The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-29
Stories Of an Inland State.

| fallen IN. 1t would not take long to fix II
and she knew that If she remained there 1t
would not be night before old Snoogles
would be working his stone-throwins ma
| chine again. But Mrs. Sweeney did not
| intend to remain.
| She woke the old man by kicking him In
| the ribs and told him TO go home.
| Snoogles had had pleasant dreams of
| which Mrs. Sweeney in the hands OF the
deputy marshals was the center at times
| and at others vision of the Clara Bell with
| the Sweeney sod-house in tow.
When he awoke ne looked about him and
asked If the men had gone ashore.
Yes, you Old sleepy head" she answered..
They're gone long ago.
! They didn't take you,' ne said, lily con-
ceal;ng his disappointment.
No, they didn't
The old man bowed his head in sorrow.
And what's more said Mrs. Sweeney,
I they Amt going to take me. Pete's escap-
ed and they haven't anything against me-"
I'm go aboard said the Captain. Come
along, my hearty"
Look here, Captain Snoogles." said Mrs.
Sweeney barring him at the door. 81 want
to get out Of this. You're a sooner. There's
no doubt of it. When the courts decide
between you and Pete you will have TO
weigh anchor and move off IL we have TO
put wheels under that old boat of yours"
The old man shook his head.
Listen she went on This Is what
I'm going TO propose to you. Pete's the
| only contestant you've got. If we were off
| of here, you could have the claim to your
| self. No one else has a right 10 contest it
and the fact that we moved off would per-
| suade others that your claim TO the land Is
| good. Now what / want to say TO you is
that for three hundred dollars, in money
right here today, I'll get off the claim and
| leave it to you, your executors issue and
assigns and everybody else aforesaid now
and forever. What do you say? I'll give
you just five minutes TO decide. II you DOM
/, tell by that time, I'll sit down here and
| stay till doomsday and beat you out of
| more than three hundred dollars paying
! lawyers in contest. What do you say?"
'T'n take it under consideration" said
the Captain.
''Well you don't consider over five min
| utes"
Make it two hundred dollars, Mrs. swee-
| ney."
IN do nothing of the kind
Then it is no bargain he said. 1--WE
only got two hundred dollars here
We'll 1 won't do it for two hundred dol
| lars. That's settled
| The old man was silent
GIVE we two hundred dollars" proposed
Mrs. Sweeney and that old knock-kneed
team and the wagon"
NO he answered.
"Well, 1 declare" said Mrs. Sweeney.
who ever heard of Captain of the sea
having team and wagon any way. You
make me weary"
Il can not do IT," he answered.
you're an old coward she said fierce
| ly. Haven't you been telling this boy here
for months about how brave you was -
The old man with a panied expression
raised his hand.
- and then with the first little storm
you are as scared as baby and -"
Mrs Sweeney" he pleaded looking timid-
ly at the boy. You can have the team"
So the bargain was closed. Mrs. Swee-
neys effects were not many. She placed
two hundred silver dollars in a shawl and
took out Misty Dawn's silver and dumped
it in the wagon, with the other household
effects.
Meanwhile, Captain Snoogles and the boy
were rapidly repairing the Clara Bell. The
| flag-pole was again hoisted with its cross
piece.
All was ready and Misty Dawn and Mrs.
Sweeney prepared to climb in for the night
journey which Mrs. Sweeney explained as
follows:
1T wouldn't do to travel in the daytime
The deputies might meet us and take Us,
either me for whisky peddling or you for
anything under the heavens they might
care to imagine They're too lazy to travel
at night. Wen head little northwest and
strike the railroad somewhere in the state
sell the team and then get out or this vicini-
~. One nights travel will bring us to the
| railroad If can pound the bottom off these
old living skeletons
The boy came running over TO the wo-
men and shook Mrs. Sweeney by the hand.
Misty Dawn stopped and the boy placed his
arms about her neck and kissed her on the
lips.
Then he went back to his work and Misty
Dawn and Mrs. Sweeney began their long
night journey.
The sun was going down behind purple
window barred with golden clouds, the ir-
descent colors in the sky flushing into a
thousand varying tints and. as the old
wagon ratified along over the dirt road Misty
Dawn turned and saw in the distance be-
hind boy perched on fiag-pole waving
them farewell with his hat.
Misty Dawn took from her shoulders the
red shawl which she wore and waved an
answer.
Then the boy cried out, but they did not
hear him, and presently passed out Of his
sight
Still Re sat there. high in the air. looking
towards the seattle wonderful sea The
bursting yellow sun crept slowly down be-
hind the hills, the grassy prairies yeIlowed
in the twilight and the violet of night
deepened in the east. Still the boy was
aloft. gazing into the light OF the retreat
ing day. longing for the sea with its feath-
cry white caps.
Boy OF the farm. you shall never see it.
For you were born inland. and inland you
shall die. beleaguered by a continent OF
land. And the surging waves shall break
upon the shore forever. boom against ci.f
and rock-bound coast. and hiss upon the
sandy beach and cluck and clatter at the
streaming quay far and near. but your eyes
shall be blinded still by the waste of earth
which makes you prisoner. And the ships
shall Fit and skim across the CLASSY sur
face of the peaceful hsrbors, and lunge and
careen in the furrowei cheek of the angry
deep, while You follow the monoionous
rack or your plow across the field and
back again. reaching no foreign shore bu.
the country road. knowing no adventure
but the fight OF a iinid rabbit from your
horses hoofs.
Boy OF the farm. dream on. For your
dreams sre best, and realization Is another
word for disappointment. There are storms
al sea and men shattered AID torn ard
swept overheard There are battles at sea
and men riddled and broken with the burst
CT the shell and the plunge OF the wh.stiing
shot The sea has no peasants ard no
homes SO dream on. boy OF the farm and
fis,ht your mimic battles IN your mind. with