Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-12-21

mally as the shabby mules
dragged it slowly along over
the obscure prairie road. Their harness
was combination Of ropes and well
worn straps, whose hard edges had
rubbed off patches of the sorreI hair
from the animals Iank sides and sharp
backs.
The wagon cover was Soiled and
patched in many places, and through
its center protruded a short, rusty
stoyepipe, from which issued thin vol
ume of blue smoke which stretched out
in long wake behind, held in form
by the chill December air
Now and then focks of brown spar
rows would rise up out of the dead
grass and whirl away like withered
leaves borne aloft on an autumn
breeze, while near the roadside saucy
little prairie dogs perehed above their
holes and chartered and barked def
ance at the dilapidated vehicle as it
went numbering by.
On a board across the front part of
the wagon, lines in hand, sat a girl APP
parently not more than nineteen years
old, though she was in reality twenty
one. A mass of dark gold curls peeped
from under the hood that covered her
shapely head, her eyes We're bright
hazel, and the breath of chill wind that
crept up under the canvas gave vivid
color to her pretty cheeks.
Faith, how much farther is it to
Uncle Ethan's?" anxiously inquired a
youth of ten who occupied a low bench
that stood in the center of the wagon
bed
"A long way yet, dear, | am afraid, !"
replied the girl. More than a hundred
miles, / should say"
.'Then we tan't have no Trismus,"
plaintively sighed a curly haired mite
scarcely more than five years old, who
lay half buried in the folds of a huge
buffalo robe.
"rm afraid our Christmas will be
rather dreary, Bessie responded
Faith momentary shadow crossing
her fair face, '.but let US be thankful
we have such a nice shelter from the
cold.D she added quickly, casting her
eyes about the interior of the canvas
covered wagon, then out across the
dreary stretch of houseless prairie up
on which a few scattering fakes of
snow We're beginning to fall
AT the rear end Of the wagon was a
pile Of bedclothes, while in a clear
place near the middle stood a small
heating stove, in which a cheerful wood
fire was burning. On the ridgepole at
the top Of the bows hung several cook.
ing utensils, and under the front seat
was a good sized provision box, con
tanning part of a sack of -four, some
sides Of bacon, tea, sugar and few
other necessary articles of food.
A little less than a year prior to the
present time Faith Haskins' father had
died, leaving her alone on bleak Ne
braska claim and with her little broth
er and sister, Clinton and Bessie to
care for. Their mother had been taken
from them only eight months before
her husband. The condition was a
serious one, as they were left very
poor, and there seemed nothing in the
future sufficiently hopeful to mitigate
their grief Faith, however, true to
her name, did not despair, but went
brayely to work to support herself and
the children During the summer, with
Clint's help, she cultivated a small
patch of ground, and the winter pre-
vious had earned a small sum by teach
ing a short term of school. Realizing
that it would be almost impossible for
them to continue this mode Of life for
any length of time, she had written to
her mothers brother, Ethan BARLEY,
who lived on a ranch in southwestern
Kansas and he had advised her to sell
their small property and come with
Clint and Bessie and make their home
with him.
Very gladly had Faith accepted the
offer, but, finding it impossible to con
vert their few effects into cash, she
left the place in charge of renter and,
not having money for railroad fare, de-
cided to make the journey by wagon.
There were a score of young claim
GO40SiS VIC NOAiti nave DCCA vel
well pleased to retain the girl as
housekeeper for themselves, but she
cared for none of them and would moi
marry simply for home.
1t was a great undertaking, this jour
ney of theirs and at this season of the
year, but it seemed preferable to an
other winter on the claim, and they set
out in apparently good spirits. The
younger ones were Indeed happy, as all
children are at the prospect of a
change They had been travelling for
about two weeks and had reached
point near the center of western Kan
sas and were pressing on toward I'm
Gle Ethan's ranch" as fast as the now
jaded mules could take them.
It was lonely and desolate sight
that met Faiths eyes as they wandered
YEARLY over the brown, cherries plain.
Fer miles and miles around no sign Of
a human habitation broke the monoto-