The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-08-22
A WESTERN WOOING.
BY KATE M. CLEARY.

People had become rather tired of
the romance. Perhaps in part because
it had ceased to be romantic. When
first Andulasia Stebbins had come out
from Illinois to live with her mother
and stepfather on the Nebraska prairie
it was considered by the neighboring
farmer folk quite proper, probable and
desira bic 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 per-
son with the characteristics mentioned
unless one includes seltishnesS. To be
supremely selfish is SO frequently to be
successful. At the time Of their meet
ing Andulasia was tarenty-seven. There
are women of twentyseven and women
of twenty-seUen. 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 of
immaturity. One could never condone
them ON that of impulse. Indeed, to
attribute to her certain errors would
be subtle tlattery. She was not the
kind of a 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 sichy 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 a prudent proceeding to
wait for Andulasia.
So he waited.
A year after their acquaintance be-
gan he gave her an inllling 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 a tremendous mistake.
'Of course, Ira she said, 'land's
| land. And if my stepfather and your
mother-who is mighty fee BILE, notice
and the twins don't die there won't be
| anv 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 ;
| trifle overemphatic and unconsidered
| Fate, she could not in justice raj
| against. One of the twins. succumbet
to ivy poisoning. The other, few
| months later. was run down by thu
train. Andulasia's stepfather wen
the way of the apoplectic, and Ira
mother, with utter disregard for th
sensation she might have caused
| slipped from life in the most meek
genteel and unimpressive manne
IMAGINABLE Then there was only lr;
on one farm, and Andulasia and he
mother on the other. No apparent oh
stacle intervened. Still Ira did no
speak, and it was seven years sine
Andulasia had come from Illinois II
frequently visited her, helped her, am
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 too
her into the side show where the ia
woman was on exhibition: he bough
her pink lemonade, and peanuts, an
hot candy made on the grounds. II
escorted her to the rry-go-round a
Mahaska and rode side by side wit
her on the spotted ponies He drov
her into town twice a week, They al
tended prayer meeting together. The
both professed religion at the reviva
He bought eleven tickets for her Graz
quilt rattle. He was in all things he
constant and dependable cavalier, bu