Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-13
ON THE WIDE PRAIRIE.

no" vast ~ w1Ss never ending IL sS0nzco
To Clare. as she stood IN the doorway
of their adobe cottage and azed sadly
of toward the northwest whore 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
Oscillation and isolationl Hush! BABY
dear. am coming; how the mosquitoes
and dies do tease and torment him,
poor little whitening blossom-for even
he has felt the blight"
The sun rose higher. the wind blew
harder and il seemed To have touch Of
fire.
Il wonder why bahy's cheeks are 80
red; can he be seriously Ill? Papa
won't be ia until evening. darling;
mamma will do the best she can"
Charlie Dean wondered why no wife
was visible as he approached home;
wondered why no smoke issued from
tine chimney as was usual at supper
time. Had anything happened, he
wondered, Fastening his naturally
slow steps
The scene that met his gaze - he en-
tered his home was ono never to DO
forgotten.
Ills wife. his pretty. little. girlish
wife he had broaght from her city
home. lay back in the wooden rocker
white aud still, while the baby. tho
little six. mon.hs-old Walter. was mo-
tionless within her arms, and the sweet
face wore look the Mortified father
understood.
Glare. Clare" he cried. brokenly.
'Baby--oh, my loved onesr'
Then Clare opened her arms and per-
mitted him to place the child In tts
cradle-a cradle he had made out OF .
wooden box.
In voice he scarcely recognized abe
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, l mean. Oh,
l nevs r expected this! The ranch is no
lonelier than hundreds Of others.
never thought"
mo, 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"
Clara! You knew Iowned tho ranch.
You knew was poor"
"lnever guessed what itswould be.
especially in q case like this" pointing
to her child. II little realized what it
was to be woman"
After that Charlie Dean was .
changed man. He felt cross and mean.
and found the cold creature he called
wife anything but = cheerful com
panion.
Let her sulls, " he said: ''she enjoys
it. Anyway, I'll find other friends"
And he did. He Sc cured the services
of q boy in whose care he left the
sheep, and went of almost daily to Z
little town, q pleasant ride for him OF
only about fifteen miles. When there,
his place of lounging can easily Be
guessed.
Its Care's doings." he unused:
women 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 a glimpse of con-
tempt in the cold eye of his wife. Her
silence was fairly maddening.
why don't she howl and storm like
other women?" he muttered. ''She
never even wept over the baby. I'D
give a good deal to SEQ her cry just
once"
The summer had gone and winter
had come; as usual on Saturday morn
ing. Charlie had ridden away in the di-
rection of the town, without . word OF
farewell.
Two years ago." said Clare, bitter
", che sought me in that cozy home
of my aunt's, with its soft carpets, its
loving friends, and he persuaded me e
marry him and come out to this dreary
place, where he has even forgotten to
be humane"
Then glancing toward the northwest
she saw q mass Of black clouds lying;
threatening aspect growing over all
the sky.
There's a storm coming and I'm
glad; one of the freaks in my make UP
is that like storms, particularly now.
Had been a timid lass l would long
since have died Of fright have felt
sometimes even bear coming In al
the door would be q change" and
Clare smiled sadly. as the masses Of
black clouds increased and the wind
tore around the little mud ranch with
trightful violence.
Don't detain me, boys. must &C
homei'
Impossible in such storm ~ this.
You'd be dead in less than IN hour
Take things coolly. Charlie. Why. it's
the first time / ever saw you anxious
Your wife's all right; being showed In
a few days don't surprise folks in these
parts"
"But-she's-out-of-- she made
biscuits this morning, and there were
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
40 danger Of her suffering. Anyway
you can't help her; an army could moi
force its way over those miles
'God forgive mc!' thought Charlie
Dean, his face in his hands, land Coo
help her. for / know how precious lit
tie the small house containA I've seer
her hunting among the weeds fol
something green to help out the sal