The tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1900-1902, 1902-05-15

4 THAT QUEER OLD LADY. !


her bright gray eyes,, mad come Int
me strip two years after ita opening
on course sho GOT the wornt OF Il, 70,
tho choice land was already fahsa ant
the sclf-sousacd settlers who watchc;
her old gray horse aud elatterlne bus
e. mcandsr across their nelds Emiilt
pitylngiy At the tardy boomer.
When AZ last gho set mp her 9th
tent and etaSed out her horse on 5
bare and rocky quarter section wher'
tyen short grhss looks stuated, n,
women haif-plued her and some Of ia,
peighboring men came oye 70 ask he
II there was anything they could LENT
her. But she only thanked them. Al
che guessed sho would get along al
right so that the women who passet
by her tent every day began to sag
that she was stuck up" and the farm
ers who knew that she was on an al
most barren claim. only g~rinned ant
muttered. "she won't last MORN on
season."
But she fooled them. A tiny shRel
was built by a half-breed who haulet
the lumber from the railway station il
her buggy. He built a uaii little fenei
around o few acres OF her ground ant
left her at home On the desolate hl
she had chosen Thea every mornint
when the sun swung up from the yel
lev floor Of the dry prairie tina
stretched from her door 10 the hori
Eon. she was cut In her little gardei
digging, planting. cultiyating III,
small space from which she hoped a
least 10 wiring a living. In the after
noon she would hitch up her aged MAJ
and. dressed 10 her best widows weeds
set on for the postoHiee I'VE mile
away. She brought home a few chick
ems. and In the lengthening eveninl
hours sat knitting AZ her lou baol
door watching the sun drop down int
the painless t~retless west
when spring hal come and eon'
Mrs. Kavauaush's nttle garden showo
all the sQnalor q SIS plnched cabbage
and Elckiy vines Ia passing neighbon
pited her. II they had known he
simple story perhaps they might hay
helped her develop her poor land. ba
she conndcd ia o and came al las
e. be known as a hesdstrong, crank
old woman. who would be better Of
hack East with her people. Rain o
shine, spring. sammer autumn ara
winter. sho drove 10 town. tiea hs
horse Al the ppstonice and asked for &
letter The overworsed CLERK came Il
know her at last and with an eGor
ct kindly deception. for there hai
never been 3 lctter for ner, wouh
shuttle over the package Of ks an,
say softly, Nothing today. Mn
karsnangh Then She would frol
the eia crepe veil that was srewIni
rusty draw a letter from her poke
aud drop Il into the box, That was 10
her son, her runaway boy. and Il wa
always addressed. "Mr. Tom Rayar
augh. TweHty-s seventh infantry. Man
ila, Philippine Islands Every da.
she sent him a letter. and every da.
she looked Tor an answer. But non
cane aud the nervous old vomai
uvnt gravely back in her rickoty burr,
20 The lonely shansy apon The dosolst.
hil to watch the sun set and to hon
ana pray
Her boy Tom had run away fror
home before his drahker father ha.
died lie had written her just on
line: Gone 20 the Philippines wiz
Tweny-segenth Infantry lie ha0
been gone a year when his father dlcl
She had written 70 him often. hn
knowing what a thoughueEs boy h
vas, nrft Attributed his silsbes u FOR
1etfplness and neglect Wbcn she ha'
told him Of hia fathers death she fol
srtr Of SOME answer. ard though nor
came sho continued to write gcutl,
loving warning letters 10 the ahsen
feapesrace. lie had been a youth o
eame spirit aud she hncW that hl
fathers dlshenay n lAslf by,py tse.
hed cfiyeh him into The army be
with al her mothers eondonlug iov
the could not understand why he al
not a. ieast aeud her a word sh
hated the town which mad been "a
scene OF her own and her boys al.
gface and separation. aud when e.
new country was aprssa a u
stories OF Us glowing future rcaehe
her she sold out her b~olonelnga an
SET forth 70 6nd a home that shou,
h her boys home too
After two years o. this oeonuess nl
Mira KAvaRaugA came 20 be recognise
"a one of the characters 81 the tow
Most people theught her hsrmiessiy d
sane The sandstorms aud he carve,
ms winds The burning SUBS and via
Ter snoes. had turned her withcgs
cheeks TO parchment Her old crsl
veil a brown now her m,nas
black alpaca dress. thrca3bare az
dlscoiorod, huns loosely ahont h
shrunken body whcn the thled vi.
Ter came she sold her horse and hpEl
FOR $50. but bought only shoes 10.