Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1910-05-29


light of the early morning lay yellow upon the faded
hills that banked the horizon the south In front of
the little implanted house, the ground redbIown with
dwarf oak and elm, dropped sharply to the Sours
River below that shallow its sandy bed TO
JOIN the Assinboin in the long, long march TO the sea
Inside OF the little house. tired colorless
as the faded hills and fields Estlessy prepared the
breakfast The wind rising already and the trail
before the door smoked with dust She looked YEARLY
the fields. The harvest over, the summer
ended Bands of black blowing crossed the heids
for the preparation for years sowing had begun
Yellow straw-piles, through which herds OF cattle
toFaged gave touch OF color to the unendmg gray
deafness.
II had been abundant harvest, wonderful yield,
they said but it was all WEAKNESS to her. Her eyes
ached her shoulders bent like old womans, her
hands roughened and sore-she looked at them
pityngy. And still Tom loved this country. this great
busy hurrying, pitiess country! How could he! She
could not understand it.
Tom came in for his breakfast He was a handsome.
big fellow clear eyed and wholesome, with face OF
beaming good born for of doors. for
the blue sky and the OPEN de walked brskly across
the
We haven't had much time for chat lately, Mil
dred' he said, IS he washed his face In the little
e.ameed basin that stood box in the But
isn't il fine to have all the grain safe in the elevator?
cd girl: ~
Not too bad she repeated lstlessy. She was look
ing OF the little fy-spccked window; the dust lay
thick upon tie sill--she could smell it
The dead grass rolling in pillows as the wind
swept screaming past the little house, and the dust
rising-always the DUST oh, how she hated 1t!
Tom did not notice. The smell OF trying bacon was
sweet to him The country was gorous-he had planted
the seed and he had it growt was great eoun-
try free and fruitful and many broad of 1t were
i.is He loved It.
How would it be if we went into town to-day. Mil
dred2' he said he finished his breakfast. / want
10 see about machinery and maybe there's
something you want. | am going to try one of those
new disk harrows-they're the best thing TO cut the
But Mildred was not listening. Neither did she
look at him.
Hurry up, Mildred, and we'll go before dinner" he
No don't want to 60" she said at last al
going | can't go, 1 ON.
ish face.
What's wrong, Mildred? What's wrong, old grl?"
Nothing" she answered and her tone came near to
being shrewish.
Tom went ont and hitched his horses to the pow in
silence He wouldn't go to town without Mhdred-he
lad lost his ambition to see about the disk harrow
For what could be wrong with Mildred? She had al
ways been so cheeryl When the hail had come the
year before and battered down his crop and with it all
lis hopes he remembered how he had come back to the
house after looking his ruined fields, and cried like
a disappointed child 1t was Mildred who was brave;
she would let him despair He thought of il nov.
how she had put life, new hope, in him 1t Mile
went back on him, what good was anything
The long furrow stretching the mile lay before
him Overhead, in the crisp October air. V-shaped
flock of wild geese honked, flying so high they seemed
like tiny specks beneath the blue. The steam OF a
thresher made cloud against the Tiger Hills IN the
sun gnted on the shining stubbe; ran
in the furrow ahead Of his horses, and then whirrrg
rose and circed over his head
at is lovely country, he thought as he breathed
in the freshness of the morning, great big lovely
country-but what can be wrong with Mile:
Indoors Mildred worked listlessly. The silence
heavy broken only by the flies that buzzed increasingly;
even the clock had stoppedshe had forgotten wind
it in the busy days before She was wondering vaguely
what had happened to all her anbitons-she had had
so many plans, many hopes She had even told her
self that she liked the country She thought OF those
first days-it seemed ages ago-when she and ON had
thought it such fun to be keeping house The little
eardfN md all
SO new and shiny and the dainty friled curtains, and
the cretonne-covered chairshow proud she had been
of theml Now they were all duil and worn and grmy,
without bitterness twas all part of the country tins
ptless hurrying, busy country She wiped the dust
iistlessly from the windowledge slip of paper fell
to the floor; she took up and blew the dust from it,
1t was cutting from newspaper, and line met her
eye:
= "The brides goingaway dress was OF seabrown
broadcloth with smart brown toque to MATCH and she
made charming picture as She
sudden. impulse seized her She lifted the stove
lid and threw the paper i and in doing she caught
glimpse of her face in the little mirror that hung
above the wash-basin. 1t looked worn and hard ana
old. She sank into chair and sobbed.
A week later letter came from home Couldn't
Mile come home and make them visit! Three years
was long time to be away from her family-the ex-
curson rates would start the middle of December her
mother wrote Then Edith her younger sister, wrote
pages Come home, Mile" the letter ran-syo you've
been mOSsDack long enough. SOHief
and see something Everybody is expecting you this
Christmas for sure Parsfal is TO be given here the
first week of January. Think of that you dweler OF
the plainl Eva Brown has come back from Germany,
and don't know how many musical evenings have been
held for her. She can't play we'll as YOU though
Mildred and that's the honest utterance OF near
relative who never hatters But Evas gowns poems
and symphonies Gerald Brown is rather nice, too you
know. He is going to Europe IN March, and ne mas
asked father and mother if they will let me go with
him. and subsequently to other piaces-wherever he
goes-slways and everrnore.
But we cannot decide Geralds until you come.
You and mother will have to hold consultation.
Father is getting awfuly lonesome for you and mother
too; you know how mother is Father going to send
you the money mind trying to save it out OF
the butter and eggs Just say good the stock and
come Won't have fun? am going TO be
bridesmaid for Ethel Middleton tomorrow You should