Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-07-25
A WESTERN WoOING.
BY Kate M. CLEARY.

DeOple mao DeCOIue IdJneT ClrcQ u
the romance. Perhaps in part becaus,
it had ceased to be romantic. Whe1
first Andulasia Stebbins had come ou
from Illinois to live with her mother
and stepfather on the Nebraska prairie
II was considered by the neighborine
farmer folk quite proper, probable and
desirable that Ira Harris, whose half
section joined that Of her relatives
should fall in love with her-which he
promptly did.
Ira was thirty, stout, stolid, loutish-
methodical. He was successful man,
This is hardly to be explained of a per
son with the characteristics mentioned
unless one includes selfishness. To be
supremely selfish is 50 frequently to be
successful. At the time of their meet.
ing Andulasia was t,centy-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 Oh
immaturity. One could never condone
them on that of impulse. Indeed, to
attribute to her certain errors would
be subtle fattery. She was not the
kind of woman who is ordinarily sub
jected to temptation.
Harris, however, accepted her pro
pinquity and her affection much as he
accepted the drought or the price OF
hogs. He was willing she should de-
cline the company of other men on his
account. He reasoned that if her. step
father, old man Solveriny, were to
clear off the mortgage on his place and
die, and if the two sickly young Sol
verinys died also, she would be wealthy
in her ownright, as wealth is estimated
in the Philistine west. Consequently
it might prove a prudent proceeding to
wait for Andulasia.
So 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 tremendous mistake.
"Of course, Ira" she said, Glands
land. And if my stepfather and your
mother-whoism mighty feeble, 1 notice
and the twins don't die there won't be
any land for us worth mentioning,
much less a-marryin' on"
ho 81
two, three, four passed, that her &C
ceptance of his suggestion had been a
trifle overemphatic and unconsidered.
Fate, she could not in justice rail
against. One of the twins succumbed
to Ivy poisoning. The other, q 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 have caused.
slipped from life in the most meek,
genteel 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. Still Ira did not
Andulasia had come from Illinois. He
frequently visited her, helped her, and
deferred to her. He carried her but
ter and eggs into town and traded"
them; when the circus was in the coun-
ty seat, he drove her there; he took
her into the side show where the fat
woman was on exhibition: he bought
her pink lemonade, and peanuts, and
hot candy made on the grounds. He
escorted her to the merry-go-rounda at
Mahaska and rode side by side with
her on the spotted ponies. He drove
her into town twice week, They at
tended prayer meeting together. They
both professed religion at the revival.
He bought eleven tickets for her crazy
quilt rattle. He was in all things her
constant and dependable cavalier, but
he never once mentioned marriage
never once.
In this manner eight more years
passed. She was forty-two. He was
forty-fve. He was stouter, more stolid.
She had some wrinkles, gold filings
In her teeth, reputation for irascibil-
ity-also comfortable bank account.
One day Ira brought Andulasia let
ter. 1t was from her mothers brother
who lived in Iowa. He was dying. He
wished to see her. She handed Ira the
letter
"Shall go?" she asked.
Harris deliberated. "Has he money?''
he questioned.
Eyes"
''Then CO."
He saw her off the next day. She
wore new dress that didn't fit in the
back. The skirt was too short at the
sides Her shoes were dusty. The
heat had taken the curl out of her
bangs She had forgotten to bring the
piece Of channels skin with the powder
on it, which she was in the habit OF
using surreptitiously. Her nose shone
as if polished. She wore kid gloves
which were too large.
The train was late. AS they walked
up and down the platform she talked
TO Ira steadily and monotonously She
warned him about the brindle cow
and advised him concerning piece o.
his fence which needed repairing.
He heard her, but all the time he
was watching girl who played with
the agents children in a green patel
n - ~