The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-26
THE CLOUD-BURST.
A COLORADO LOVE STORY.

l WOULD not draw back. Two years before
we were married Glen wenc to Colorado.
ard ali the time he was away wrote ne
loving letters full OF his home IL the new
country, the glorious climate and scenery,
his struggles and his failures. l longed 20
be with him, the quiet village life grew dis
tasteful, home monotonous. and eacn day
so Ike another that 1 hated 70 go to bed at
light. 1 dreamed Of mountains and plains.
and. OF course. of Glenn. At last the time
came when he thought best TO come for me.
and we were married one August morning.
1 remember ne was pale and quiet. only a
look ia his dark eyes that l shall never for
get.
AS I was getting ready TO run away from
him that look haunted me.
When 1 saw my new home my heart
went back with a throb of great anguish
to my fathers house, the trees and flow
ers. and the pretty New England village.
Before me was a wide desert dotted with
low huts, so far apart / could not tell
even IL they were inhabited. and close at
hand was a three-roomed log cabin. Not
a tree. a brook, a bit of green grass-only
scorched plains, with gay cardinal flow
ers, or miles of sunfiowers quivering in
the hot, dry air. The fat distance ended
In rugged brown foothills, but Glen said
1 could see the Rockies on a clear day.
L laid my pretty gowns aside. donned
somber calicoes and a sunbonnet that our
hired girl at home had made me FOR a we'd
ding gift / had laughed a little at il then.
but now II was my greatest comfort. I
took up the weary life of routine and labor
that falls to a rancher's wife in this land
OF sand and sunshine. L was not unhappy.
Tor L had Glen. L put my wedding pres
ents around the cabin, giving it a lived-in
look, but the furniture was very limited.
and all my cooking lessons were of no
avail, for there was nothing to cook with.
elem and the man worked all day in the
fields. harvesting. with the wild young
horses that had brought me and my fnery
from the town, fifty miles off. and I staid
alone. There was not even a dog to speak
70, though Glenn had a collie with the sheep
herder miles away. He couldn't understand
why L should want a dog to bring in dirt
and make me more work, so 1 never asked
again. My hands grew rough and hard in
the alkali water, and my face tanned with
that deep brown peculiar to Colorado. I
could understand what a little Western
girl said to me in my Eastern home when
she cried admiringly. why. everybody is
so white herei'
Still Glenn loved me; he thought me az
pretty as ever. and our first winter was the
happiest in my life. The man was gone.
and We were all alone. We read aloud
evenings. drove to the postofHce twenty
miles away for our mail, and took long
walks over the plains. He promised 1
should have a saddle in the spring and ride
with him; then he would build a porch
around the house. and my sister should
come out and visit me.
In tho GDrsn--%Ho H---z- =
blowing, Glenn was too busy to go to town
FOR the lumber for the porch and we were
too poor to entertain any one. Yet L never
thought of complaining then. had cast my
fate with Clem's and L worked for his in
terest, / never once longed for the old easy
days at home. If he said: I've got the
smartest wife in the world" 1 would work
myself TO death for a week, but ne seldom
talked or petted me-he was too busy with
his farm work.
That second winter a baby came, and the
young German widow who stayed with me
six months said il was the prettieSt boy
she ever saw. / thought ii looked like
Glenn. and. of course. he thought it was my
easily frightened, and 1 think 1 had some
cause. for the doctor was fifty miles off.
shadow that came between Glen and me
was his Indifference to my worries about
baby. He would laugh at me and go about
his work. while 1 carried the child all day
soothing its fretting. That summer 1 was
not strong. and may have been, as Glenn
said. 'hystericky."
bronzed with ruddy health and life, but I
was weakly and dropping, with haggard
eyes and hollow cheeks. / saw it plain
enough, and 1 had no ambition to alter my
shabby gowns 10 fit me, nor TO look neat.
] grew slatternly and careless. Was 1 to
blame? i had to cook for two men, tend
a sickly baby, and wash and iron. All day
long the fierce sun beat down upon our
little home, where the kitchen was like an
nx-on aud tho ha1-rOnu1 CtfHin0
/ was on my feet from sun up to sun
down. for somehow / never learned to get
through with work; 1t was always ahead
of me.
Then Glenn would say, "You are getting
cross, little woman; you seem so Spiritless.
Are you sorry that you married me? Your
life Is no harder than any rancher'S wife
endureS. 1t Will only last 2 short time,
then we can get better things and some
one to help. you That TO me when / had
never complained.
He gave all his love-words and petting
TO baby now, and / used to wonder in
dumb despair why it was so. was it be-
cause he had changed or L?
The third summer Mrs. France came.
She was the widow of a cattle king who
owned all the land about US but our little
homestead. She had been in Europe, but
usually spent her summers at her ranch
ten miles from her home. l was washing
that morning on the shady side of the
house. when / heard the sound of a horses
hoofs, and a handsome woman. with bold,
black eyes. came dashing around the house
on a fine thoroughbred mare. | noticed her
perfectly fitting habit. her exquisite gloves
and her beautiful face. No need 10 intro-
dUce herself: from Mrs. Bohm's-the Ger
man NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 1 knew my Wis
itor was Mrs. France.
II thought I'd find somebody after a
while" she said. where's Glenn"
He went over to the ranch TO see after
his sheep at daylight" 1
Are YOU his wife?'
Yes" l was possessed then with n ma
jealousy of her. and L wondered if Glenn
knew her well. He had never said a word.
Just then Glenn came gallOping up.
"COrrIGan said you were here" he said
eagerly; Il sent my man on and came
back. Are you we'll? OF course you are
the picture OF health"
She laughed merrillly, showing her pretty
teeth. while he lifted her off her horse, and
there L stood with my hands IN the suds
like q scrub woman.
This is my wife. Mrs. France said
Gem. then he looked actually ashamed of
me / felt il. Luckily the baby cried and
] ran into the house.
= heard you were married. Glenn" 1
wife"
In my anger I fancied there was a toucb
or ridlcuie in her tone. / sat and rocked
the baby, and listened TO their talk I'm the
other room, and once in Il while I would
feel a sob rising in my throat. After an
hour Glen came out to ask me to cook a
nice dinner, for Mrs. France would stav.
Tidy up a little Molly" he said, Il want
her TO see how pretty you are" | did not
answer and he went back with the baby
10 show her. / cooked the best dinner /
could, and put on my best gown, but il was
loose and old-fashiOned and my face was
red from the stove. but she sat there cool.
see Il. not being a woman. but 1 could feel
a touch of cOndeScensiOn in her tones and