The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-08-02
The Safety Of Numbers. :
By Gwendolsn Overton.
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Uk cnoosihs the wrong man. In the
resulting misery, the fact OF having
plenty Of company gave her no con.
ISOLATION. She had had many sutors
both because she was the only girl
within radius of so miles, and be-
cause she was very nice and pretty
one. But only Leslie and Dcnnison
lad ever stood chance. and Den
nson had won out--no one could
quite tell why. Maggie herself least
oi all. probably. Leslie would have
been the better match, viewed finan-
,ially. and looks were in his favor
very decidedly.
But Maggie chose Dennson with
The usual wisdom of her kind; and
having no particular religious prefer
ences one way or another, went with
lin 10 the nearest adobe town and
lad herself married by padre, as be-
ing the easiest and quickest way out
q. it. And thereafter for three years
Dennison had treated her abominably.
lie made nothing whatever of beating
her, he overworked her; he drank.
His conduct was the scandal of the
surrounding country. Knowing Mag
gie's progenitors and her own dispo-
sition, the wonder TO every one was
that she did not shoot Dennison and
have done with IL. Since nothing of
the kind happened, the only possible
conclusion was that she loved him.
Which she did. II he had neglected
Ter she might perhaps have had re-
course to "A six-shooter; but it is at
least having some notice taken of YOU
&C. be knocked down, and Maggie FREE
ouently was.
The treatment told on her good
looks after while, the more especial
~ as they were Of the sort that are
~ youth alone. The plains and hard
usage age woman early. So when
Maggie was "a she looked ten years
older than that.
Then Dcnnison left her. He found
somebody he liked better. one day
when he went over TO the railroad
town Is miles away. and took her
away with him. Maggie had no no.
ton where he had gone, else she
would probably have followed him.
Instead, she stayed on the ranch and
Hoped and pined. She carried on the
ranch alone, it being one of those
plains ranches having no especial
boundaries, no especial fields or crops,
and only a scrawny mich cow or two
and few chickens. There were q
couple of hundred head of stock, cat
lie that roamed the country and were,
iu all intents, wild, and some broncos
a much the same sort. These re-
CURED no care, SO Maggie spent most
d her days sitting on the sill of the
lack door of the adobe and staring
~ toward the mountains and think
ing about Dennison.
The Mexican woman who lived with
her squatted on the ground-in the
,ade in summer. in the sun in win
icr-with n black tapalo over her
head, smoking cigarettes until the
lard soil in the ncighborhood was
sirewcd with straw paper stumps.
She had IA children. Maggie had
lone. There had been baby, but il
died. A whitewashed board fence
upon the top of knoll that was to
be seen from the back door marked
NHfit VIC kldNt ndu Dttn DeIOTt the
coyotes had torn 1t up. Besides the
woman and the IA children there were
two "greascr" vaqueros, whose duties
were not burdensome, who ate icrked
beef and frijoles, and helped Maggie
wait for Dennison to come back
l'ut though she sat day after day
with her fading eyes looking toward
the mountains beyond which was the
railway and from which came the |
road. no Dennison appeared. Other
people came by at long intervals.
Twice Leslie had ridden up. There |
had been years space between the |
visits. And at the second one Maggie |
had seemed no nearer consolation or
common sense than at the first. Then
ne had let IS months elapse.
When he came down the road this |
time he saw Maggie. from afar Off.
sitting on the door sill with her chin
~ her hands, the Mexican woman
hngging n narrow strip of shade, for |
4 was near noon, and some chickens |
and children variously disposed. lie |
N'smounted with a clanking of spurs |
and led his broncho TO the water
trough.
Maggie rose without haste and went
over TO him. She might have seen
nlm i've minutes before from any sign
y surprise or pleasure she made.
Hers was the apathy of the woman of
we frontier rancho, TO whom life is
y her outlook upon the world--dead,
ruthless and dry. She took him into
we house when the pony was turned
over to vaquero. Had he heard
news OF Dennison. she wanted to
know. Leslie looked serious-so seri-
ors that she leaned forward with her
Yellow hands clasped hard. What was
she asked. Dcnnison was dead. IL
was that he had come to tell her. He
hah Just returned from the other
SIDE Of the Colorado, and had had
'ews OF her husband there, quite by
chance.
Tell mo catl |