Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-04-15
A Farmers Wife.

81 Ii, the girls declared Marion
, LAA would be married before any Of
60 the rest But Marion only
laughed and said nonsense" Was she
not welded to her art? And did she
not scorn the masculine sex, individ-
ually. collectively and in the abstract?
What possible else could girl with
ideals with an object in life, have for
a man2 A life OF dependence for her,
Ter world TO be bounded by four
square walls? Never.
So she went on her ~ay rejoicing
young. beautiful and heart-wbole: re
fused the men who were unfortunate
enough to love her, laughed in their
faces. not that she was cruel by ma
ture, but their ardOr amused her-she
could not understand it.
when June came, and the girls talk
ed over their vacations, she astOnished
them all by quietly remarking that she
guessed she would go down to Ray
mond
What. that pokey old place. ex-
claimed Anna. What in the world
VIII you do there? Four miles from
nowhere. Why. | wouldn't spend a
week in that fumbled-down old farm
house And then it's so dismal. that
pine grove is enough to give one the
shoulders. Oh don't go there. Marion,
come with me."
But Marion remained firm. To Ray
mond she went. The quaint, charming
little town OF Raymond, nesting at the
fuot Of the green hills close to the Dor
da.s Of the beautiful Sebago Lake,
aud there she met her fate. 1t APP
4 peared suddenly and unexpectedly one
| June morning. in the shape of n man,
\ overalls and a basket of setting hens.
\ Now if there was one thing more
than another Marion detested it was 4
hen, and next TO that Il farmer and far
above both she abominated overalls.
She always associated them with the
! street department.
But this glorious summer morning,
as she was wheeling down a steep hill.
taking the narrow path, and keeping
wei TO the slide of the road to avoid the
mud. around a sharp bend she ran
bump into her fate-farmer, overalls.
setting hens. basket. wheel and girl.
s all scattered and mingled in the dust
She. woman-like was the first to re
!. cover her voice. Good gracious.
hope | haven't killed you. she gasped.
as she sat up and wiped a splotch of
mud of her nose.
He picked himself up out OF the de
bris, surveyed the wreck about him,
the wheel standing on its handle bars
in n raspberry bush, the hens squawk-
ing and futtering on the ground. the
girls sweet. flushed face beside him,
and then he threw his head back and
laughed-a deep. ringing laugh. that
toated out on the still morning air,
over the quiet waters of the lake aud
took the girls heart with it. She loved
him from that moment One swift.
furtive glance into that frank. hand
some face. and che girl knew by an
unerring instinct that he was gem
tleman.
Killed me, oh no, just temporarily
aoored me. that's all. hope you are
not hurt"
Il am awfully sorry. really" Marion
q began 20 hide her confusion. II beg a
thousand pardons"
by this tine he had gotten her wheel
right side up, and without another
glance, she mounted il aud disappeared
around the bend.
That night NJ the supper table when
she recounted her adventure she learn
Cd who be was. Harold Martin. a
Young man who had lately taken the
Martin place" beautiful farm two
miles from Raymond. After that she
often met him aud the acquaintance
su abruptly begun ripened into friend
ship.
Il was strange how the enchanting
allurements of art and n life OK indie
y pendence faded into oblivion. how
when love and art We're weighed In
the balance how much more avoirdu-
uois love seemed TO have. And life on
a farm with the man you loved wasn't
half bad after all.
So one qdiet evening in September.
lust as the sun was setting over Mt.
Washington. turning the silver OF the
lake into flaming red and throwing a
halo OF glowing light and color about
them. they stood together ON the brow
.oC the all. watching the sun set.
Maroon" said Harold. suddenly.
don't you think You could stand the
farm7 love you with all my heart
and soul. and I'll prove it to you Il you
WIN only let me"
NJ roin'S eyes wandered out over the
gliuering Sunht waters. out beyond the
mark purple mountains. IN saey rested
upon a Tiny star that cleaned just
wh''re : moment before the sun had
been.
Art becSoned 70 her with her white
shapely hand. Just then demurc
brown hiddy, Seurrying homeward
CD, Sins 70 her helated brood. brushed
asa nSt her dress With happy little
= ugh. Marion stopped down and caught
| Up one Of the soft down little chicks.
VI on, I don't know" she said as she
held Il in both hands pressed against
Der cheek. :. might"
The last two words were So low Har.
old hat 10 stoop down to catch them.
Now she's farmers wife. aud all
he girls are wondering what Marion
q MI DC next.
or aNra NntND