The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-01
A TRAGEDY OF The HILLS.

a year without going mad. Yet statistics
! show that a prepOn0erance OF evidence is
II favor OF the prairies and against the
hills. The great Psalrnist sang: I viii
lit up mine eyes unto the hills. from
whence cometh ny help" not material
help. but divine, for those were the hgur-
I alive hills Of God, and their tops reached
10 heaven. The hills that give strength
also take Il away. as the men and women
! living on those decliviIies that are bare
ana bleak in winter. that lift their bald
and rugged foreheads TO the eternal alti-
! tGce OF the skies, can freely testify. HUI
! manity only accentuates the loneliness.
I A house perched on the side OF one OF
those eternal hills is as remote as an
| eagles nest We have all viewed such a
| dwelling on the hillside. with its sOmber
background. when gazing from a car win
| Cow on the flying panorama OF travel.
| whether it was only woodlands cabin
| OF the more preteLtiOus frame house with
| q Yeranda. our thoughts were invariably
! OF thankfulness that We did not live
| there. For it requires superhuman
| strength TO live up 10 the hills.
In the door of a cabin on such a hillside
| a young woman was standing surround
ed by trio OF dogs. that were giving
tongue to their JOY at seeing her again
! after a half-hour's absence in search OF
| a COW which had wandered away. Her
! --Se~N NaS iONcIcQ anu DtI lace UDSEIAtQ
! by a clinging sunbOnnet, which she threw
| ASIDE, revealing an almost startling type
| OF rustic beauty. and braids of red-brown
hair tied in girlish oTaids at the nape OF
neck that was the perfection of symme-
/ try. She was speaking aloud either &c
/ herself or the dogs.
IF ever said I liked tn hills I lied.
An If 1 ever said 1 loved Hi Dimmock
| I-why, hello. Tennessee, what brought
| you back aIone?"
Tennessee was a beautifully marked
hound with long, silken hair and piumy
taH which she waved in rapid gyration as
she fondled the young woman.
w heres your boss-has anything hap
pened to him? Speak out. Tenn. He amt
fell down and hurt himself. has he?"
But the dag was quietly licking her
hand. and she looked inside the cabin to
see II the gun hung in it's place 1t did
not, so she decided in her mind that
Tennessee had tired Of the hunt and come
home. trick for which she had been
soundly trounced within a week.
A wild, concerted rush of the dogs re-
vealed the fact that stranger was ap-
preaching, man on horseback. who put
his hand to his mouth TO form trumpet,
and called out shrilly:
Hello, the house, Gail off your dogsi"
At a word from the woman the whole
pack ran under the cabin floor. snarling
and growing. but obedient TO orders
Then the stranger threw himself easily
from his horse, and advanced to the door
OF the cabin
DO you know me. Nell?" he asked
Sure" answered the girl. You haven't
changed any in two years. But don't
know what brings you here"
The man flushed at her words and STAN
mered. ''I-I-saw you from the cars. and
r,F1 ,.v,.a !
sick. and 1 thought maybe you would be
glad to see an old friend, and that's all
there is TO it"
Hi iG out shooting SQUIRRELS said the
girl. Il reckon he'll be home any time
now. He's right peart with his gun" and
she gave forced laugh.
Has he sobered up any living in this
Wilderness asked the man.
Dave Harkins. you never liked Hi, not
even when you We're boys together. You
prophesied when I married him ne would
break my heart, but there never was q
kinder husband on earth than Hi Dim
mock. If you've come here to find out
how we get along you can go back and
tell them that. IF you don't want TO get
into a quarrel with Hi-hes the right
stuff-yOu will go now"
She would not even look at him for fear
she would draw a contrast in her own
mind between him with his alert, upright
figure and the sodden form and features
Of her husband.
1T beats me, Nell" he said, presently,
what you ever saw in Hiram Dimmocl5 |
to throw yourself away on him. / amt |
any too good, but there wasn't one Of the |
boys in the old crowd that wasn't head |
and shoulders above him for decency and |
fair dealing. You might have had your
choice, Nell, and you took him. why did |
you pick out the worst one in the crowd ?" |
The girl looked him in the face. lifting |
large, lmpid blue eyes to his with a sin |
certify that vanquished all doubt
I loved him. He was poor and plain |
looking and Stunned by the rest OF you, |
and all that made me love him better. |
When he is sober there isn't a better |
hearted or kinder husband in the world |
m glad TO see you, but go now. Dave. |
Some day were going back, but not now"
Tears filled her eyes as she spoke.
Nell, cried the man. losing his head |
in moment OF sudden resolve. come |
away from here with me-n0w-tonight- |
and go back 10 your old home. Give me /
the right to make you happy-come back |
70 civilization and a home such as you /
deserve / have loved you since we went /
10 school together. You are wretchediy
unhappy can see that
A sudden clicking noise from the cabin /
snote the air The man talking started. |
but Nell glanced pack and said:
THAT is the clock. 1t often does that /
Yes. N often wretchedly unhappy, every
woman who loves Is but / haven't fallen
s. low yet as TO need your help. your
sympathy, Dave Harkius. II you have
anything more 81 that sort 10 say. |
II exon III call the dogs They viii pro-
tect me I'm the absence OF my husband"
Forgive me. Nell. and forget what
said. II your love doesn't reform Hi |
Dimmock no power on earth can God
bless You. Nell, and gooc-by.
He rode away. picturesque figure r.
the sunset but the eyes Of the woman
leaning IN the doorway did not look after
him. Before he was absorbed IN the les
SEEMING distance she had turned into the !
cabin and drawn the calico curtains apart
that draped a space IN the wall into |
which bed was built. a man lay there
roughly dressed. holding in both hands
p cooked rife. he had trampish en-
semble and his face vas flushed with
licuor.
so you came back while 7 was gone
Why didn't you come ort or hidiuE-onc
N the boys from home was here-you
seard him. Hi2'
Yves my beauty. II did. Heard h,s
rinioR Of re. Heard him ash, m--ny wife
10 run away with hind him
And you heard what I said. dear? He
was out OF HE head. Ill"
Needn't 'polcsise for h-hiu1. Mrs. Dim
mock. Il s ALL night. You get supper
acw- IN take 4 waik-cool my brain
,cme right back. Neil. s. long
She did not worry over his absence untu
he dogs attracted her attention 20 the
.set that they had al been lsft behind
]