Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-12-26
A Romance of Work.

an lndISO SKY. HEAT uduCeu, Wul1leu
and eddied a few feet above the alkali
dust in the trail. Over the great
catches of sage brush the air hung
like the breath of the dead. Not even
the wing of a bird set it in motion.
The low adobe cabin seemed to crouch
upon the plain as if it were trying to
escape notice, fearful lest the heavy
sky would fall upon it. Except the
few scattered sheep corrals there was
not a break in the monOlonous level
of the ground.
One could judge from the height Of
the sun that the morning was scarcely
begun. But there was no other sign
song of birds, sparkle of devon the
Upidee ranch
A young woman sat in the doorway
with folded hands and detected shout
ders She was apparently as Iifeless
as her surroundings. With her head
leaning against the side of the door she
might have made a pleasing picture
were il not for the hard Inns about
her mouth and the hopeless look in her
eyes eyes which wandered over the
gray sage brush, fingered stolidly upon
the patch where she had tried to keep
alive few green plants.
There had been a time when the
sight of these withered plants cooked
by the sun would have made her cry.
Not now, though. Janet Dinscombe
wondered vaguely if she were losing
her senses. She remembered hearing
centuries agO-it was less than a year
that men lost their minds when they
were alone for months in the desert
She had laughed at the thought of
that when Roger Dinscombe had told
her of his love before he came to work
out living on a sheep ranch. She
would not delay the marriage. q am
to be a help-meet, not a hindrance,"
she said, and urged him to take her
with him Il will keep house for you.
We will be together What more can
we ask? ?" she said pleadingly. With a
pretty flushed cheek up against his.
Roger Dinscombe had not the courage
to deny Janet Moore's demand. Her
home was not very pleasant, he az
gued 10 himself in justification. And
Janet had her own way.
The first two months the young
wife went singing about the little
cabin, happy enough. Then her step
grew less lively and hours of unhap
piness followed. Roger loved her, OF
course she knew that But he did not
tell her so very often now Then, too,
he was busy all the day, and she had
i Sc rl,Dy,
there was nothing to do. Her house
was neat as pin. She even had read
all the advertisements in the few pa
pers which chance brought her. Her
nearest neighbor lived five miles away.
When Roger came home he was too
tired to talk much. There was a late
supper and an early brealIfast-and
then silence and desolation.
one day Janet realized she was los
ing her love for her husband. That
was when she planted the garden. A
lew sickly plants grew there which she
kept alive by carrying water from a
muddy little stream. When July came
this dried up. And now her plants
were dead She felt choked as she
come to her eyes.
Roger Dinscombe noticed the shadow
which had settled upon his wife's face.
Blaming himself he grew irritable and
moody. Instead of love making him
tender it forced him to be distant.
Often now husband and wife avoided
looking into each others eyes. That
very morning he had spoken 10 Janet
sharply as he went away. The words
fell back on his own heart like lash.
What a brute l am" he muttered, and
half turned to come back. But the set
look on Janet's face came up before
him and he spurred on the pony he
was riding.
Am | going mad! Janet repeated
10 herself until the sun had crept to
where she sat. Il won't go mad. l
am girl of common sense. I used to
hate the work at home of cooking for
a houseful of stepbrothers and sisters,
mending and darning, with constant
whining and fretting from step
mother who was strong as | am. Now
work would be the most blessed boon
on earth What shall l do?" The lit
tie sitting room and kitchen were spot
less. She could not do anything there
I put my trunk in order she
thought. Not a ribbon was out OF
place. She took up a bundle of patches
idly. why not make a quilt?" The
idea pleased her as she looked over
the patches. That bit of lilac print
was her first "grown-up gown"-anc
this blue and white checked calico wa:
the dress she had on the first time sht
met Roger. She remembered now tina
she had bunch of wild crabapplt
blossoms in her belt when she ran int
Mrs. Dinscombe's on an errand, anC
was told, Janet, this is my son, Rog
er, who has just come home from thu
west"
The young Mrs. Dinscombe's fac
softened as she seemed to live 1t owe
again and to see honest blue eyes look
ing at her saying, Il approve OF you.
Piece after piece was unfolded. Thi
white null was her wedding dres:
Smoothing and petting it with finger
which would get jerky, Janet sat for
long time. Then the tears came-teal
which seemed to melt the iron ban
around her heart When she remen
horoi WI oh a