Western Kansas world., 1918-05-30

she had gotten there. Trust him to
know. And 1t made her very tender
toward him that he was so quick to
understand. Most men would have
resented
II want to stack few tons of hay"
he went on, disregarding her exclama-
don- I'll need it in the spring. If not
this winter. Soon as that's done wen
hit the high spots. Wen take three
or four thousand dollars, and while 1t
lasts wen be a couple of-of high
class tramps. Huh7 Does 1T sound
good?"
She nodded vigorously.
"Perk up, then" he wheedled.
'BiIl-boy." she murmured, "you
mustn't take me too seriously"
Il took you for better or for worse"
he answered, with a kiss. 81 don't
want 1t to turn out worse. I want you
to be contented and happy here. where
I've planned to make our home.
know you love me quite lot, little
person. Nature fitted us in a good
many ways to be mates. But you've
gone through a pretty drastic siege of
isolation in this rather grim country,
and / guess 1t doesn't seem such an
alluring place as 1t did at first.
don't want you to nurse that feeling
until 1T becomes chronic. Then we
would be out of tune, and it would be
good-by happiness. But think know
the cure for your malady."
In the morning he began his hay
cutting. About eleven o'clock he threw
down his scythe and stalked to the
house.
'Put on your hat, and let's go inves-
tigate q mystery" said he. 81 heard
a cow bawl in the woods a minute
ago. A regular barnyard below"
"a COW bawling?" she echoed
"Sure? What would cattle be doing
away up here?"
That's what want to known" Bill
laughed. "Fve never seen a COW north
of Fraser-not this side of the Rockies,
anyway"
They saddled their horses. and rode
out in the direction from whence had
| arisen the bovine complaint. The
sound was not repeated, and Hazel
| had begun to chaff Bill about a too
vivid Imagination when within a half
mile Of the clearing he pulled his horse
up short in the middle of a little
meadow.
"Looki !"
The track of a broad-tired wagon
Bill squinted at the trail, then his
| gaze swept the timber beyond.
Somebody has been cutting timber
| over there" he enlightened. Il can
see the fresh ak work. Looks like
they'd been hauling poles. Let's fol-
low this track ways"
The tiny meadow was fringed on
the north by grove Of poplars. Be
yond that lay another clear space of
level land, perhaps forty acres in ex-
tent. They broke through the belt of
poplars-and pulled up again. On one
| side of the meadow stood cabin, the
fresh-peeled log walls glaring yellow
| in the sun, and lifting an earth-covered
| roof to the autumn sky. Bill whistled
softly.
! Along the west side of the meadow
ran a brown streak of sod, and down
one side Of this a man guided the han
dies of a plow drawn by the strangest
yokemates Hazel's eyes had seen for
many a day.
For goodness sake,' she e1
claimed.
That's the true pioneer spirit for
you," Bill spoke absently. HE has
bucked his way into the heart Of q
virgin country, and he's breaking sod
with a mule and COW. That's adap-
tation to environment with a venge-
ance-and grit"
There's {. woman, too, Bill. And
see-she's carrying a baby?" Hazel
pointed excitedly. "Oh, Bill"
The man halted his strangely assort
ed team to watch them come. The
woman stood a step outside the door
a baby in her arms, another toddleI
holding fast to her skirt. A thick
bodied, short, square-shouldered mar
pleasant face
"Hello, neighbor :" Bill greeted.
The plowman lifted his old felt hal
courteously. His face lit up.
"AchI' said he. 'Neighbor. Do
iss q goot word in diss country we're
dere iss no neighbor. But 1 am gla
to meet you. viii you come do del
house und rest v'ile?'
'Surei'' Bill responded. 'tBut were
neighbors. all right Did you notice
cabin about half a mile west OF
here? That's our place-when we'r,
at home"
"So?" The word escaped with thu
peculiar rising infection of the Teu
J ton. 81 half saw dot cabin ven V,
don. Veil, let us to der house go
! Id will rest der mule-und Gretchen
der COW. Hah!"
He rolled q blue eye on his incon
gruouS team, and grinned widely.