Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-12-06

2 the apparently boundless plain was try
ing to u mortal bred in forested Onta
rio. Maude turned with gasp, ant
found herself confronted by Carr, VIII,
raised his straw hat silently. She held
out her hand impulsively. too glad to SCI
familiar face to resent a lack of wei
come in it.
'My trunks and my wheel. ON thu
only passenger who got off here" sht
faltered.
Carr took her shawl-strap. the boys
slowed away the boxes in the station
house, Maude walked behind pushing
her wheel, to where pair of horses and
light farm wagon stood waiting. Al
she climbed nimbly into her place, and
turned to help Carr with the wheel, which
refused to lie comfortably in the little
well, their eyes mer.
Unllinching and reproachful was the
look from the GOLD and distant cavalier,
and Maude realized suddenly that she
had not done wisely to come; Carr
had not forgotten; Carr had not for
given her!
A grove of half stunted trees partially
hid low, snug-looking farm house,
which stood in the centre of one OF those
immense and fruitful wheat farms which
are the backbone and sinew of Northern
prosperity. The warm, sweet welcome
of the mistress of the farm was blessed
relief, after the unsociable evenings ride,
and the two young women passed chat
tering under the vine hung portals Of the
house, while Carr, with II curious glance
at the recumbent bicycle, of mingled
contempt and interest, lifted it from the
wagon and carried it under the shelter
of the wide veranda
"And have you and Carr made
friends" said Carr's sister, as she af-
fcctionately surveyed the fair little
traveller.
eve have ridden fifty miles in armed
neutrality" said Maude, incisively. ooh
Lizzie, it was perfectly awful! Carr
hates the sight of me; how could YOU
send him after me?"
| Lizzie Dunlop laughed, and then
sighed. "He's just as much in love with
you as ever, you innocent!' she whis-
pered, and while Maudc raised protest
ing hand she added coaxingly: "Say,
Maudie dear, won't you ever come to
care for him?"
Lizzie" cried the girl, in dismay, "if
I'd thought you were going to talk to me
like this, I'd never have comet"
Lizzie Dunlop patted the small lady's
shoulder soothingly. ''Therc, there,
little iceberg" she said, 'let it all
be buried! It's forgotten. You shall
never be worried about it again. You
are here to enjoy every moment of your
holiday, and to tell me the news of civ
ilization, and to take rides across the
prairie. What blessing we have a
decent road for the velocipcde-I beg
pardon-bicycle! You must have lots
of grit to mount that scary machine i;
and-oh! Maude! How can you want
to be surgeon9 should die if saw
a man cut up and mangled; but you are
a marvel"
The Northwest farm life was some
what lonely, after the crowded Univer-
sity class-rooms, the city hustle, and the
odds and ends of amusement which had
been tucked into the few vacant corners
of Maude Mannering's busy life during
the last three years. Carr had been one
of those odds and ends. Their acquaint-
ance had begun at water-par,y -four
ished, like Jonah's gourd, at q carpet
dance, and borne the fruit of an i'm
FASHIONED declaration after the wedding
of Carr's sister, at which Maude and her
sutton had been maid of honor and
groomsman.
1t had died sudden death when
Maude's pretty lips formed the disas-
trous monosyllable "Nor as the two
tied up boxes of wedding-cakc for the
bridal guests. Carr had received his
refusal silently, and Immediately left
the town. His precipitate wooing had
made little impression upon his sisters
student friend, for when that sister had
asked Maude to come and visit "the
happiest couple in America" that post
script of four works, added in an after
thought of honesty. had seemed Of
trivial importance. But now, Carr was
behaving atrociously. When Lizzie and
her husband were present, he was
geniality pcrsonitied, his brown eyes
twinkled, and his laugh rang clear;
when Lizzie, with transparent diplo-
macy, pleaded delicate health, and
retired early. or with pretty wifely de-
mands drew her husband aside, and
left the young people en- tete-o -tete, Carr
knitted his brows in an ugly frown, and
sat, stood, or stiolled in gloomy silence.
Maude began to feel sense of guilt
and responsibility looming over her.
She longed to do something to quit her
self of the reproaches of her discarded
lover
When Bertram rode far afeld, and
when the reapers came, and the harvest
was gathered in its fair abundance,
Maude went beside the farmer for
miles along the beaten wagon track
on the dainty little bicycle which Carr
disapproved of. She could not say
how this disapproval became known
to her, but she felt it and resented it in
silence.
Meantime, holidays we're waning, the
August moon, called by the Indians
Moon of Harvest, was at the full, the
land was reaped and cleared, the endless
stretches of prairie spread on every side
to the horizon, and the meagre foliage
of the North began to turn copper and
brown as autumn came on apace. One
balmy afternoon, Bertram drove away
to a ueighbOrino homestead a trife of