Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-01-12
WITHOUT
ANTECEDENTS
BY OHIO b. SENGA
Copyright, 1904, by Ohio B. senga

|
"Its like Il picture gallery" said Miss
Fairle softly.
| 80 1t is" assented the young ranch
man heartily Lets choose pictures,
as the children do. See, there's beau
tiful maiden robed in white She's
mine
VERY well. You saw her first Look.
there's a house That's mine"
TITS a, ranch house, then" decidedly.
"See how low and spread out it is;
plenty of land, you See"
Its all full Of hooks and corners"
dreamily, land there are broad piazzas
with vines growing all over them"
! "Of course" with prompt assent.
that's the ideal house for a ranch.
Look there. Miss Fairlie. See what is
coming up TO your piazza" as smaller
cloud rolled up tumultuously.
That's Il horse and rider. Mr. Rob
ertsr excitedly.
Sure, IT is you. Just starting out for
| ride over your ranch! See the veil
on your hatT'
|
! joyment Of the childs play at make
believe"
There's another rider now. Let's see
who that is
They gazed earnestly at the passing
| cloud.
II thought So" cried the man trium-
| phantly, its me- with dashng dis
regard Of grammar Its NEON San
cho We're going together over our
ranch"
| The woman's hand reached out in
stinctively MS if to brush the clouds
away, and the hand was promptly
| caught and held in larger, stronger
| one
Lets make it true" he whispered
earnestly. Don't 20 back east again.
Stay here and make it true"
She shook her head half sadly.
"You don't like it here. You couldn't
make the sacrifice
at isn't that. | do like it. like ev-
erything about it. | never felt so near
the sky before-never before so real
| lied the warmth and comfort of the
earth. To me the breadth OF vision Is
fascinating. But my work lies else
where"
"What work." gravely.
"Why. my work--my business-my
life work.
| Il suppose YOU mean your writing
your editorial work.
Certainly. | have no other"
THAT is what you are doing for a
! livelihood, because you are brany
enough to he successful at it, But is
that really your life work-the work
to satisfy a womans heart and bring
rest and peace into her life? Look.
dearest, that pretty knoll off there is
| Just the place to build the rambling
stone house. with hooks and corners
and vines and piaZzas The land Is
mine as far as You can see on each
side You may have a dozen houses
II you like"
81 should know you are Irish" with
defensive evasion. "Such impetuos-
ttyr
| "My mother was Scotch" smiling
winningly, and you know pertinacity
IS predominating characteristic Of
|
with my Irish impetuosity"-
''It's a formidable combination"
with a movement to arise.
"Wcre not going YET putting out
OBTAINING hand; we're going TO
watch the sunset and talk about our
| house and plan about our wedding.
| I don't need to tell you that | love
you dear"
"But-but, you've known me only q
MONTH
"That's long enough to know that
| I love YOU"
"And | know nothing OF your--your
antocedents." hesitatincly.
81 haven't any" shortly.
'In New England" slowly. zones
antecedents count for a good deal"
The man laughed bitterly and then
his face grew grave
"Please sit down again, Miss Fair
lie. l foreSee a conflict between your
| eastern pride and prejudice and my
western independence and intolerance,
and am not equal to it standing"
! She yielded not unwillinCly.
"a man without antecedents"- she
| began
IN this section of Gods country"
| he Interrupted firmly. "a man stands
for just what he is. No one cares who
| his relatives are if he is square ana
| white and does the right thing here,
Never mind my 'antecedeute' Agnes.
Don't you love mef"
lie nut out his hand and softly
Z