Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-09-05
A WESTERN WOOING.


AVIAN AAAAhOhu w AAVO WAsA ASA AAACbASA
and stepfather on the Nebraska prairie
1t was considered by the neighboring
farmer folk quite proper, probable and
desirable that Ira Harris, whose half
section jolned that Of her relatives,
should fail In love with her-which he
promptly did.
Ira was thirty, stout, stolid, loutish,
methodical. lie was a successful man.
This Is hardly to be explained Of a per-
son with the characteristics mentioned
unless one includes selfshness. To be
supremely selfish Is SO frequently to be
successful. At the time Of their meet
ing Andulasia was tucnty-seven. There
are women Of twenty.seven and women
Of twenty-seren. She was one Of the
latter. With her square figure, her
unequivocal complexion, her dull
brown hair, and her calculating eyes
she looked her years One would never
excuse Her mistakes on the ground OF
immaturity. One could never condone
them on that OF impulse. Indeed, to
attribute TO her certain errors would
be subtle Hattery. She was not the
kind Of woman who 10 ordinarily sub
jected to temptation.
Harris, however, accepted her pro-
pinquity and her affection much a. he
accepted the drought or the price OF
hogs. lie was willing she should de-
cline the company Of other men on his
account. lie reasoned that II her step
father, old man Solveriny, were to
clear of the mortgage on his place and
die, and II the two sickly young Sol
vcrinys died also, she would be wealthy
in her own right, as wealth Is estimated
In the Philistine west. Consequently
it might prove prudent proceeding to
wait for Andulasia.
80 he waited.
A year after their acquaintance be.
gan he gave her an inkling Of his senti-
ments. Her concurrence with his
views was almost pathetic 1t was
alert, reciprocal, conclusive. Matri-
mony at some indefinite date they
might look forward to. Such an In
discretion at the present time would
be a tremendous mistake.
"Of course, Ira,' she said, lands
land. And II my stepfather and your
mother-who is mighty feeble, notice
and the twins don't die there won't be
any land for us worth mentioning
much less a-marryin' on"
Nevertheless she felt as the years,
two, three, four passed, that her &C.
ceptance Of his suggestion had been
trine overemphatlc and unconsidered.
Fate, she could not In justice rail
against. One OF the twins succumbed
to Ivy poisoning. The other, few
months later, was run down by the
train. Andulasia's stepfather went
the way Of the apoplectic, and Ira's
mother, with utter disregard for the
sensation she might nave caused
slipped from life in the most meek,
gcnteel and unimpressive manner
Imaginable. Then there was only Ira
on one farm, and Andulasia and her
mother on the other. No apparent OBJ
stacle INTERVIEWED otlii Ira uld not
speak ana IL was seven years since
Andulasia had come from LIMOS hc
frequently visited her helped her' ana
deferred 10 her lie carried hcr ou.,
ter and eggs into town and Traded
lnelh' wheh inc circus was III INC cou',-
W aea'' nc drove her thcrc' nc TOOK
hef INTO 'he sue STOW where .he iat
woman was Oh 'N'i'oi'ioh' nc ooughs
her punk leihoi'Hoc' auu Pe"hu'S' anu
ho' candy mace oh Vne rro"no's ie
escorted her 10 tne ncrfy'go-ronna az
"aiasNa ana lo'c '''o W ,,uc WIN
her on 'ae 'potV'u pon'cs' lie urove
tended nravcr nicotine tocetbcr THEW
hoth ,rnfess,d rol;.,;on NJ tho raviv,l
ue BOUGHT eleven tickets for her crazv
ouilt rntile liz was in MI THINGS her
constant md dencndahle cavalier INF
ho rouor onno ,nontioncd marrioro
ne never once meh''onco inarr'uge-
IT, .his ,,orror oioht ,,oro wanna
nossod eha wos torty.two IL, VOC
forty.fve Ia wac stouter mora stolid
u,'1 .,.,,.laa all n,I;.,.