Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1894-05-30


cover was coming down the Shoshone
trail, drawn by beny and feeble old
horse. woman in limp calico sun
bonnet and dust-covered dark calico
gown sat up on. the front seat holding
the reins She had never been pref
ty woman, and she was long past her
youth Her straight black hair was
plentifully streaked with gray: her
heavy gray eyes and her sallow cheeks
were sunken; the corners of her mouth
had downward curve; she was hol-
low-chested, and when she coughed,
which was frequently, one of her long
fingered, toil-wo5n hands was clasped
to her breast
She was alone in the wagon She
had come alone in il from little I'M
heard-of town away back in Vermont.
The newspapers ia the towns along
the route had had a great deal to say
about this lone woman going from Yer
mont to the Rocky mountains alone in
little old wagon, moving at a snairs
l3R2ce in this day of flyer" and ''thun-
deTDolt' express trains, speeding along
over the same route.
But Martha Kinney had not seen the
papers, and she did not know nor care
how often she had been referred to as
"a lone and lorn female" nor how
many feeble witticisms had been per-
petrated at her expense And she
knew why she had chosen TO come all
those weary miles In the old wagon in
stead Of by rail She was a silent
woman, and she had not given the
curious minded much information
when they had asked her where she
was from and where she was going.
and why she travelled as she did.
She would say briefly that she was
from Vermont" and that she was 0o-
ing out west" and none of her cues
TONERS ever knew how wildly her heart
was heating, nor what il cost her 20
maintain a calm dc,neanor when she
sometimes asked with affected careless.
ness If they happened 70 know any.
zone by the name OF Dave Kinney 'rouau
Hhere?"
Sle continued 70 ask this question in
ferry town through which she passed,
and when asked who aud what Dave
Kinney was she would say carelessly.
"Oh, he's man 7 used to know b4ol.
in Vermont, a carpenter. though he
could turn his hand % most anything
We was born ia the same town and ne
came out west a good many years ago
and amt never been back 20 Vermont
since. don't know just where he set
tied and / thought it might be barely
possible that he'd settled round mere
some place.
She would have been glad 81 have
been told that Davsi Kinney wa, dead.
Better This than 90 know that hs was
alive and unfaithfui 90 the wife he had
left in the little Vermont town when
he went 'Out west" years ago
He had written often at first and his
letters had been kindly and affection
ate. lie had said that be would send
for her when he had ''struel, 10 rich" ia
the mountains or when things became
"a little more civilized" and "a Gt
place FOR woman 20 live in." Until
then II would be better Tor her To STAY
In her comfortable, II humble Vermont
home
His letters had becn mailed al variois
post Offices and hs mad written aJ,..,f
being very unsettled" and THAI ,yas
another reason why hc could not send
Tor her. lie was 'prospcctipg D..
wrote, and be might make his nile
any day"
Then his letters had become moro
and more irregular and finally they had
failed her entirely. Her own letters
were returned from the dead letter
office and, after ten years of weary
waiting for news of David Kinney. his
wife had sold her poor possessions and
had bought horse and wagon and
had started out west" ~ find the has
band who had deserted her.
mot that I've any idea Of finding
him ai,ze," she had said 70 her Vermont