The Opelousas courier., 1894-02-03
Draw country.

VI lu0 WnOl6 Dig
Draw country. :
Everybody loved her. They couldn't
help it; but | think the reason fort the
entire admiration every man of her
aacquaintance-young, old or middle
aged-gave her was that she was, in
spite of her bravery in carrying on
alone, for twenty years, the trying
work OF a ranch, so thoroughly a wo-
man. 3
The slender store of ACCOMPLISH
ments acquired in her girlhood were
not thrown aside because she some
times had to ride the range, gun in
hand, looking for timber wolves.
There wasn't a young fellow in the
neighborhood who didn't make a con-
fdante of her about his love affairs
particularly If they CHANGED to go
wrong.
She was always ready to give an
hour to listening to their woes, giving
them good advice or playing Smiths
March or Maiden's Prayer for them on
the wheezy little melodeon.
She could sing, too, in a thin, sweet
old voice, songs that the boys loved
and whose choruses they couldjoinin in,
such as "Roll on, Silver Moon" and
'tAraby's Daughter" )
Her own boy, her only son, had
turned out, as widows only IONS seem
prone to do, not exactly bad, but tri-
fling.
Perhaps she loved him too well or
humored him too much, but it is sure
that her little court of admirers was
wrathy more than once ove reports of
the hardships wrought for his mother
by Wade Moore's neglect.
People had seer her out on the
range IN bad weather, doing a mans
work, and been told in hasty apology
that Wade was sick at home, but
these seizures never kept him from
town Of an evening, if there was any
fun on hand.
He wasn't popular with the boys
who adored Mrs. Moore, and they
would have been glad to let him see it
in some marked way, only they knew
that any blow aimed at him must
her gentle heart first.
Finally, some time along in the
summer, he went to Kansas City with
CATTLE. and his mother had been run-
ming the Bar 6 alone for nearly five
months.
Her friends had not neglected her
in that time. Tom Andrews, the
young fellow who was manager of the
Three C's ranch, her next neighbor to
the south, and one of her best friends,
rode over nearly every day to see how
she was getting on, and whether there
anything he could do fqn her.
This fine crisp December morning,
the day before Christmas, he found
her sitting despondently on her porch,
with no work touched and her hands
her lap, and in answer to his anxi-
GUS inquiry she told him she was
troubled about Wade.
Worrying because you want him
home?' asked Tom. "Where is Wade
As he glanced at Mrs. Moore he saw
work-worn knotted little hands
close convulsively together. Her
head was bent, and Tom thought she
was crying. 81 don't know" she said
q voice scarcely above a whisper.
Tom sat down on the porch edge,
speechless with astonishment. "Have
not you heard from him?" he said.
Il haven't heard a word since he
she replied, land I've got SO
anxious and worried I've got to tell
somebody"
II should think So" said Tom.
Why, it's"
Five months, " filled in Mrs. Moore
but wasn't uneasy until after the
air closed. ] vas sure he was there.
had plenty of money from the cat.
lie to go all right, and stay till it
and somehow L wa sure that
what he meant to do"
why, Mrs. Moore" said Tom,
he'd never run off and leave you that
way; you were intending to go to-
when the cattle were sold.
i
your"
1t was q cruel question, and Tom re-
it the moment it was out. The
ed roses in the wrinkled cheeks be-
ore him faded till they seemed like
Vithered rose leaves.
That's why ! think he went off as
g did. I know Wade better than you
lo'-Tom doubted that--.he's young
nd likes to make a good appearance,
nd maybe he didn't care to have an
Id-fashioned woman like me arouno
nth him everywhere"
An old-fashioned angel" m1ttered
ON to his boots; .sany decent man
'ould be only too proud of such a
aother-there. now: I've made yop