Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1895-07-26

tie OF the gunaoWerS, nor the nrst
cracklc Of the frost, nor the breaking
Of the Ice, nor the gossip Of the wild
grass, never-never.
Theirs were the years the majority
Of prairie people know. Always vague,
unrestful. apprehenslve. material. New
err gay, never educational. If hopeful.
elated; II despairing, sullen; If con-
tented, bovine. 1t is rather hard to be
philosophical In a country the cOndi-
tons Of which one day promise pros
perity and leisure, and after the next
hail or wind storm express starvation.
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
I letter.
"Shall go?" she asked.
Harris deliberated. HAS he mon.
ey?' he questioned
YES"
"Then CO."
He saw her off the next day. She
wore q 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,
ard advised him concerning q piece
of his fence which needed repairing.
He heard her, but all the time he was
watching a girl who played with the
agents children In q green patch near
the station. She was a 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:"
He gave Der al intense glance. GLOW
could Il"
You'll see that Star gets we'll wa
tered?"
III attend to It."
you'll have Alvy Markham pull
pursley for the young pigs?"
"I WILL"
"And-O yes! If mother seems to
feel another fit coming on you'll get her
bottle of Indian relief cure at the
drug store"
He assured her he would. And all
the time he was thinking what a Won
derful way her hair curled about her
temples-not Andulasia's. And how
slim her waist was-not Andu
lasia's. And how pretty were
the twinkling feet in the tan
slippers-not Andulasia's. How fluffy
and blue her gown was-and how
deiiciously merry her laugh rang out
And neither gown nor laugh was An
dulasia's.
The train steamed in. Andulasia
went away. Ira did not kiss her. She
was relieved-and disappointed. The
conductor and the train boy might
have laughed. But then he should have
cared enough to risk that.
was we'll around the bend Harris, who
had fingered on the platform, asked
the agent to introduce him to his Wis
itor. The agent Gid so.
Harris Joined IN the games of the
children. He 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 a
reckless liberality which would have
made the absent Andulasia doubt his
sanity could she but have been aware
Of his behavior.
He came to the depot the next day,
the next, and the next. The little Wis
itor with the fax-fower eyes and vel
low hair smiled divinely.
1.-The children" she contided to the
agents wife, ARE having such a good
time. 1t IS all great fun"
She even thought it was great fun
when she went buggy riding with Mr.
Harris.
Take me past your farm" she com
manGed.
He grew red with ecstasy ut the re-
quest He explained apologetically
many conditions of his property as they
drove by.
when I'm married." he announced
with much determination, Il intend to
live in town"
Il have heard" she ventured inno-
Gently, "that there Is no house vacant
in town..
81 shall build one" he declared.
Three weeks passed-four. Harris
had several letters from Iowa. The
contents of the letters were chiefly rela-
tive to hogs, and pasturage. and baled
| hay, and discounts. Ira did not actual
ly dread Andulasia'S return, but he
would have preferred to postpone it
indefinitely. TO be sure they had con-
sidered the possibility of an engage
ment once, but he had never been
really engaged to her. He never could
be now. 1t was only right she should
understand that. She was a sensible
woman. She would understand that
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