Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-05-15
A Farmers Wife.

- LII lut SlAAS NtNlalNN 9luIlou
"a would be married before any of
as the rest. But Marion only
lsushed and said nonsense. Was she
NOT welded to her art? And did she
M scorn the masculine sex. indvid-
uslIy. collectively and in the abstract?
VIA, possible else could a girl with
deals. with an object in life, have for
: man? A life of dependence for her.
te7 world to be bounded by four
square walls? Never.
So she went on her way rejoicing,
Young beautiful and heart-whole; re-
fused the men who We're unfortunate
enough 10 love her. laughed in their
faces. not that she was cruel by ma
,ure, but their ardor amused her-she
could not understand il.
When June came. and the girls talk
ad over their vacations, she astOniShed
them ell by quietly remarklng that she
guessed she would 30 down to Ray
mond
What that pokey old place" ex-
claimed Anna. What in the world
will you do there? Four miles from
nowhere. Why. | wouldn't spend a
week in that tumbled-down old farm
house. And then it's so dismal, that
pine grove is enough to give one the
shudders oh, don't go there, Marion,
come with me-"
BS Marion remained firm. To Ray
mohd she went. The quaint. charming
little town Of Raymond, nesting at the
toet Of the green hills close to the bor-
GERS OF the beautiful Sebago Lake,
AID there she met her fate. 1t ap
peared suddenly and unexpectedly one
June morning, in the shape Of man.
cyeralis and a basket of setting hens.
Now If there was one thing more
than another Marion detested it was
hen. and next TO that a farmer and far
above both she abominated overalls.
She always associated them with the
strect department.
But this glorious summer morning,
as she was wheeling down a steep hill,
taxing the narrow path, and keeping
vel 20 the side of the road to avoid the
mul. around a sharp bend she ran
pump into her fate-farmer, overalls,
seftlng hens. basket, wheel and girl,
al scattered and mingled in the dust.
She, wOman-like, was the first to re
cover her voice. Good gracious.
lnpe haven't killed you," she gasped,
es she sat up and wiped a splotch of
Wud Of her nose
he picked himself up out of the de-
Ris, surveyed the wreck about him,
the vince landing on its handle bars
d rasI --ry bush. the hens squawk-
me and litering on the ground, the
girls s. le., flushed face beside him,
snd then ha threw his head back and
@usAea-e deep, ringing laugh, that
soaied out on the still morning air.
over tie qriet waters of the lake and
IooE tIa giri's heart with It. She loved
MN rom that moment One swift,
"r'i's glance into that frank. hand
some face. and the girl knew by an
nhefTing instinct thal lie was sen
temau.
hllIed me, oh no, just temporarily
eoorcd me. that's all. l hope you are
hct hurt"
AN awfully sorry, really" Marion
ossan to hide her confusion. Il beg a
thousand pardons."
by this time be had gotten her wheel
nsnt side up. and without another
siance, she mounted 1t and disappeared
around the behd.
That night al the supper table when
sue recounted her adventure she learn
&C who he was. Harold Martin. a
young man who had lately 'aken the
Martin place." a beautiful :, arm two
miles from Raymond. After that she
etien met him and the acquaintance
~ abruptly begun ripened into friend
ship.
II was strange how the enchanting
Aiurements of art and life Of indie
pehdence faded into oblivion, how
snen love and art were weighed In
uie balance how much more avoirdu-
pols love seemed to have. And life on
larm with the man you loved wasn't
haii Oad after all.
DO one quiet evening in September.
Jusi as the sun was setting over Mt.
washington. turning the silver Of the
axe into flaming red and throwing a
naio Of glowing light and color about
nem. they stood together on the brow
the hill. watching the sun set
MARION" said Harold. suddenly.
o"h't you think you could stand the