Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-07-07
sAAAAANANAanSAAAHa.
In THE PRAIRIE COUNTRY
{ By Bertha Gerneaux Woods.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IF'rom the Youths Companion. by Per.
missfon.l

lFrom the Youths Companion, by Per-
mission.l
II was a dry, sitting day on the
i prairie. The south wind blowing
with hot, irritating persistency across
the plains raised clouds of dust that
almost hid the view from the woman
at the window of the sod house. She
could see only family the FURNISHED
golden cups of the prickly pear or
the deep crimson of the pineushion
cactus blossoms breaking the monot-
;ony of the brown stretch of land. The
creamy hills on the yucca were
dimmed with the dust of the plains.
In the small, square sittng-room,
although the windows were tightly
shut, gray coating lay on the furni-
'ture and mantel, on the row of rose
geraniums and the little pot of hello
ltrope In the window. Hester Gilbert's
lips were tightly compressed and
there was sad look in her eyes.
That south wind was blotting out
from her view moro than the flower
dotted landscape. 1t seemed to dim
all remembrance of the long days OF
perfect weather, when the prairie
seemed an Eden. and strength and
hope grew large with the fresh,
bracing air.
Some one came in with q heavy,
weary step and stopped moment on
the threshold to look at the dropping
figure. Then he approached her with
awkward tenderness, laying his toll
,roughened hand on her shoulder.
aWhntfa ha Z
said. softly.
There was a s1nothered WEAKNESS in
the tones, but her ears seemed deaf
that morning to anything but the
winds piercing voice. Half uncon-
,sciousiy she drew little away from
his hand
Its everything" she said, every
thing! Why did we ever come here,
to such wretehedness as this?"
BE did not attempt another caress,
except with his anxious blue eyes, and
her face was turned away from them,
hidden In her hands.
he slipped something back into his
pocket. Hester did not see the mo-
ton. 1t was only an Indian arrow
head that he had found half buried
in the soil, and had unearthed, think
ing it would make a pretty addition
to her cabinet Of curiosities. She was
so tired now that abe would not care
for 1t; some other time, he thought.
Her nerves were all quivering; it was
always so when the south wind blew.
+, Hester" he began again, gently,
~Pve been thinking for several days
II don't know but we ought 70 fix it
some way so you can go back east for
awhile quite soon-sooner than we
planned. You've had q hard time Of it
out here. know how hard it's been,
with the inconsistencies and all, and"
NO." she interrupted, 81 can wait.
Wen go together later, Just as we
planned all along. You couldn't man
age it, John. Why, how could your"
+ "Oh, I'll get along some way
thatm be all right. I've been think
ing could spare little of the stock,
after all. You know Brown would be
glad to buy what could spare"
he spoke bravely, and Hester
smiled family up to him. In the
depth of her heart she felt sure she
would never consent TO such a sacri-
flee, They would wait until they
could take the long planned trip to-
gether, or not go at all. But lust
now, with the wind making her
CRATE her teeth together, she did not
protest. She was in the mood to en-
joy the imaginary self-indulgence, re-