Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-25
CHAPTER xvIII.-continued.

CHAPTER XVIII.-Continued
On the dry preceding Tant' sannie's
wedding Gregory Rose sat in the blaz-
ing sun on the stone wall behind his
daub and waffle house. It was warm,
but he was .intently watching small
buggy that was being recklessly driven
over the bushes in the direction Of the
farmhouse. Gregory never stirred till
It had vanished. Then, finding the
: stones hot, he slipped down and walk
ed into the house. He kicked the little
pail that lay In the doorway and sent
/ It into one corner. That did him good.
Then he sat down on the box and be-
gan cutting letters out of a piece of
newspaper. Finding that the snip
pings Uttered the floor. he picked them
up and began scribbling on his blotting
paper. He tried the effect of different
initials before the name Rose-G. Rose,
%. Rose, L. Rose, L. Rose, L. Z. T.. L.
Rose. When he had covered the sheet,
he looked at it discontentedly little
while, then suddenly began to write a
letter:
Beloved Sister-It Is a long while since last
wrote to you. but have had no time. This is
the 6rst morning have been at home since
don't know when. EN- always expects me to 60
down to the farmhouse In the morning, but
didn't feel a. though could stand the ride to.
day.
have much news for you.
Tant' Sannie, Ems Boer stepmother, is to be
married tomorrow. She 10 gone to town today
and the wedding feast is to be at her brothers
farm. EN- and ! are going to ride over on horse
back, but her cousin ID going to ride in the
buggy with that German. 1 don't think I've
written to you since she came back from school.
! don't think you would like her at all, Je-
NINA; there's something proud about her.
3 She thinks just because SHE'S handsome there 9
nobody good enough to talk to her and Just as II
there had nobody else but her been to boarding
school before.
They are going TO have grand affair tomor.
row. All the Boefs about are coming, and they
are going to dance all night, but don't think
shall dance At All, for. as Ems cousin says.
these Boer dances, are low things. ! am sure !
only danced at thu last to please EN-. don't
know. Why she Is fond Of dancing. En- talked Of
our being married on the same day as Tant' San
nie. but I exid II would be nicer for her il sine
waited till the bhearing was over and took her
T down to zee you: lsuppose she viii have to live
with us--E Ems cousin, mean--as she has not any
thing In the world but poor ESQ i don't like her
1t all. Jemima and don't think you would She 9
got such queer ways She's always driving about
IN . gig with that low German, and don't think
81 its at all the thing for woman to be going
about with a man she's not engaged to, do you?
7 II It was me, now Of course, who am kind Of
connection, it would be different. The way she
treats me. considering that am so soon to be
her cousin, is not at all nice. took down my
album the other day with your likenesses in it,
and told her she could look at it and put it
down close to her, but she Just said 'Thank you,'
and never even touched It, as much as to say,
What are your relatives to me?
She gets the widest horses in that buggy and
Q horrid snappish little cur belonging to the
German sitting in front, and then she drives out
alone. II don't think it's at all proper for a
woman to drive out alone. wouldn't allow it il
she was my sister. The other morning--I don't
know how II happened-I was going in the way
from which she was coming, and that little
beast-they call him Doss-began to bark when
he saw me-he always does. the little wretch
and the horses began to spring and kicked the
splash board all to pieces 1t was sight to
zee, Jemimal She has got the littlest hands 1
s eW saw. ] could hold them both In one OF
mi and not know that I'd got anything. except
that, hey were 80 soft, but she held those horses
in as though they made Of iron. When
wanted to help her. she said: "No, thank you;
can manage them myself. I've got pair OF bits
that would break their Jaws il used them WELL"
and she laughed and drove away. It's SO UNI
womanly.
Tell father my hire Of the ground will not be
out for six months. and before that EN- and I
will be married. w pair of birds is breeding
now, but haven't been down to see them for
three days don't seem to care about anything
any more. I don't know what it is; I'm not
we'll. II go into town on Saturday, will let
the doctor examine me. But perhaps she'll go in
herself It's very strange thing, Jemima, but
& she meyer will send her letters to post by me.
II ask her, she has none. and the very next day
she goes in and posts them herself. You mustn't
my anything about it, Jemima, but twice I've
brought her letters from the post in gentle
mans hand, and Pm sure they were both from
the same person, because noticed every little
. mark. even the dotting Of the is. OF course it's
nothing to me, but for Ems sake can't help
feeling an interest in her, however much I may
dislike her myself, and hope she's up to moth
ing. pity the man who marries her. wouldn't
i be him for anything. II l had wife with pride,
I'd make her give 1t up. sharp. don't believe
IN man who can't make woman obey him.
Now Em--pm very fond Of her, as you know
but II tell her to put certain dress, that
dress she puts on; and II tell her to sit on a
certain seat, on that seat she sits; and II tell
her not to speak to certain individual she docs
not speak to him. II man let's woman do
what he doesn't like, he's muh
Give my love to mother and the children. The
"veld" here is looking pretty good, and the sheep
are better aimee we washed them. Tell father the
dip he recommended is very good.
Em sends her love to you. She Is making me
Y some wooden shirts. but they don't fit me SO
nicely a. those mother made me. Write soon to
your loving brother, GREGORY.
p. s.-She drove past Just now. l was sitting
on the kraal wall right before her eyes. and she
nayer even bowed. G. N. R.
CHAPTER XIX.