The Penn's Grove record., 1895-07-12

~y~ OF ones masculine
'S ( W ndmirers-the belle
Of the whole Big
Draw country.
Everybody loved her. They couldn',
help it; but I think the reason for the
entire admiration every man of her
acquaintsnce-young, old or middle
aged-gave her was that she WAS, in
spite of her bravery in carrying on
alone, for twenty years, the trying
work of a ranch, 10 thoroughly . wo'
man.
The slender store Of accomplish.
ments acquired In her girlhood were
not thrown aside because she some.
times had to ride the range, gun in
hand, looking for timber wolves.
There wasn't a young fellow in tn,
neighborhood who didn't make a con.
tidante of her about his love affairs
particularly If they CHANGED to 60
wrong.
She was always ready to give III.
hour to listening to their woes, giving
them good advice or playing Smiths
March or Maiden's Prayer for them on
the wheezy little melodeon.
She could sing, too, in a thin, swee,
old voice, songs that the boys loved
and whose choruses they couldjoini in,
Buch as "Roll on, Silver Moon" and
".Araby's Daughter"
Her wi boy, her only son, hao
turned out, as widows only sons seem
prone to do, not exactly bad, but tri'
fling.
Perhaps she loved him too well O
humored him too much, but it is sure
thnt her little court Of admirers was
wrathy more than once over reports Of
the h~ardships wrought for his mothe,
by Wade Moore's neglect.
People had seer her out on the
range in bad weather, doing a man't
work, and been told in hasty apology
that Wade was sick at home, but
these seizures never kept him from
town of a. evening, if there was any
fun on hand.
He wasn't popular with the boys
who adored Mrs. Moore, and they
would have been glad to let him see il
in some marked way, only they knew
that any blow aimed at him must
strike her gentle heart first.
Finally, some time along in the
summer, he went to Kansas City with
cattle, and his mother had been run
ming the Bar 6 alone for nearly five
months.
Her friends had not neglected hen
in that time. Tom Andrews, the
young fellow who was manager of the
Three C's ranch, her next neighbor to
the south, and one of her best friends,
rode over nearly every day to see how
she was getting on, and whether there
was anything he could do for her.
This fine crisp December morning,
the day before Christmas, he found
her sitting d~espondently on her porch,
with no work touched and her hands
in her lap, and in answer to his anxi.
ous inquiry she told him she was
troubled about Wade.
worrying because you want him
homer" asked Tom. "Whereis Wade
now?"
AS he glanced at Mrs. Moore he saw
tho work-worn knotted little hands
close convulsively together. Her
head was bent, and Tom thought she
was crying. 81 don't know" she said
in n voice scarcely above a whisper.
Tom sat down on the porch edge,
epceohless with establishment. "HNS
not you heard from him?" he said.
az haven't heard a word since hs
Left" sho replied, ''and I've got so
anxious and worried I've got to tell
yomebody."
81 should think So" said Tom.
"Why it's"
give months, filled in Mrs. Moore;
'HLut I wasn't uneasy until after the
fair closed. 1 was sure he was there.
lie had plenty of money from the cat
tie to go all right, and stay till il
closed, and somehow I was sure thsi
vas what he meant to do"
why, Mrs. Moore" said Tom,
she'd mover run off and leave you that
way; You wero intending to go to-
eether when tho cattle were sold
weren't your"
II was o cruel question, and TSTa7c,
GREETED it the moment it was out. Inc
red roses in the wrinkled cheeks be-
fore him faded till they seemed like
withered rose leaves.
"'ThAt's why I think he went off 40
80 did. know Wade better than you
do"-Tom doubted that-'he's young
and likes to make o good appearance,
and maybe he didn't care to have an
old-fashioned woman like me around
with him everywhere"
San old-fashioned angel" muttered
rom to his boots; ''any decent man
would be only too proud of such a
mother-there, now; I've made you
,rY again, when I was trying to say
pleasant"
"So," said Mrs. Moore, raising 4
,esolute face full of cheerful courage.
mo, I'm not going to let it worry me
any moro. I've divided my trouble
With you now by telling of it, and I'm
to put il out of my mind.
"Tm not going to spoil you boys
dinner by being dull or de.
pressed, either"
20, the Christmas dinner" said
Tom lit was On annual institution with
Mrs. Moore). "There are ten coming
hat I know Odd you get the tur'
YES" she answered. 't8ns ones, AND
~ pumphnst urned out 90 well this
ear. aTaaalasAxad un AptAn tox ixrE