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

- of the romance Perhaps in part
Il because it had ceased to be ro-
mantle. When first Andulasia Steb-
bins 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 prop
er, probable, and desirable that Ira
Harris. whose half section joined that
of her relatives. should fall in love with
her-which he promptly did.
Ira was 80, stout. stolid, loutish,
methodial He was a successful man.
This is hardly to be explained of Il
person with the characteristics men
toned unless one includes selishneSs.
TO be Supremacy selfish is so frequent
~ TO be successful. At the time of their
meeting AndulaSia was p. There are
women of - ard women Of %. 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 new
er condone them ON that of impulse.
Indeed, to attribute to her certain err
rorS would be subtle flattery. She was
not the kind of woman who is Crdi-
narily subjected 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
OF the mortgage on his place and die,
and if the two sickly young Solverinys
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 Aadulasia.
So he waited.
4 year after their acquaintance be-
gan he gave her an in!Sling of his sch
timents 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 indis
erection at the present time would be a
tremendous mistake.
.Of course, Ira" she said, Glands
land. And If my stepfather and your
mGther-who is mighty feeble. l no.
tice-and the twins don't die there
won't be any land for us worth lhen-
tioning. much less a-marryin' on"
Nevertheless she felt as the years,
two. three, four passed. that her ac-
ceptance of his suggestion had Leen a
tritie oyeremphatic and unconsidered.
Fate, she could not in justice rail
against. One of the twins Succumbed
TO ivy poisoning. The other, a few
months later, was run down by the
train. Andulasia's stepfather went the
way of the apOplectic, and Ira's moth
er with utter disregard for the senSa
ton she might have caused, slipped
from life in the most meek, Senteel and
unimpreSSiye manner imaginable.
Then there was only Ira on one farm,
and Andulasia and her mother on the
other. No apparent obstacle inter
yened. Still Ira did not speak, and ii
was seven years since Andulasia had
come from Illinois. He frequently Wis
tied her, helped her, and deferred 10
her. lie carried her butter and eggs
into town and traded them; when the
circus was az the county seat, he drove
her there; he took her into the side
show where the fat woman was on ex-
hibition; be bought her pink lemonade,
and peanuts, and hot candy made OH
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
week. They attended prayer meet
Ing together. They both professed re-
iisiOn 1T the revival. He bought eleven
tickets for her crazy quilt rattle. He
was in all things her constant and de
pcnGable cavalier, but be never once
mentioned marriage-never once.
In this manner eight more years
passed She was A. lie was 10. He
was stouter. more stoiid. She had
some wrinkles, gold Filings in her
teeth, reputation for Feasibility
also comfortable bank account.
The two continued to drive across
the majestic prairies in all kinds of
prose of life had so eaten into their
hearts they saw nothing of the beauty
surrounding them, heard none of Ma
lures music. For them there was no
charm in the blossoming miracle of
dawn, the yellow sweep OF the ripe
corn, the translucence of the moon
light. the blue infinity of space the
meadowlark's gay vest, the fugitive
radiance on the bluffs, the restless shiv-
er of the cottonwoods, the ocean shad-
ows of the wheat, the swiftness of the
gopher, the snow of wild plum blooms
by the creek. the rank and file Of gold
enrol thanking the dusty roads. And
they never heard the pattering fight OF
the quail, nor the swallows swerving
wing, nor the scurry Of the rabbit, MOI
the murmur of the naples, nor the rus