Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1900-04-14

III I grain on for the
mill and perhaps resented it. Mrs.
Dewey sat pcrched up beside her hus-
band on the high seat of the wagon,
drawing her shawl close about her, as
the chill March wind struck her sensi-
bly,, rs she remarked TO her husband,
with n protesting SILVER. She was n
plump little woman who had been pref
" once, when her hair was brown and
curly, her eyes bright and her com
plexion fair and peuchy, but since she
had married Lon Dewey, and gone out
to his big grain farm to live, continual
hard work had aged her greatly, and
the brightness and bloom of her girl
hood days were almost crushed out of
her.
Mr.. Dewey was n good man, for all
that he so thoroughly needed waking
up, but he had been accustomed to see
ing his mother and sisters turn of
great quantities OF work with their ro-
bust health and strength, and II sim
ply did not occur to him that his wife
was wearing her life away in tread
mill which was taxing her to the ut
most limit of Ter endurance.
"Wheat's bringin' dollar bush
ell" remarked Mr.. Dewey, rs he flicked
his whip suggestively around Mats
heels. II reckon II can get the crop
sold nfore she drops, I'll be some hun
drcds ahead Of what I've been airy year
before in some time"
Lon, don't you suppose. II you do,
that we could have new carpet in the
parlor? 1t seems like II could have
something real handsome to look ut, it
would tighten the work ever so much"
"Ain't / handsome enough?" asked
Mr.. Dewey, with unusual humor.
Mrs. Dewey laughed. Her husband
was not handsome man at his best,
and to-day ,,c had taken little time to
slick up" aud the March wind had
tousled his hair and Redeemed his nose
in addition.
"The rag carpet was pretty enough
when II was cw," she continued, but
someways I've got awfully tired of rag
carpetin'."
"You wimm'n folks get terribly tired
of things anyhow, it seems to me" re-
marked Mr.. Ecwey, refectively.
"Yes, we DO, Lon," replied his wife,
with an unusual burst of feeling. "l'm
tired to death OF looking at the same
things, and OF wearing the same
clothes year in and year out. get so
hungry for pretty things sometimes 1t
seems like I'd 60 wild"
Mr.. Dewey turned and looked at his
wife in establishment.
"Well, / swan, MARTHA" he said,
slowly. "Pity you didn't marry rich
man that could give you all you
wanted"
"No, / dom; want no rich man,"
Martha Dewey caught her breath in
half sob. "Ycu're plenty rich enough,
only you've get notion of thinking
don't need nice things like other
women have them. Pretty things don't
cost so much more than humly ones,
either"
swell, / snum, what's got into you,
Martha, oil Of suddent?"
Nothing new, Lon Dewey" replied
his wife in combative tone, ats there
pretty much all the time, but some
times II swells and surges, and sets me
going in spite of myself, like the water
turns the big wheels at the mill"
They were in the town now, and a
young woman was tripping along the
sidewalk, clad in handsome tailor
made suit, whose perfect fit and mate
rial added grace and beauty to form
and face no more to be admired than
Martha's in her younger days. Martha
looked at her with longing eyes. IF
could be dressed up like that when !
90 out, Wouldn't mind the hard work
atween times So" she said
The miller came out as the horses
trotted up to the door Of the great,
busy mill. lie had been acquainted
with Martha years before, and he
noted her tired face and shabby attire.
martha Hills didn't get much Of a
snap when she married Lon Dewey" he
reflected inwardly, as he invited her to
come into the Office and get warm while
her husband sold his wheat.
Martha forgot her longings In the
curiositles of the Office, the telephone,
the immense ledgers over which the
bookkeeper was pouring, the book
keeper himself, thin, wiry man who
made figures with the quiclxness and
precision Of an automatic machine.
BIS wife came In as she waited, bril-
liant, graceful creature whose gar
ments were redoIent with the perfume
u rich fur and odorous aschet powders.
A bunch Of carnations vas pinned TO
her cloak. ''7ee what FATHERS gave me
! VIXEN ] ortff1d my Easter lIlieaH ahc
..II .AIII....|.r e. I..a |rIaI.a..| I|nm