Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-05

trouble. Some that the Wlnd can wear Ol
peoples nerves so that they cannot do the thing
that they would ,
The s,n had risen into troubled red sky, and the
light OF the early morning lay yellow upon II me t laoe of
the little unpained house. the ground red-ofoWn Win
dwarf oak and elm, dropped sharply TO the ooulS
River below that ran shallow over its sandy pea 10
on the Assnboin in the long, long march to the sea-
Inside of the little house, tired woman coi9rless
as the faded hs and hea$ sresdy and the trail
before the door smoked with dust She looked weaily
across the fields. The harvest was over, me summer
was ended. Bands of black plowng crossed the heuS'
for the preparation for years sowing had begun
Yellow straw-pies, through which herds OF cattle
foraged gave touch of color to the unending gray
It had been an abundant harvest wonderful yield,
they said, but it all WEAKNESS to her. fef eyes
acbed her shoulders bent like old womans her
hands were rouqhened and sore-she looked at them
pitvngv And still Tom loved this country this great
busy hurrying, pitiess country! How could he? ohe
could not understand it.
Tom came in for his breakfast He was handsome
big fellow cleareyed and wholesome with lace OF
beamng good nature, man born for out OF doors, tor
the blue sky and the open He walked brlskly across
the roc room h,,.4 h,d much time for chat lately, Mil
dred' he said, as he washed his face in the little
enameled basin that stood box in the corner But
isn't it fine to have all the grain safe IN the elevator
Four thousand bushels, Mildred! Not too bad, is II,
Not too bad" she repeated stessly She was look
ing out of the little fyspecked window the dust lay
thick upon the sil-she could sme! It.
The dead grass was rolling, in pillows as the the wind vino
swept screaming past the little mouse ana the ouS
rsng-always the DUST oh, how she hated It!
Tom did not notice. The smell of frying bacon was
sweet to him. The country was goriou-he had planted
the seed and he had it growt was great coun-
try free and fruitful and many broad acres OF 1t were
How would it be if we went into town to-day, Mil
dred?" he said as he finished his breakfast. want
TO see about some new machinery and maybe there's
something you want. | am going to try one OF those
new disk harrows-theyre the best thing 10 cut the
But Mildred was not listening. Neither did she
Hurry UP, Mildred, and we'll go before dinner" he
NO I don't want to go" she said at last al am
Tom looked at her with distressed look his boy
ish face face uo ,rid-.d, wb.ts wrong old qirI7"
Nothing" she answered, and her tone came near to
being shrewish.
silence He wouldn't go town without Mndred-he
had lost his ambition about the disk harrow.
For what could be wrong with Mildred? She had al
ways been so CHEEKY! When the hail had come the
year before and battered down his crop and with 1t all
his hopes he remembered how he had come back to the
house after looking at his ruined heds' and cred IKE
disappointed child. 1t was Mildred who was brave;
she would not let him despair He thought OF It now
how she had put new life new hope IN him II Mile
went back on him, what good was anything!
The long furrow stretching the even mile lay before
him Overhead, in the crisp October ar V-shaped
flock of wild geese honked flying so high they seemed
like tiny specks beneath the blue. he steam OF
thresher made cloud against the Tiger Hills in the the
distance and its industrious hum came to his ears Inc
sun glnted the shining stubble pralriechicken ran
in the furrow ahead of his horses, and then, Whrrlng'
rose and crcled over his head
lit is a lovely country" he thought as he breathed
in the freshness of the morning, great big, lovely
country-but what can be wrong with Mlie:
Indoors Mildred worked stessly. The silence was
heavy broken only by the flies that buzzed increasingly
the clock had stoppedshe had torgoen 10 WING
what had happened to all her ambitions-she had mad
so many plans, many hopes She mad even told her
self that she liked the country She thought OF those
first davs-t seemed ages ago-when she and Tom had
thought it such fun to be keeping house. he ilttIe
stove with its funny little TN pots ana ad pans haa al peed d
the cretonnecovered chairs-hoW proud she had been
of them Now they were all dull and worn and gr1my
their beauty gonelke her own, she thought sadly put
without bitterness It was all part OF the country m iis
pitiless hurryng busy country. She wiped the dust
TO the floor she took it up and blew the dust from IT.
1t was a cutting from newspaper, and line met her
eye:
"The brides going-away dress was of seal-brown
broadcoth with brown toque to match, and she
made a charming picture as SHE
a sudden impulse seized her She lifted the stove
lid and threw the paper ill., and in doing so she caught
glimpse Of her face in the little mirror that hung
above the wash-basin. 1t looked worn and hard and
old. She sank into chair and sobbed
A week later letter from home. Couldn't
Mile come home and make them visit? Three years
was a long time to be away from her 1amily-the e%-
curson would start the middle OF December, her
mother wrote Then Edith, her younger sister, wrote
pages. Come home AlIle, the letter ran you've
been mossback long enough Come home and hear
and see something Everybody is expecting you this
Christmas, for sure Parsifa is to be given here the
first week of January Think Of that YOU dweler OF
the plain! Eva Brown has come back from Germany
and don't know how many musical evenings have been
held for her. She can't play as well you, though
Mildred and that's the honest utterance of near
relative who fatters But kyas gowns are poems
and symphonies. Gerald Brown is rather nice too you
know lie is going to Europe in March, and he has
asked father and mother if they will let me 60 with
him, and subsequently to other places-wherever he
goes-always and evermore.
~ But we cannot decide Geralds until you come
You and mother will have hold consultation
Father getting awfully lonesome for you and mother
foo; you know how mother IS Father is going to send
you the money, mind trying to save it out of
the butter and eggs Just say good-by to the stock and
come on Won't we have fun? l going to be
bridesmaid for Ethel Middleton tomorrow You should