The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-12-23

stretching prairie land lay SWathed in tWl-
light. 1t was too early for stars as yet.
and the oncoming night lowered down un-
broken by any point of light unbelevably
still, full of a strange solemnity, and to
| Elizabeth, unspeakably dreary. She stood
| with her face against the pane gazing out
2hsently into the deepening dusk.
AT home" she mused and the word
vihrated in her mind with an aching ten
derness the electric lights are cleaning
along the streets, the trolley cars are full
of happy Christmas shoppers. Papa has
come in now and hurries off to his room
with various mysterious bundles: Alice
and Dick are hobhobbing together in a
corner over maj S present After dinner,
some of the crowd will come in and there
will be music and dancing, then later a
jolly little supper around the chains
dish. She turned from her thoughts to
the gray stretch outside Snow, stiffness
country. country, country! ] hate it,!
she gasped with a sob of sef-pity. Il
like noise and lights and good times and
people. Oh, | want to so home! l want
to go home"
Her husband was coming now. She
could not discern his figure. but she heard
his whistle, the notes dull and spiritless,
mere ghosts of his od-time runs and trtlls.
But he doesn't hate Dakota as do she
thought resentfully. He likes 1t. He Is
Stamping the snow from his feet. he
came into the warm room, seeming some
how to fill it 18th his large personality.
He stopped and kissed her tenderly. try
ing to meet her averted gaze.
you're nice and snug in here. Eliza :
beth" he began, with a tentative cheer
fulness. Its awfuily cold outside The
girl-wife made no response. but began to
set the table. and the man said no more
until she summoned him to the evening
meal. He looked at her from time to time
as she sat opposite him. hoping that her
somber mood would pass, but she kept her
wistful gaze bent toward her plate. and
the bitter lines of her mouth never re-
Taxed.
What a dainty meal. dear he said.
with an attempt at animation. quite
worthy of the season. 1t doesn't seem
possible that the day after tomorrow Is
Christmas. does it,
please don't remind me of it. Robert.
I beg" she cried sharply. The man WINGED
and put down his coffee cup. gazing with
set broWS into its amber depths. Sudden
ly he gave his shoulders an energetic little
shake and sighed with the stress of firm
resolve.
"Elizabeth." he said ''let's hurry and
finish. then we can spend the evening
packing your trunk, for you must start
home IN the morning. You will arrive
Christmas afternoon. in time for most of
the festivities, and you can stay just as
long you like.
Elizabeth looked at him squarely now.
with startled eyes.
'What do you mean?" she asked. ''Y GU
know very we'll
Just this, dear. You must take the
seventy-tive dollars We saved to get the
new machinery in the spring. III manage
about that somehow"
"Why-why, l couldn't do that" STAN
mered Elizabeth in denial, but with hope
mounting in her heart. II won't do it.
"Oh, yes, you WILL" he replied in his
most masterful tones, and with an air of
tinaiity. And then his calmness broke.
and he cried from his heart, 'Ah, dearest,
don't you know it just kills me to see you
sad and lonely not TO hear you sing about
the best wife in the world"
Sc it was settled. The pretty trousseau,
almost unworn. was prepared for the east
ern journey.
Are you sure you won't look shabby
or old-fash oned?" Robert asked anxious
ly, for pride was one of the strongest tibers
of his being.
"Oh, no, they won't expect a fashion
plate to come out of the Wilderness, she
answered gaily, land Alice will help me
furnish things up a little"
Stopping in her packing, she slipped on
a little rosc-colored evening gown, and
your work any more, or make little jokes
and laugh as you used to do? / think
can get the machinery somehow, but let's
not think about that now. Nothing mat
tiers except for my sad little girl to find
her happy heart again."
With cry of remorseful tenderness. she
threw herself into his arms.
ooh, Robert, you're so good, so good!
And what poor wife I am! So selfish
and unkind TO you! But, Robert, you can't
understand You can't realize how ache
to go home. This snow and stiffness and
bigness of everything gets on my nerves.
Sometimes 1 think I'll go crazy
Yes. little girl, yes" he murmured
kissing her hair.
1T wasn't so bad in the early summer
when the woolly buffalo grass was so soft
and pretty, and the sky was so blue: and
when mamma and Alice were here, 1T was
fine but oh, this winter" She broke off
with shudder. And we've been mar
ried year and half, and I've never beer
home once! When we planned to so this
Christmas, l was SO happy, and then
things went wrong and we couldn't af-
ford it, and l thought l should die! she
cried with the extravaganza of youth
"Oh, Robert, know l oughtn't to go, but
do want tor
eyes, little girl, yes" he said softly
again, land you shall CO.
The girl chung to him, leaving her tears
and kisses upon his cheeks.
My DEAR good, generous Robert" she
murmured. well, I'll go, but l won't
stay long, and when 1 come back I'll be
opening her fan, peered at him coquettish-
ly over it's tilmy edge.
why don't you ask me to dance?' she
demanded Obediently falling in with hel
mood, he caught her round the waist
whistled the bars of a lively two-step anG
spun her galy up and down the room
Elizabeth was transformed He looked al
the flushing, glowing, rose-colored girl.
creature in his arms, and wondered If she
could be the wan, heavy-eyed woman who
had met him when he came in from his
work. The great wide night held the lit
tie house in its clutch, and the vino
moaned under the caves like a soul de-
| barred from Paradise but for once Eliza
{, beth did not hear it. Robert did. ''Wha
| will 1t be when she is gomez cried voice
| in his heart.
Early the next morning they drove ovel
| to Wilkes, the nearest town, where Eliza
| beth was to take the east-bound train /
was wonderful day-white and blue anc
| gold. The sky was as blue as a gentlan
| flower the snow-crystais flung back IL,
| suns rays fiom their gittering facets
| and the air was a joy to the lungs. Ever
| Elizabeth, now that she was saying
i farewell to Dakota, admitted its charm
res, suppose ms trackiess white Is
more beautiful than the mud and slush o.
/ my little Indiana city. but three cheer.
for mud and slush all the same."
Robert laughed-with his lips. In hi.
1 heart was an agony of loss. Arriving al
] the station, they learned to his dismaS
/ that the tram was two hours late To pro
/ long this parting through two hours OF
! dreary waiting would be more than he
/ could endure. Besides, various duties ur.
| gently called him back to the little farm
!. Elizabeth OWNED his thoughts.
Robert" she said you mustn't wait
Truly, l Cont want you to- 1t would b
| too hard for us both. And there are Sc
/ many things you ought to do back at the
house,,
/ She had never called it home and the
/ fact had stung him many time.
Very well. dear, if you wish it, but III
telegraph your people before co..