Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-08-22
A WESTERN WOOING.
BY RATE Nj. CLEARY.

the romance. Perhaps in part because
il had ceased to be romantic. When
first Andulasia Stebbins had come out
from Illinois te live with her mother
and stepfather on the Nebraska prairie
it was considered by the neighboring
farmer folk quite proper, probable and
desirable that Ira Harris, whose half
section joined that of her relatives,
should fail 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 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 ticeaty-seven. There
are women of twenty-seven and women
of twentv-seren- She was one of the
latter. With her square figure, her
uneduivocal 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 fiattery. She was not the
kind of a woman who is ordinarily sub
jected to temptation.
Harris, however, accepted her pro-
pinuuity 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 own right, as wealth is estimated
in the Philistine west. Consequently
it might prove 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, '1and's
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 ac-
ceptance of his suggestion had been a
trife overemphatic 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 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 intervened. Still Ira did not
speak, and it was seven years since
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-round at
Mahaska and rode side by side with
her on the spotted ponies. He drove
her into town twice a 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 a 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.
''ShaI RoP' Bhe asked.
Harris delibcrated. HAS he money!"
he questioned.
"Yes"
"Then 60"
He saw her off the next day. She
wore a 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 chamois 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 of
his fence which needed repairing.
He heard her, but all the time he
was watching girl who played with
| the agents children in green patch
near the station. She was little
blonde sprite who had come from
Omaha to visit the agents wife.
"Of course" he said.
"And you won't forget about the
chopped feed?"
lie gave her an intense glance. How
could I2'
You'll see that Star gets well
watered?"
I'm attend to It,"
you'll have Alvy Markham pull
parsley for the young pigsP'
~ will"
"And-O, yesi If mother seems to
feel another fit coming on you'll get
her bottle OF Indian relief cure at the
drug store"
The train steamed In. Andulasia
went away Ira did not kiss her She
was rclieved-and disappointed. The
conductor and the train boy might
have laughed. But then he should
have cared enough to risk that
When the train had pulled out and
was well around the bend, Harris, who
had fingered on the platform, asked
the agent to introduce him to his
visitor. The agent did SO.
Harris joined in the games OF the
children. lie made himself clumsily
delightful. Soda water was unknown
in that particular small town, but Ira
did the next best thing. He bought
bananas and chocolate drops with n
reckless liberality which would have
made the absent Andalusia doubt his