Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-01-24
CHAPTER III.-continued.

CHAPTER III.-Continued.
When he'd tended the horses, Iron
set up a clock upon the shelf, SO I
might hear the ticking as time passed.
He carried in armloads from the
sleigh. he opened cases, he spilled out
sacks. lie showed me maple syrup,
try-your-strength cigars, a dandy rifle
l with plenty ammunition, books.
clothes. candy, q piano which plays
itself. then garden seeds, and all sorts
of things which you'd have honed for
in the long ago. The place was like
Il barter store. piled to the beams
with riches wasted on me, who hadn't
"a neighbor left Why, even Iron, who
used to think for no one but himself,
had kitten for me, warm in his peck
et and forgotten until a case of hard
ware squashed out it's best Sunday
scream. Who'd ever think. too, that
$50 small a bundle of fur and claws
should have a purr to fill my whole
bed with joy. Surely, I loved this
world I'd SO nearly quit. when after
supper Iron loosed a gramophone.
The Hudson's Bay man had shown
him a special record from England,
the angel song in Chopin's "Marche
Funebre." We had that first, the very
isong she used to sing in this cabin.
times when l reckoned it a shameful
thing for any man to cry.
1t was Hates voice.
Oh. tell God, mother, that I'm very
grateful. / heard her voice filling
this place which used to be her home
Though my wife and 1 are parted for
ail our years-love finds a way.
week or more had passed, and I'd
my strength again. The river had
frozen so that we could cross to the
hunting grounds beyond, and when we
came back our camp was full of meat.
The truth is scarce. being winnowed
by many preachers, and my grains
when 1 try to eat them, are mostly
lhusks. Iron calls me a coward But
Polly only weighs ninety-eight pounds,
and I two hundred, so that l couldn't
have managed to feel brave fighting
her. Then Iron claims it's not the
little woman / ought to fight, but the
big evil she did in bringing all our
settlers to death or ruin. A woman's
within is light as thistle-down, but this
ties choke the pasture unless you fight
them. and Christ himself fought to
the death against the evils which grew
rank around him. 1 doubt I've been
"a cowardly sort of Christian.
I'd got so far in thinking my morals
fneeueu repairs, Wnen new thing
happened. pointing out the way.
fO'F1ynn rode over burning the trail
from the Hundred. My wife is there
OF1ynn has seen my son, he has
spoken with Father Jared, he has
come with Kate from England. and
me left her nursing at Bolt Taylor's
bedside. She is sending Surly Brown
from Soda Greek with a cable, to build
a new scow. and start the ferry again.
Ransome Pollock's to manage the
Trevor ranch Irons to reopen the
Skyline while she makes his peace
with the -owners-O'Flynn wants to
run the packing She is finding doc
tor to take McGee's practise. fearful
George is to buy an imported stallion
and drift him with a bunch of East
!Oregcn mares to stock my empty
pastures The dead settlement is live
again as though there had been nc
Polly. to rob. ruin. and murder among
our pioneers. And then my wife viii
send young Englishmen to schoo
with me for training.
Stroke by stroke this Mr. O'F1ynI
comes flashing home the news into
my hide. as though were being fog
lged. He says he hated me always
but never despised me before as he
docs now My wife and / should
ichange clothes, only I'd be too useless
flor a woman Iron says the same, ant
i'm a most unchristian way I thrashet
1.-THE pair. knocking their heads togeth