Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-09
A Story of Before and After a
Kansas Wedding.
WRITTEN EXPRESSLY FOR THE EVENING
sTAR BY OCTAVE THASET.
lCopyrishted.l
CHAPTER 1.

L4oAo EOr tuc Ecst. c'eAs
where and always, the prairie; beautiful In
early summer. when it is a tender green sea,
ripping and shimmering in the sun; terrible
In the autumns sometimes, because 1t may be-
come only believing, cruel ocean of fire;
desolate and dust swept in the dry winters;
monotonous and unutterably lonely all the
year. No hill, no water, nothing to break the
horizontal lines that grew to vex the eye with
their sameness, except the jagged ripple made
by the roofs Of the distant village and, nearer,
the low buildings Of the Hon Seth Rogers
farm.
The farm houses and barns. the fences and
ploughed fields had an agreeable trimness OF
outline There were no breaks in the fences or
sagging rails, the buildings were Of wood and
the house had been painted. True, the color
was blush drab with no relief Of trimmings,
blinds and all being drab; but this lack OF va
riety need not be imputed to the taste OF the
owner, but was far more likely to represent
simply the meagerness of the stock of paints in
the village store. There were few sharp
backed cattle nibbling at the first spring grass
in the back yard. and some pigs sleeping in the
SUM- Three geraniums in round tin cans made
q splash Of color in one window. There was
box Of plants in the other window, down stairs,
on that side Of the house.
Crawling across the prairie, headed toward
the farm, came dusty farm wagon drawn by two
dusty horses and holding two dusty women.
Any observer could have told that the younger
of these was q gentlewoman: as plainly, she
was New England woman She was thin and
very straight and wore eyeglasses. Her gray
travelling gown, in spite of the dust. gave her
the air of person accustomed to be both i'm
maculately and appropriately CARRIED. Her
gloves were fresh One small foot, from which
the old shawl used as q buster had slipped,
showed CATERS exactly matching her gown,
and q fiat, low heel
There was about her a certain primness and
decision that distracted ones attention at first
from her striking distinction. and charm of
looks that was almost beauty. She sat. I'M
consciously, as far as the seat would permit her
from good Mrs Armil who drove. But all the
same, she had a substantial regard for the
country woman, whom she had. for two years.
supplied with good moral and entertaining
literature, as the secretary of Post Office
Mission" In fact, she was enduring dust and
hot Kansas sun in this particular part Of the
state, rather than some other. because Of her
interest In Mrs Armil- Having been within
an hours ride by rail Of the little town that was
Mrs Armils post office, she had come the
evening before, to the village inn, and having
visited Mrs Armil for hour two dis
covering in that time all that the most curious
post Office mission could care to learn OF her
history and condition) she was now conscien-
dOusAl lOOAAuS up tuc VI hdIl5de IOr
the congregations benevolence.
Mrs Armil thought her mighty Gurus
lady; but Mrs Armil was from the south and
took things easily without diving uncomfort-
ably for the reason of moral puzzles
As she sat on the seat by the Reverend Elinor
Brainerd she felt peacefully at ease in her best
froek that 1.-The dust wouldn't stick to- no.
ways" Her broad back was inclined at an
obhque angle from the minister's erect SPINE
She rested her elbows on her knees, while the
rafr Nah hal rrRtl xrfrh
horses trot- She was q large woman. tall as
well as stout, and with the fatality Of taste to
be expected as surely of sperson of her build
and habits a. a fondness for cream, she had
decked her massive comeliness in a Saline
gown Of azure blue besprinkled with huge
white nosegays. The village storekeeper had
assured her that this startling fabric was the
very latest thing in Kansas City" She always
wore 1t with the consciousness that in it, at
least, she could defy the eye Of fashion. To the
storekeeper's clerk she owed the steerle-
crowned hat, trimmed in profusion Of flowers
and green leaves, that surmounted her large
fair face. Emil, her son-she was a widow
lad given her the brooch Of triple plate gilt
tering at her white throat, and in honor of her
guest she carried besides the useful cotton
square, with which she mopped her face or
busted of her g own, a fine embroidered hand
kerchief that came from Emils WIFE
Quite satisfied, therefore, she ratified the
reins at the horses and diseoursed on the mis-
fortunes of the country.
well. yes, ma m, We are pretty bad off,"
she said, continuing the conversation ..and
was right glad to be able to give round that
box You all sent, was SO, i gave a heap of
the tea to the sick ones-well, / guess the only
wen ones go. any was Old Lady Turnyard
who's bedrid, 30, really, You can't Jest cali
her well, and she amt had any tea since WASH
ingtons birthday. and did set sech store bv il
she reglerly cried when gave it to her; and
Betty Armil-she was kinder punying around
didn't know what allied her. but reckon she
ben working too ha<l. She is the greatest
one 10 work ever did see, II Seth Rogers
only had her horse sense and would work her
way they wouldn't have q mortgage overdue.
like they got; NJ, sir
Miss Braineri struck into the stream of rem
iniscenee on which Mrs. Armil seemed to be
embarked for an indefinite Journey Mr..
Rogers u . member Of the legislature, isn't
hep
YES, be Ii. and red hot for every fool law
that will make bad come to wuss You see
Seth, he's real nice man, but he's one of
them men that reads heap of things in books
and thinks everything that's printed must be
true, and he's got notion that laws run their
selves, which amt my experience. But
reckon sence he got up to the legislature he's
found out every Farmers Alliance man ain Z
an angel jes frs1h let out of heaven, like he
lowed they was to first. He's got a sorter
obstinate streak in him, too-'tain't all Hetty's
fault, though amt excusing of her. / told
her plum out what thought of her III Won
got righteous grudge agin' Seth Rogers SAYS
i, why don't you divide up honest and part?
That's fair and decent says I, but this living
IN the same house with q man person and never
parting hps to him, not SO much as a .howdy'
when he comes back home or wish We well
when he goes away-I call il scandilous-
"Ihen she hasn't much to say to her hus-
band!' asked Miss Brainerd, feeling more in
terested-
Much 10 sayr screamed Mrs Armil, law
me! Why she amt spoke a mortal word to
him for more n ten years That boy OF hers
Leon amt never heard his mother speak to
his father
DO you mean that literally, Mrs. Armil2
Not u vord!''
Not . word Amt it owdacious? It
WOULD make my blood run cold to live
tnAt way for week. I told Hetty
sAys l. Armil wouldn't put I'D with
seen foohn'-thats my husband, a real nice
man, Out q German and liked his own way He
had the same pretty blue eyes ike Emil and
sorter sulkey streak pint blank like Emil. too.
Dut Setn ne terrible patient and he sets the
world and all by Hetty-always did: and they
do get on better than you'd think they could;
she cooks everything his way, and Furnished
the hoase with her own money lest 10 please
him He's great hand for reading in books
about things and he paints beautiful = he
painted their rooms inside, but Hetty nai,,e5
the outside. She's q splendid farmer 100 ami
can pillow and plant better than a man; YES. he
would pintedly be . fool to mad HettyI So
urha tlo -