Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-02
A GLACIAL PERIOD.
Which Is Followed by a Decided
end Satisfactory Thaw.

''Here l am, mother found all
The doors open, SO walked straight up
10 my old room. A fellow doesn't
stand on ceremony when he hasn't
seen his maternal relative for year.
Here's your boy, mother"
Ralph Wakefield threw his valise in
corner, and walked quickly toward
m elderly woman who was standing
just inside the door of pretty mid
die chamber.
''Ralph Wakefield! How you do
like to surprise folks. Two days soon
er than you promised! Well we'll!
Now your pa ,oiH be set up.'
just this, and hearty handshake
Nothing more. Doubtless, Mother
Wakefeld's heart would have thrilled
with a new JOY had she fallen on the
neck of that handsome. manly SON.
and covered his face with kisses; but
then-she would have thought the act
''rather silly" On Ralph's part, had
such salute been offered, he would
have returned it with interest; but
there would have crossed his mind a
dim suspicion that mother was be-
ginning to fail"
They lived in Connecticut
"'Pa's in the field, and Ruth is woods
Ing somewhere. You are going to
have the spare room and be made COM
pany Of Ruth has taken yours
Who, pray. is Ruth?"
Ruth Wise. l wrote you about
her."
$50 you did. mother. SO you did.
But l thought the visit would be
ended before l came. An overworked
school-teacher, the daughter of an old
girlfriend Of yours; come here for
rest and change. wish she hadn't!
Mother, Tn disappointed; I'm vexed.
feel frustrated. I've worked hard
over those old law-books in the dingy
city for more than a year, without
a play day; and now that I'm fairly
inside the bar. and tirst-class part
nership awaiting me in September,
wanted to have the strain let up on
me entirely. WANTED you and father
and the old farm ali to myself this
vacation"
'She' II not be in your way. Ralph.
She almost lives out O. doors"
But why did you give her nv
room?''
because she said the spare room
was too nice to dry ferns in, and to
keep moses and rocks and toad-stools
. In. Fungi, she calls them. So gave
her your old quarters. that are used
to such things. Take a peep at her
books. She thinks the world and all
of chem few books"
20 Mother Wakefield, what have
you done?'
Ralph, whose innate sense of pro.
priety had restrained his eyes from
wandering about the room 10 longer
his own, now allowed them to rove
over the titles of the volumes neatly
arranged in the small bookcase.
Something between a sigh and a
Ehistle was his first comment
Climatic Theories. Buckle, Mill,
'Rer&e Scientifque.' Deep Sea Ex-
plorations.' .Spenser on the Uncondi-
toned. Darwin's Expression in AMI
mails Great Egypt what a list! Wise
BY name and wise BY nature. per-
ceive. Mother. one thing Is settled; I
shan't like her."
Nonsense, Ralph! You read all
these things; why shouldn't she?'
mo reason. of course. Osly I don't
prefer masculine tastes in q woman -
''She's no masculine tastes, Ralph.
She's bright and capable, and full of
fun. And she's as handy to help in
the kitchen rs If she'd always lived on
. farm. And she likes to talk about
dress as well as any girl"
Talk! Oh. you haven't heard her
talk yet Science Is her vocation. and
metaphysics her recreation. Philo:oey.
Athcclogy and tie cosmos for break