Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-12-01
NO WORD UNTIL.
A siou Of Before and After Kansas Wedding.
BY OCTAVE rHHNzr.
copyright. 1901. by tho Authors Alliance. Az
Rights Rcservcd.l W
CHAPTER I.


There was always the prairie. To
every point of the compass the prairie.
No trees. unless You count the scanty
two,ycar-old growth Of poplars In front
of the Rogers house, or the three wee
peach trees by the well. not one OF them
more than u shrub! For the rest,
everywhere and always, the prairie;
beautiful In carly summer, when II Is
tender green sea, ripping and simmer
ing in the sun; terrible in the autumns,
sometimes. because IL may become only
n believing. crucl ocean Of fire ,dcsolutc
and dust-swcpt in the dry winters. mo-
notonous and unuttcrably lonely all the
year No hill, no water. nothing to
break the horizont;l lines that grew to
vcx the eye with their samcncss. except
the jagged ripple made by the roofs OF
the distant village and. nearer. the low
Buildings of Hon. Seth Rogers farm.
ne far. houses and barns. the
fences and plowcd fields had an agree
able trimness of outline. There were
no brcaks in the fences or sagging
rails, the buildings were Of wood and
the house had been painted. True. the
color was BLUSH drab with no relief
of trimmings. blinds and all being
drab; bu. this lacl; Of variety need no:
be imputed to the taste Of the owner.
but was far more likely TO represent
SIMPLY the mcagcrncgs Of the stock OF
paints in the village store. There were
few shurp-bacl;cd cattle nibbling ut
the first spring grass in the bac'; yard.
and some pi-s sleeping in the sun.
Three gcraniuns IN round tin cans
made splash Of color in one window.
There was box ~ plants in the other
window. downstairs. OH that side of the
house.
Crawling across the prairie. headed
towards the far,n. came dusty farm
waron drawn ny two dusty horses and
holding two dusty women. Any OBJ
server could have told that the younger
of these was Il grn;lcwoman: us plainly,
she was New la land woman. She
was thin and very straight and wore
eyeglasses. Her gray travelling gown,
in spite of the d.,.t, gave her the air of
person accustomed to be both
immediately andappropriatcly CARRIED.
Her gloves were fresh. Oac small foot
from which the old shawl used rs Il
buster had slipped. showed gaiter eS'
actly matching her gown. and Hat.
low heel.
There was about her certain prim-
ness and decision that distracted ones
attention 1T first from her striking dis
tinction and u charm of looks that was
almost beauty She sat. unconscious
". ~ far ~ the seat wouid permit her
from good Mrs. Arn;l. who drove.
But, all the same, she had u sub
stautial regard for the countrywoman,
whom she had, for two years, supplied
with good moral and entertaining
literature. us the secretary OF Post
Office Mission" In fact, she was en-
during dust and hot Kansas sun in
this particular part OF the state, rather
than some other. because of her inter-
est in Mrs. Armil. Having been within
an hours ride by rail of the little town
that was Mrs. Ar,n;l's post Office. she
had come. the evening bcforc, to the
VILLAGE inn and having visited Mrs.
Armil for IN hour ortwo discovering In
that TING all that the most curious post
Office mission could care to learn OF her
history and condition. she was now
conscicntiously looking mp the destitu-
ton of Kansas for the congregation S
bencvolcncc.
Mrs. Arinil thought her mighty
GURUS LADY," but Mrs. Armil was from
the south and took things easily with
out diving uncomfortably for the
reason OF moral puzzles.
is she sat on the seat by i,cv. Eli
nor Eraincr,l. she felt peacefully ut case
in her best frock that the dust
wouldn't s;icl, M noways." Her broad
buck was inclined at an obliquc angle
from the minister's erect spine. She
rested her elbows on her knees, while
the rcins fabbed gently with every jog