The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-10-23

1t is hardly necessary to state that
Jonas was Irish, and Elminta Miner.
va, Yankee.
Both had been heart-whole until this
date.
A half section of prairie inhabited
by two souls animated by the same
aim should produce, in perfection, the
conditions of rural romance. Such
were the conditions in this instance,
and as was to be expected, Jonas and
Elminta Minerva fell in love. The
utilities. however, were not to be for
gotten, and the marriage day was
postponed until each should, in home
steader language, have proved up;
they would then be the owners of a
half section, a rich domain for them
and their successors.
Between the one-roomed, white-cur-
tained cottonwood dwelling of the
spfnster settler and the windowless
dugout Of her bachelor lover lay half
mile Of Kansas prairie; and midway
intersecting the beaten path, ran the
Solomon, three-rod wide stream of
clear water, with a bottom in patches
Of sand and pebbles. On either bank
was a growth of willow and elm, cot
tonwood and wild plum, that made a
May day on the Solomon pleasant
epoch in life. In crossing this stream
AS was his daily custom-Jonas
used a ford which lay, not as the crow
flies, between his abode and that of
his beloved, but at an angle with
each dwelling-this because of the
shallow fording at that point.
The time for proving up the claims
was now fast approaching. Nor had
the years these two had waited been
by any means without fruit. With
money saved from his seafaring days,
Jonas had fenced his land, and other
wise added to its attractiveness. He
had also broken the sod of 80 acres
TOR corn planting.
To Elminta A1inerva's claim also
had been added many improvements,
provided for from frugal fund hoard
ed from years of school teaching, and
the remainder Of this sum, together
with the yearly yield from an indus
trious flock of hens and two well-pre-
served cows, combined to make for
her degree of prosperity that need
ed only a receipt of a deed for her
homestead, and marriage with Jonas,
fully to round out her happiness.
Jonas, sometimes on June even
ing, would linger along the path to
Elminta Minerals, dreaming of love,
his ear intent on the song of the vel
low-crested meadow lark At such
times the air was undoubtedly translu-
scent.
But upon this state of primeval con-
tentment and reasonable hopes one
blot existed. In spite of his love of
the sky and sense of relationship with
nature, Jonas felt an ineradicable dis
trust for one of the humblest of all
created things-namely, Elminta Mi
nerva's black cation Satan. This,
too, in spite of the fact that the ami
NAL was the pet and companion of his
spinster. neighbor.
The Satan" was the addition of Jo-
mas, who thus signified his belief in
two lives that were meant to be joined
If not upon two farms as well. To
be sure, his predictions of disaster
had not yet been verified; but what
of this marriage in the spring, where
by all these years of toll and waiting
should be crowned? Who could tell
but that Tom Satan waited and hun
gered for this opportunity?
1t was TN vain that Tom Satan
would arch his back and rub against
Jonas bootleg, inviting a friendship
that he thought ought to exist after
so many years of acquaintanceship.
The other ostentatiously repealed all
such advances.
On this special day Jonas remained
longer than usual and when he started
home the sun was below mfl-after-
noon. For this reason he did not take
his usual path, but instead made
bee line through the pasture, striking
the river down stream for the ford.
Upon reaching the bank he tucked his
trousers legs into his boot tops and
stepped into the water, there running
not more than four inches deep. The
soft sand yielded slightly, but Jonas,
unheeding, took step forward, an
other, then another, when-but what
was he walking int Something was
wrong! Something was dragging him
down! Then with the force Of Q light
ming bolt the truth struck him-he
was In q quieksand!
+ Like . Lion In tolls Jonas reused
himsalf and wrenched his foremost
foot back, IN his struggle partly turn
ing to the bank from which he hsd
entered. But though straining 90 that |
1t times he fell prone. he va unable