The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-01-04
A WESTERN STORY.

vast 1t was; never ending 1t seemed to
Clare, as she stood in the doorway of
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 the 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.
Il wonder why baby's cheeks are SO
red; can he be seriously ill? 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 issued
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-old Walter, was motionless
within her arms, and the sweet face
wore look the Mortified father under.
stood.
Glare! Clare!' he cried brokenly.
"Baby--oh, my loved onesp
Then Clare opened her eyes and per-
mitted him to place che child in its era
dle--a cradle he had made out of a
wooden box.
In voice he scarcely recognized she
said:
"You knew the life / was to share out
here; why did you not tell me?"
'But he seemed well this morning
well as he has been lately, mean. Oh,
never expected thisi The ranch is nc
lonelier than hundreds of others. Inevel
thought
-asay y; a--+ .-s--r-~ fsad toStlIii..ll -1oNg
He died an hour ago. / could not leav,
him to seek you-it did not matter aftel
that. I'll never forgive you for bringing
me out to this"
"Clarei You knew owned the ranch
You knew was poor"
II never guessed what it would be, es
pecially in case like this" pointing tc
her child II little realized what it was
to be woman"
"Let her sullE," 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, a pleasant ride for him of only fit.
teen miles. When there, his place OF
lounging can be easily guessed.
TITS Clares doings," he unused; two
men like to send men to the dogs"
If Clare saw anything more than usual
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 womenT' he Inuttered. "She never
even wept over the baby. I'd give q
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 a word oifarewell.
1.-TWO years ago." said Clare bitterly,
she sought me in that cozy home of my
aunt, with its 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 hui
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 timid lass would long since hav'
died of fright. have felt sometimes
even bear coming in at the door would
be a change" and Clare smiled sadly Al
the masses of black clouds increased and
the wind tore around the little mut
ranch with frightful violence.
Don't detain me, boys. must g
homer'
Impossible in such o storm as this
You'd be dead in less than an hour. TAX,
things coolly, Charlie. Why, it's ths
FIRST time ever saw you anxious. You
wife's all right; being showed in few
days don't surprise folks in these parts.
--she's-out- she made
biscuits this morning, and there was
only enough-and she"---
"Oh, no, she's got other things, trust {
woman for that; there's canned fruit
dried corn, there's beans and-no danger
of her suffering. Anyway you can't hell
her; an army could not force its way
over those miles"
"God forgive mer' thought Charlie
Dean, his face in his hands, land Goo
help her, for know how precious LITTLE
the small house contains. I've seen he,
hunting among the weeds for something
green to help out the salt pork and
bread. know how sizes tried to cool
something we could eat when ] 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
will have no help from you, and by and
by the expense of burying you--if thu
wolves don't find you"
Such storm had not been known fol
years even in that country where fright
full 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 finger