Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-07-17
Draw country.

OF tho Thoio blf
Draw country.
Everybody loved her. They couldn',
help it; but think the reason for the
entire admiration every man of hel
scquaintance-young, old or middle
sged-gsve her was that she was, il
spite of her bravery in carrying OF
slone, for twenty years, the trying
work of a ranch, so thoroughly q wo
man.
The slender store of accomplish.
nents 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 n young fellow in tn.
neighborhood who didn't make con
fidante of her about his love affairs
particularly If they CHANGED to go
wrong.
She was always ready to give al.
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 thin, swee,
old voice, songs that the boys loved
and whose choruses they could join in,
euch as "Roll on, Silver Moon" and
"Araby's Daughter.
Her own boy, her only son, hau
turned out, as widows only sons seem
prone to do, not exactly bad, but tri.
fling.
Perhaps she loved him too well O.
humored him too much, but it is sure
that her little court of admirers was
wrathy more than once over reports OF
the hardships wrought for his mother
by Wade Moore's neglect.
People had seen her out on the
range in bad weather, doing q 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 boD
who sdored Mrs. Moore, and they
would have been glad to let him see it
in some marked way, only they knew
that any blow mined at him mus,
strike 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 alone for nearly five
months.
Her friends had not neglected hen
in that time. Tom Andrews, the
Young fellow who was manager of the
Three Cs 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
was anything he could do for her.
This fine crisp December mornina,
the day before Christmas, he found
her sitting despondently on her porch,
with no work touched and her hands
in 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
now?"
AS he glanced at Mrs. Moore he saw
tho work-worn knotted little hands
close convulsively together. Her
head was bent, and Tom thought she
was crying. 81 don't know" she said
II voice scarcely above q whisper.
Tom sat down on the porch edge,
spcechless with astonishment. "Hg4i
not you heard from him?' he said.
"I haven't heard a word since hs
lcft," sho replied, "and I've got SO
anxious and worried I've got to tell
yomcbody."
81 should think So" said Tom
"Why, its"
Give months, filled in Mrs Moore !;
''Lut l wasn't uneasy until after tho
fair closed. / was sure he was there.
lie had plenty of money from the cat
tie to go all right, and stay till il
closed, and somehow 1 was sure that
vas what he meant to do"
why, Mrs. Moore" said Tom,
''he'd never run off and leave You that
way; you wero intending to go to-
eether when tho cattle were sold,
weren't you?"
1t WAS q cruel question, and TsNSyc-
gretted 1t the moment 1T was out. Inc
red roses in the wrinkled cheeks be-
fore him faded till they seemed like
withered rore leaves.
''That's why think he went off as
10 did. know Wade better than you
do"-Tom doubted thst-"he's young
and likes to make good appearance,
end maybe he didn't care to have an
old-fsshioned woman like me around
with him everywhere"
can old-fashioned angel, muttered
fom to his boots; ''any decent man
would be only too proud of such a
mother-there, now; I've made you
cry again, when I was trying to say
something pleasant"
''No," said Mrs. Moore, raising b
:esolute face full of cheerful courage.
"No, I'm not going to let it worry me
any more. I've divided my trouble
with you now by telling of it, and I'm
going to put it out of my mind.
'Tm not going to spoil You boys
Christmas dinner by being dull or de-
pressed, either"
90, tho Christmas dinner" said
Tom (it was an annual institution with
Mrs. Moore). 'There are ten coming
that know of-did you get the tur.
teys?"
"Yes," she answered, '.fne ones, snG
nJ pumpkins turned out 90 well this
wear. TaoAlo Axad up Ar1en foI ink