La Junta tribune., 1907-03-30


things according to the light her con.
science dictated. but her revolutions
were not ss strong as the nature hand
Ell down by hslf = dozen generations
Of ancestors. At the end OF month
sue had gone TO her brother and asked
for her share of the property, so that
shc might go on and live by herself.
Al first he had been incrclulous. then
sarcastic. Their father had Expressed
4 hope that the property would not be
divided. he had told her. and. besides.
lie could not let her have her share
without selling the homestead, and he
would not do that. And. furthermore.
he had advanced the unnecessary ar
gument that she was too old to live by
herself She had WINGED little ut this
thrust. II sounded so like the bristling
assertions Of the conqueror that she
turned away hurt and silcnced.
Hut 1t was true. she told herself re-
morselessly. She WAS getting To he
quite an old woman. And she Went TO
the glass TO overwhelm her worldlness
with proof of tn. fact. but somehow
the glass did not carry out the sentence
OF the assertion. Her skin WAS still
soft. and her cheeks had the same deli.
cate hush that had made her belle
In the faroH days Of her girlhood. and
there was not single gray intruder
among all the glossy brown hair that
WAS coilcd and massed upon her head.
She was thinking OF her future now
as she sat under the grapevine arbor
lisie,sing- to the seif assert iyeA work OF
the conqueror In the kitchen and obliv.
iOus OF the persuasive twitteriug at
her side. deep down In her heart she
was trying tn steel herself 10 some.
thing desperate. to go away. To seek
loyment-anythinE. II her brother
would not give np her share of the
property she would surely Ike able to
earn a living somewhere.
A quick step on the gravel walk
brought her eyes from the needles and
her thoughts from the future.
oh. here you are. Miss keturah
I've looked for you every where" And
Florence. the conauerOr's sister. bus
tied Ito the arbor and pumped herself
down on the seat beside keturah
Florence WAS eighteen. very vlvacious.
very dumpy and very much In love
with herself. Added 10 this. she was
the pride and admiration OF the con.
querorS heart
"Oh, Miss keturah. have you heard
the news:" she cried ns soon as she
could get her breath. The Rev. Charles
Barden. missionary to Japan. Is com
ing Ia Meadowvilie aud is going to lee
ture to the people here next week and
IL coming here to stay. What do you
think OF that: Going 10 stay here with
us II whole week.
Keturah rose quickly and then sat
down and began to ply her needles
with desperate energy. Shc did not
even notice that she was knitting back
over the same needle.
what do yOu mean. child|' shs
gaspeti In a voice that she intended to
be calm. How do you know
why. what 4 woman you are:
laughed the girl. .'One can't even men.
tion missionary work but you 20 on
into the fidgets. Catch me ever getting
80 cracked on charity Ms that. But It's
frue! Your brother WAS At the station
when he got OF the train this morning.
and he invited hin, here. ! was In your
brothers store aud saw him. and he's
lust apiendid" = enthusiastically = 'six
feet high aud more and carries himself
like q regular soldier. Your brother
told me to hurry back and let you all
know he was coming" She was silent
for a few moments. with =. self salts
ned smile OH her pretty face. then
burst out with: I'm going to set my
cap for him. I'm just sick aud tired OF
this pOky place. and always did want
to go to Japan and China and them
foreign countries"
Child. child.' demonstrated ketu-
rah. Hes more than twice your age"
.'Only forty-five.'' said the girl per
yersely. II heard him tell your brother
so. That's just the right age In man.
And there's nobody round here can
hold n candle to him. l don't believe
there are many real handsome women
In Japan. and you know, Miss ketu-
rah a smart girl can do almost any
thing with II man In a week.
Maybe he's married. child
NO. lie amt, for your brother asked
him. He keeps house and has China