, how much moro so
now that all his friends could witness
them. She soon learned that her hus-
band was ashamed of her. and this
made matters even worse. for she tried
to please him by affecting the fine lady.
and made a miserable failure of it.
To man of domestic tastes only she
would have proven treasure. Her
house was the best ordered. and her
table afforded dainties unsurpassed.
But her hus band overlooked her vir-
tues. entirely. in contemplating what
he considered her Deficiencies He
av o Ided taking her out with him when.
ever il was pos BILE. and made both
himself and hi wife miserable.
When they were married five years,
Mr.. Winthrop was elected to the legis-
lature. 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 mischief.
At the same hotel a. which he was
stopping a senator from northern dis
trict was also boarding. accompanied
by his daughter.
1t is hardly likely that man so te-
nacious OF his honor that he would full
hill distasteful contract of marriage
for its sake. would wilfully withhold
the fact of his MARI age and enter into
Irritation; so. perhaps. the opportuni-
ty for disclosing the fact never present
ed itself However that may have
been. certa n it is that Ashley Win
throp soon began to seek the society Of
Senator Seely's daughter. Louise. and
acknowledge to himself that il he were
only free. here was the woman he
would choose for a wife.
And the grip Why. she was fiat
tered by the evident interest and ad-
miration of the bright young member
from Chillicothe; enjoyed HIS society at
first and later on-Whv will women be