Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-01-24
CHATTER III
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sf&r Fs8stgS@&s
AaSs asf nst u3ers or etse his ea8,
tatfa@tg. gsseralg9s sf4.ns wsssa Mar.
shy uasi@s8 hiaa at tl>igfst, ps,e
s&asasfag Ia Rad Apttf Masshy gave sa.
etiass Ssgas With fasg eltaw and kax sfjii,
tsalIttfsta9 tY . sS3ess1aa dfessd she nsoyesf
Z eaattpassaf 0sgE saf she besl and hast
aeffsaa the efaassssa rssosa bsgefs sue
lnfag7a aeg aead t1HgaFa hitn. TissT ghs.
aSt@st htfH agsa isaskest aiei locked, her
hsFsl faen growing safh saoaens more
pi3Aehssl and stony aud gray
! Iase slaa dfest while tf# z1yottsl wnrc
9ags1iHs ttswaF Gsan ssHag M on the RIA
of tfae gore In lay rigid under the
esaafae. Ef8g bssaSeb. tha ns.sn af his
/ faea dsawa ejt@e 20 ths ftailes. his
sAil&tg, gray taeFst tilted upward.
Mafshy's jaw SET tiaso a harsfser oss.
Fstts tasa1l eret slss dressed With sioeg,
lseass movements alssi wsnt cat and gesi
Tie stock. la stoili calm she slgd the
/ milking anI turned out Tie cows into
tfs pasture, She gathered an apron
! full OF ehigs aasi started Gre. Just "a
sfse aaa aatsa every morning for twetity~
Rise ygaFss gnd she put the cpgTeepot
Oh the gFeaHy stoye and boiled the hrow
~ yesterday, whici was also her habit.
Sh@ sat for aslne time wisi ber head
leaiaing upon her griny hand aud stared
nFsSestneiy osit upon peach tree In
ftiil hisstfii and at q pair OF busy realns
sshs, had chosen a convenient crotch Ter
their gacst. Finally she rose stiisty, as
II slits had grown elder within the last
Fegf. aKsd went ontsskis to the place
wEsrs she bad baen niending the irri-
eating dlseh the day before She knock.
esi tils wet saud off she shovel she had
left sticking Ia the soft hank ARA went
ossf ns the yard aud ap sie alope toward
thn rock wasi.
oa ttny, level piaee above the mgia
fsitch and just ,anaer tie wall Marthy
began 90 dix, setting her broad. fiat foot
silsaosnpr rosnialngiy upon the shoulder of
thss shovel and sending it deep into the
yellow Htii. She worked slowly and
nasssiodieaay aad steadily, tnst as she
did everything else. When she had dug
siessn as deep as she could and stin
~ image to ciimb out and had the hole
vide enough and long enough. she got
awkwasdlg to the grassy surface and
sas FOR long while upon rock, star.
Ing du1nhiy nc the gasrns, browa iills
across the river.
Sha returned 90 the cabin at lass, and.
with the manner OF osae who breads do
Ing what must be done. she went In
where Iass lay atia and cold under ths
blankets.
@ Esrly that afternoon Marthy went
staggering up the slope, wheeling Jass's
body before her en- THE ereaky, home
made wheelharrow. In the same harsh,
primitive manner La which they both
had lived Marthy buried her dead Ard
though tn life she had given him few
words save In command or npbraiding,
with never a hint Of lore 10 swecfen the
daya Tor either. vet she went whimper-
ing array krnni that grave. she broke
sof three branches OF precious peach
hlusscrns and carried them gp the slope.
She stuck then, upright in the ianpy
soil ossr Jase's head and stood there
d long while with tear streaked face.
staring down at the grave and Mt the
notiiing plEtk blossoms.
Billy Louise rode singing Down the
rocky trail through The deep, narrow
gorge TO where the hawthorn and choke
cherries bid the opening 10 the cove.
Erom there to the pink drift of peach
hlooua against the dull brown of the
blur Blue gaIloped angrily, leaving
deep, black prints In the soft green OK
the meadow. So they came headlong
,lrnn Marthy, Just as she was knocking
the yellow clay of the grara from her
irrsgatIng shovel against the pole fence
III her pigpen.
'twhy, Marthy r. Once before In her
life Billy Louise had seen Marthy' chin
qulysssng like that and big. slow tears
sliding down the network Of lines on
AIarthy's leathery cheeks With Q
painful slusnp her spiries went heavy
with her sympathy. aMarshy ="
She knew without word OF erpla-
ns.sess Just what had happened. From
Marthy,s bent shoulders she knew and
from her tesf AtAiped faee and from
the yellow soil cafnging stili to the.
shovel Ia her hand. The wide eyes of
Hilly Louise sent seeking gianccs m
the slope where the soil WIS yellow;
went 70 the long. raw ridge under the
wall. with the peach blossoms Standing
! pttifully awry upon the western end.