The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-07-14
The Humanity of 1t
[Original.1

u Ill SoullS loNSlS. i may NC to
sumed that half the people who are
grown are married. OF these nine
tenths know what it is to support a
family on little Or nothing or to be
tied to one who is VIGOROUSLY I'M
worthy. Nevertheless a considerable
proportion Of the other half go right
on making the anne plumbers.
Frank Rivard chose sheep raising for
his vocation, and his father established
and stocked for him q ranch in Mon
tana. One would suppose that Frank
under the circumstances would take
pride and pleasure in attending strictly
to his ranch and his ilocks and let other
things alone. But there vas a great
deal of time that hung heavy on his
hands, and we all know that Satan
finds work for idle hands to do. An
old Mexican named Nunez Fustado
lived near, who supported a very large
family partly by c%ultivating a small
vegetable garden and partly by keep
ing a tavern. The oldest daughter,
Blanca, possessed certain elements Of
Spanish beauty. Rivard first saw her
six months after he had parted with
Julia Woodbury., a young lady of his
own station, and to whom he would
have made a proposal of marriage just
before his departure had he not lacked
opportunity.
The Spanish black eyes Of Blanca,
the red tint set In an olive cheek, not
w~ithstanding that her hair was frowzy
and her apparel dirty, were very beau
tful to Rivard-much more so. he
thought, than the girl he had left be-
hind him. But only one who has seen
no women for six months can realize
how beautiful they are. Frank met
Blanca and made love to her, Of course.
That he should not do so was not to
be expected under the circumstances.
Few people commit a great blunder all
at once; there are usually successive
steps. One morning after having been
with Blanca the night before in moon
light he woke up conscious that he was
betrothed. He was Mortified at first
and kept away from the girl for two
days, at the end Of which time they
were sitting again in the moonlight
wrapped in each others arms and both
perfectly happy. From that time for
ward the lover considered the Mexican
girl necessary to his happiness.
Rivard was not the only fool Of the
two. The girl had everything her W
way In q matrimonial point Of view.
She would probably not be very happy
under such an unequal marriage, but
this she did not realize. 1t was plain
to her that she would get the best of
the bargain. Nevertheless she threw
away the opportunity. She was consid-
cred pretty In that region and could
have all the attention she desired. A
cowboy came along and made love to
her In such desperate fashion that she
rather enjoyed 1t. Instead Of telling
him that she was engaged she tempo
rized with him until he came to consid-
er that she belonged to him. Then
when the damage was done she was
afraid to tell him that she was engag-
ed to Frank Rivard for fear the cow
boy would kill him. so she dismissed
him without any good and sufficient
reason.
The affair ended as such affairs occa-
sionally do-in a tragedy. The cowboy
sought her out sc often and so fercely
that she began to fear Rivard would
hear of his attention. One day the
puncher told her that If she didn't
marry him he would kill her. She look
ed in his eye and saw that he meant
what he said and tried to escape. She
was too late. A pistol ball solved the
problem for her, and another prevented
trouble between her slayer and Rivard.
The cowboy sent 1t into his own foolish
brain.
When the catastrophe was broken to
Rvard he was crazed. He spent a
week trying to get over his loss, then
decided to try change of scene Leav-
ing his locks In the care of others, he
went home. The gradual approach to
civilization interested him and crowd.
ed out his sorrow. There is nothing
better to alleviate grief than travel.
BY the time he reached home he had
80 far recovered that he began to real
lie the inequality Of his intended union,
At any rate, he would say nothing
about it.
The first woman Rivard met after his
return was Julia Woodbury.. He was
sitting on the piazza in the spring sun
shine when she called-ostensibly ia
see bis sister Mary. When she came
up the steps and saw him her face
broke into q smile Of pleasure. Some.
how a contrast between her ladylike
appearance and the slouchy Blanca
came up before his eyes and be could
not get rid Of it. though the contrast
annoyed him. The image Of Blanca did
finally die away, leaving a real image
Of Miss Woodbury. which was very
pleasant to look upon.
A week later q telegram came for
Frank Rivard stating that his presence
was needed on the ranch at once. He
had seen q great deal in q short time
Of Miss Woodbury., and by mutual con.
sent Of all parties they were left alone
together on the evening before his In.
tended departure. 1t was moonlight,
but Frank forgot that such was the
case on the night he proposed to
Blanca. At any rate, he proposed to
Julia and was accepted.
The next morning another telegram
came saving that tho dopro, ho5 800.