The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-09-02

| ndu nOte0 IN MS moments or aDStrat
ton, deepened and often covered hi
face with its veil. That is anothe
way that Nature has Of preparing tn
young. For these the roses have falle
and only the thorns remain. The
are not lured; they seem to be driver
to their tasks, but for ali. soon o
late, her method changes.
On a beautiful morning of June
1894, John Mcneil left the village
Abe Lincoln and Harry and Samson
and Sarah and Jack Kelso and hi
wife stood with the Rutledges In tn,
dooryard of the tavern when he rod,
away. He was going back to hi,
home in the East to return In the au
tumn and make Ann his BRIDE The
girl wept as If her heart would break
when he turned far down the road
and waved his hand to her.
"Oh, my pretty lass Do you not
hear the birds singing in the mead.
ows?" said Jack Kelso. Think OF
the happiness all around you and of
the greater happiness that is coming
when he returns. Shame on you'll"
I'm afraid he'll never come back"
Ann sobbed.
Nonsense Don't get a maggot in
your brain and let the crows go walk
ing over your face. Come, wen take
a ride in the meadows and If / don't
bring you back laughing you may call
me no prophet"
SO the event passed.
Harry travelled about with Abe a
good deal that summer, "electioneer-
ing" as they called 1t, from farm to
farm. Abe used to go into the fields,
with the men whose favor he sought,
and bend his long back over scythe
or cradle and race them playfuIly
across the field of grain cutting a
wider swath than any other and al
ways holding the lead. Every man
was out of breath at the end of his
swath and needed a few minutes for
recuperation. That gave Abe chance
for his statement of the county's needs
and his plan of satisfying them. He
had met and talked with a majority
of the voters before the campaign
ended In his election In August.
At odd times that summer he had
been surveying a new road with Har-
ny Needles for his helper. In Sep
TENDER they resumed their work upon
IL in the vicinity of New Salem and
Abe began to carry the letters in his
hat again. Every day Ann was look
ing for him as he came by In the dim
light of the early morning on his way
to work
Anything for me?p she would ask.
mo mail in since | saw you, Ann"
was the usual answer.
Often he would say: I'm afraid
not, but here-you take these letters
and look through 'em and make sure"
Ann would take them In her hands,
trembling with eagerness, and run in
ioors to the candlelight, and look them
,ver Always she came back with the
little bundle of letters very slowly |
rs if her disappointment were a heavy
burden.
"There'll be one next mail II have |
TO write ii myself" Abe said one |
morning in October as he went on.
To Harry Needles, who was with
lin that morning. he said:
81 wonder why that fellow don't
write to Ann. / couldn't believe that
lie has been fooling her, but now
lon't know what TO think of him. /
wonder what has happened to the
elbow"
The mail stage was late that eve
ing AS 1t had not come at nine Mr..
I'LL went home and left Abe in the
tore TO wait for his mail The stage
rived a few minutes later. Abe ex-
mined the little bundle of letters and
ewspapers which the driver had left
18th him. Then he took a paper and
AT down TO read in the freight
While he was thus engaged the door
pened softly and Ann Rutledge en-
red. The postmaster was not aware
her presence until she touched his
rm.
"Please give me a letter." she said.
'Sit down. Ann" said he, very gent
. as he placed chair in the fire.
ow.
She took it, turning toward him I
it'll look of fear and hope. Then
. added:
I'm sorry, but the truth is IL didn't {
me. II is terrible. Ann. that have /
help IN this breaking Of your heart '
at is going on. | seem TO be the {
'ad Of the hammer that hits you so {
Ird. but the handle is In other hands. J.
onestly. Ann. ] wish could do the
ffering for you-every bit Of it-and d
We your poor heart a rest Hasn't :
written you this SUMNER d
Not since July TENTH she an l
erred. Then she confded to Abe II
n her lover told her before he went S
-ay that his name was not Mcneil Il
I McNamar; that he had changed |
name TO keep clear Of his family e
til he had made a success; that L
had gone East to get his father W
i mother and bring them back with
n: lastly she came 10 the thing in
L worried her most-the suspicion Sc