Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-11-15

= Miss Glcndower sat on the ranch.
house piazza shading her eyes from the
white glare OF the sun by holding
above them, In beautiful, bcringcd fin
gers, the last number of Boston mag
azinc. 1t was all very new ana de.
lightfuI TO her, this strange, unfinished
country, and each day developed fresh
charm. AS a spectacle It was perfect.
The very dcSolation and silence of the
desert stirred something within her
that the Back Bay had never remotely
reused. Viewed from the front row Of
the dress circle, nothing could be more
fascinating to her art loving sense than
this simple, wholesome life lived out
as nature teaches and to feel that for
the time the big, conventional world Of
wise insinCcritlcs was completely shut
away behind those far purple noun
faInR, out of which rose the morning
desert sun.
AS for becoming an integral part Of
NIL this oncsclf-nh, that was II diff
fcrcnt matter! The very thought OF
her cousin Blanche and her husband,
Roy Madison, deliberately turning
their backs on the rchncmcnts Of a
higher civilization and accepting the
daily drudgcry and routine of life on a
cattle ranch filed her with wondering
nmazcmcnt When she fell to spcCu-
Iating on what their future years might
be, she shuddcrcd. From the followed
sole Of her modIshly booted foot TO the
crown Of her sleek ana perfectly pOis-
ed little hcnd Miss Glcndowcr was
BostOnlAn.
But for the short space of time that
she waited Lawrence Irvings coming
the life here was full OF charm for her
It's ways were alluring, and not the
least among It's destinations was Mes
quite. She smiled amuscdly Mt the
tall cowboys utter Inconsistencies in
there being any social difference be-
tween them, at his simple ncccptatlon
OF her notice. Miss Glcndowcr was
finding vast entertainment in his hon
est hearted undlsguiscd alteration. She
had come west for experiences, and
one of the first and decidedly the most
exciting and interesting had been found
in Mesquite. Besides, It gave her some
thing to write of when she sent her
weekly letter to Lawrence Irving. She
sometimes found writing to him bit
of bore when topics were wanting.
But Mcsquitc-the boy was II rcvcln-
ton of surprises every day. There was
no boredom where he was. Amusing
yes, that was the word, There he was
now, crossing the bare and hard beaten
square of gray earth that lay between
the ranchhousc ma the corrnls. Though
lac was looking beyond the piazza to
where the other boys were driving n
.bunch" OF believing, dust stirring cat
lie into nm inClosurc, yet she felt II was
she whom his eyes saw. lie was com
ing straight toward the house and her.
That she knew Miss Glcndowcr knew
many things, learned In the varied cX-
pcrlcncc Of her eight and twenty years,
Her worldly wisdom WAS much
morc-thnn his would be Mt double his
age. Mesquite was 20
Uc looked up with uuConccalcd pleas
uro in her presence as he seated HIM
self on the piazza swinging his spur
red heels against each other while he
leaned his head back against one OF the
pillars. Miss Glondowcr's eyes rested
on the burned, hoylsh face with de-
light. There was something SO naive,
no swcctly childish about him. II was
simply delicious to hear his Eyes,
ma'nm," or his "whlchY' Just now his
yellow hair lay IN little damp rings on
his forehead, like n haby's just wnkcn-
ed from sleep, He sat with his big
somhrcro showed back from n forehead
guiltlCss OF tan or frecklcss rs the pct
ais of white rose. But the lower
part OF his face was roughencd by wind
and burned by the sun TO nm Indian red,
making his blue eyes the blucr- those
great, hahyish eyes that looked ont
with u bclying innocence from under
their marvellous fringes Of up curling
lashcs. The blue eyes were we'll used
TO looking upon sights that would have
shocked Miss Glcndowcr's New Eng
land training and the bahyish lips
were quite familiar with language that
would have nmdc her pale with horror
and disgust TO hear But, then, she
didn't know. Neither could he have
understood her standpoint.
He was only the product of his en-
vironmcnt and one OF the best things
II had taught him was TO have no dis
guiscs. So he sat today, looking up al
his lady with all his love showing IL
his face, And so he rode beside he,
that night, as the days red bali OF
burning wrath dropped down bchint
the western desert rim OF their little
world, across sand hills that opened
sweet flowers to the night winds
touch, and across barren alkali flats &c
The poStotllcc, half dozen miles away
There was only one letter for Miss
Glcndowcr that night. 1t began:
N"l will be with you, my darling, -
hours after You get this, Just one day
more, love, and I'll hold YOU in my
arms again! Just one more week, and
YOU Will he my WIFE Audrey, Thinl
ne III"