The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-11-13
my JOHN" "

Lucy Randolph Fleming, In darper'S bazar.
| my JOHN"
A Story Of Prairie Fires and Pa
rental Forgiveness.
IL think it is smoke"
"And think you are wrong"
The first speaker was young woman
with sweet face, expressive Of much
silent resoluteness and great self-con-
troll. The second speaker was an old
man, whose faded brown eyes had a
startled look as If suspecting that peo-
pie were about to bring him trouble, or
else asserting that they had already
brought it.
The old man was known among the
ranchmen as old John Blasland. He
owned great ranch. The young woman
was called Hannah. II. don't know
what her t'other name is," the old man
would have told ques,ioner. "She
came from the East somewhere, wanted
to help my housekeeper, Mrs Tuth.
erly, and l didn't care. That's all l
know abouti don't care what her
name is. am a leetle 'spishus Of what
she wants; they all want something"
1t was the mystery enwrapping Han
nah like an atmosphere, and it was the
old mans suspicion of her motives and
purposes, that made her presence an
annoyance to him in spite Of any words
to the contrary. When he now had told
her that any sign of smoke about the
prairie-region was mistake. she simply
replied: 'If young John were here, he
could tell u.s."
The faded brown eyes began to fash.
The husky voice trembled with petu-
lance. young John!" he snarled. II
guess If old John don't know, you won't
pick up any informa ton from that young
man."
1t might have seemed as If he were
angry with young John" No-with
the young woman who mentioned his
name.
Il know, known he silently said. as
he turned away. ''Sbe cares moro for
young John than old John. Too macu
going on between those young people.
Next thing there will be marriage. l
don't want her meddhh' with that
young man."
This other young person. like Ham
nah, came from the East, had proted
very acceptable to the old ranchman,
and was great favorite with him. The
ranchmen in the neighborhood, to dis
tinguish the two, called one Old John
and the other Young John. People
sometimes thought they were father
and son. No, there was son at the
East who had offended his father, and
had been forbidden to come. or even to
write to him. The old man wondered
sometimes whether he did not trace
familiar features in this young ad-
venturer from the East ANY fancied
resemblance was not pleasant to the
old ranchman. He drove It,. from his
thoughts as he would drive . cloud Of
mosquitoes from bis ouse.
And Hannah, she still fingered back
OF the barn, watching that smoky stain
on the blue of the sky. 1t was Sunday
morning. The great prairie was always
still and always secluded, though in
reality any thing but shut in. 1t had
such an openness to the wide, wide sky.
There was no sem blance of fence OF wall
in any direction until, in the west. one
saw fold of blush color along the
prairie's rim. That meant the Rocky
Mountains.
Il think it is growingr' she mur-
INJURED. That smoke-cloud is rolling
up bigger. What If it should come this
way, and sweep over the ranch! And
yet he does not think it is smoke. l
wish John were herel When will be
Gomez He said he would be home on
his pony early this morning and go
with US to church"
"Hannah! 1t was old John calling.
''Comel Mrs. Tutherly says If We are
a-goin' to church, we ought to he gittin'
ready. Come! Watchin' that sky won't
git yoo readyr'
Hannah made no reply. 1t was Of no
use to notice all his fault-finding or any
Of it. She had shown rare self-control
in her steadfast silence. She now
turned and went into the house, while
the old ranchman shuffled feebly to the
barn and began to harness the horse
into the wagon.
II have horses in abundance. but they
are all of with the men wa.chin' the
cattle" he murmured. ''and so, Jim,
you must pull US to church. Humphl
s'pose sAs will say we can't go-that
there is ire out on the prairie Nom
sense! If my John was here, he could
tell about that smoke!'
He dropped the harness as II hand
ling the coils of q snake. What had be
said? my John!" That was the name
also Of the offending son in the East
The father never knowingly mentioned
this form Of name My John" Lift
ing the harness again, he now arrayed
Jim in it.
What do smell?" he asked.
Young John would have told him
Smoke" but he was not willing to
smell any thing Of the kind.
In the meantime Hannah had 1iven
occasional glances at the suspicious
northern sky. From q window she
chanced to look toward the east In
alarm, astonishment terror, she dropped
> bonnet whose green TRIM ming would
have set on her fair face even as an
apple trees emerald foliage sets of its
pinkish white blossoms.
'Oh-Oh-Oh! ! did not look that
way at all and here it is right upon Ms!
The wind must have shifted, she ex-
claimed.
Over st the hight was largo, tower
ing cloud Of duA brown color, With
ragged. flmy edges compast In the