Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-07-11

M YOU, WI them city airs vourn.
Besides, I'm only wild prairie
gal and would only make a fool
outen you Wherever we went"
The pretty brown head turned from
the lovers shoulder and the sun-kissed
hand surreptitiously wiped away a tear
that was stealing down the full tanned
cheek of this rose of the prairies.
Clasping her passionately in his arms.
Jim cried:
"Margie, my Margie, will you let me
try to win your mother over to us :?
viii you not say to me that If she con-
sents you will wed me; or, If she viii
not. that you will come away with me
and be my wife ?"
"Sh-sh jim. You are a-wrongin
me- Never would | run away from
nav She has been too good to me
sence paw died. But eff you will go on
thisaway, go an ask her But, oh jim.
know what she'll say and then it must
all end; it must all end"
Tears, now unchecked, courSed down
her cheeks and she leaned despondently
to the side of the old, beaten
sod house, used as an Office for the
ranch and gave full vent to her grief.
When a girl. reared on the broad
prares, breathing the spirit of their
savagery with the beautiful ozone and
the exquisite perfumes of their viii |
grasses, gives her heart to man, it is
like the opening petals of flower ex
panding with its growth and exhaling
the fragrance of its purity with every
caregs Of tie restless winds. Her whole
nature Yields to the revelry of affec
tons happiness and her life is wreath
ed with joy which, once broken, can
never be restored.
Margie was the daughter of a ranch
or, raised in childhood in the low
thatch-covered sod house against which
She was leaning, and in later years in
the comfortable building of logs sit
uated in the center of the "windbreak,
as the squarely set rows of planted trees
are called, on a knoll which formed enc
Of the foothills of the Big Horn range
in Northern Wyoming. Her mother
though a child of the East, refined and
cultured, had laid aside all remem-
brances of her past life in the duty OF
assisting her husband to make new
home. and after his death to raise her
beautiful daughter as child or the
prairies. 1t was the dislike OF Eastern
styles and mannerisms which Western
air nCulcates that caused her to set her
fact sternly against any suitor for
Margies hand who did not bear the APP
pearance of a Western man.
Jim had come to the "B a." ranch
TWO months previously as the agent of
large syndicate to look over an inn
mense property it was seeking to pur-
chase, He met Margie and her artless
beauty and innocent ways had enthrall-
ed him at the first glance. 1t was thus
that he remained beyond the time al
.oued to him and became more enam
"'p1 with each days meetings with the
GIRL
A. for herself, Margie had grown to
Walch longingly for the sight of Jim's
UIpncho coming over the edge of the old
llLalO Wallow from the range, or to
listen al evening for the trippety-pat,
l.ppety-pat of the unshod hoofs on
me hard sod of the prairie. She also
owed and it was with the most intense
anxiety that she awaited Jim's return.
Tor he had bounded away toward the
t'lSe as soon as she gave her consent
llE him to apply to her mother for per-
--ss!on to marry him.
Hdu ipl ious W wall - it"
moments and his stumbling, detected
'lsm appeared The dumb agony in his
eS as he raised them to hers well-nigh
e.-l'oJed her foTtitude, but she brayeiy
injured a smile of farewell as. un-
sh-tS!ng, he slowly clambered into the
7'alle. No need existed for words, and
"'lA only parting wave of his hand
81" splrred the little FESTIVE animal and
a mad gallop sank away into the
l'l!lls
Wo Years passed away. and the dull
IVY pain which succeeded to Mar
Wild outpouring Of grief after he
departed was not yet gone No
0 came to her from him, and she
To believe that he had forgotten
yet dim hope would arise that
DAY ne would return
a. Manchester vainly pressed her
t-hter 90 accept the attentions OF the
AHf neighboring ranchmen, who
.t4 nave bestowed their all npon
=ie Tor welcoming smile. but Mar
softly turned away all attempts al
easlon and pursued the course Of
-ar duties.
lAe cas- stranger called at the ranch
.Ae Margi. temporary absence and
p'ieu Tor position to Margies moth
hrs Manchester he appeared 10
very inch a man of the prairies
as tall. straight as the barrel OF
- snort, Offering rife: his long. un-
yellow hair dangeled across his
'1'aefs and caught the ends OF q firm