Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-02-02
A WESTERN STORY.

their adobe cottage and gazed sadly off
toward the northwest, where herd Of
sheep could be seen.
"How can they live on the dry grass,
and how can Charlie even pretend to like
it, the horrible, lonely life in such desc
lation and isolation! Hush, baby, dear,
| am coming. How tie mosquitoes and
flies tease and torment him, poor little
whitening blossom-for even he has felt
the blight"
The sun rose higher; the wind blew
harder, and it seemed to have touch of
fire.
.1 wonder why babys cheeks are so
red; can he be seriously i'll? Papa won't
be in until evening, darling; mamma
will do the best she can"
Charlie Dean wondered why no wife
was visible as he approached home;
wondered more why no smoke issned
from the chimney, as was usual at sup
per time. Had anything happened, he
wondered, fastening his naturally slow
steps.
The scene that met his gaze as he en-
tered his home was one never to be for
gotten.
His wife-his pretty little girlish wife
he had brought from her city home-lay
back in the wooden rocker white and
still, while the baby, the little six
months-oid Walter, was motionless
within her arms, and the sweet face
wore look the Mortified father under
stood
''Clare! Clarer' he cried brokenly.
'Baby-oh, my loved onesT'
Then Clare opened her eyes and per-
mitted him to place the child in its era
dle-a cradle he had made out of a
wooden box.
In a voice he scarcely recognized she
said:
''You knew the life 1 was to share out
here; why did you not tell me?'
''But he seemed well this morning
well as he has been lately, I mean. Oh,
Inever expected this! The ranch is no
lonelier than hundreds Of others. Inever
thought"
'sNo, but you have had to think now.
He died an hour ago. could not leave
him to seek you--it did not matter after
that. I'll never forgive you for bringing
me out to this. /"
"Clarei You knew owned the ranch.
You knew was poor"
81 never guessed what it would be, es-
pecially in case like this pointing to
her child. II little realized what it was
to be woman"
"Let her sulk," he said, ''she enjoys it.
Anyway, I'll find other friends.
And he did. He secured the services
Of boy in whose care he left the sheep,
and went off almost daily to little
town, pleasant ride for him of only fif-
teen miles. When there, his place of
lounging can be easily guessed.
"It's Clare's doings," he unused; "wo-
men like to send men to the dogs"
If Clare saw anything more than usual
she remained silent. Sometimes when
he came home almost too stupid to talk
he caught glimpse of contempt in the
cold eyes Of his wife. Her silence was
fairly maddening.
"Why don't she howl and storm like
other women? he muttered. s.She never
even wept over the baby I'd give a
good deal to see her cry just once"
The summer had gone and winter had
come; as usual on Saturday morning,
Charlie had ridden away in the direction
Of the town without word of farewell
'sTwo years ago." said Clare bitterly,
''he sought me in that cozy home Of my
aunt, with it's soft carpets, its loving
friends, and he persuaded me to marry
him and come out to this dreary place,
where he has even forgotten to be hu-
name"
Then glancing toward the northwest
she saw mass of clouds lying, threat
ening aspect growing over all the sky.
There's storm coming and I'm glad.
One Of the freaks in my makeup is that !
like storms, particularly now. Had ]
been a timid lass would long since have
died Of fright. I have felt sometimes
even bear coming in at the door would
be change" and Clare smiled sadly as
the masses of black clouds increased and
the wind tore around the little mud
ranch with frightful violence
| =
Don't detain me, boys. I must go
homer
Impossible in such storm as this.
You'd be dead In less than an hour. Take
things coolly, Charlie Why, it's the
first time I ever saw you anxious. Your
wife's all right; being showed in few
days don't surprise folks in these parts. =
'But- -she's-out-of- she made
biscuits this morning, and there was
only enough-and she''-
"Oh, no, she's got.other things, trust a
woman for that; there's canned fruit,
dried corn, there's beans and-no danger
Of her suffering. Anyway you can't help
her; an army could not force its way
over those miles,"
"God forgive meF' thought Charlie
Dean, his face In his hands, ''and God
help her, for know how precious little
the small house contains. I've seen her
hunting among the weeds for something
green to help out the salt pork and
bread I know how sizes tried to cook
something we could eat when I brought
her home almost nothing. She may
have something for dinner after that
Oh, heavens, boys, must go homer hi
cried aloud.
You'll not go quarter Of a mile be
fore you'll be dead, and then your wife
win have no help from you, and by ani
by the expense of burying you-if ths
wolves don't find you"
Such storm had not been known fol
years even IN that country where fright
ful storms were common.
-Four days from the time Charlie Dear
had left home he slowly and persistently
forced his way back through heavy
snowdrifts until with trembling fingers
he raised the latch Of his door and en-
tered.
Blinded by the snow, he could SET
nothing at first, but by and by he be
came conscious of the cold hearth, the
awful silence and that the little house
was empty. 1t did not even hold q
corpse.
The wearied man sank down upon q
>chair and gazed about him blankly
1 dasna;zinalu