Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-04-29
CHAPTER ".

In II. spell Of The MIRAGE.

In the Spell Of the Mirage.
A quarter Of century IL q short
time as world history goes, but 1t is a
considerable era in the life Of the
Canadian west. More things-momen
tous things-than can be limited at in
this narrative occurred in the Is years
following the great thrush Of 1882. The
boundless prairie reaches Of Manitoba
were now comparatively well settled.
and the tide Of immigration, which,
after . dozen years stagnation. had
act in again In greater flood than ever,
was now sweeping over the newer
lands still farther west. The vast
sweep Of the horizon. once undeflled
by any work Of man, was pierced and
broken with elevators. villages, and
farm buildings, and the whiff Of coal
smoke was blown down the air which
mad 20 lately known only the breath
of the prairies.
Mary Harris hurried about her ca
pacious kitchen, deep In preparation
Of the evening meal. The years had
taken toll Of the freshness Of her
young beauty; the shoulders, In mute
Testimony to much hard labor Of the
hand. had dropped forward over the
deepening chest; the hair was thin
lner. and farther back above the fore
(head. and streaked with gray at the
temples; the mouth lacked the rosy
'sensuousness Of youth. and sat now
IN q mold. half Of resolution, half sub
mission. Yet her foot had lost little
,of it, sprishtlinsss, and the sympathy
In her hne eyes seemed to have deep
ened with the years.
A moist but appetixing steam rose
sfrom the vegetable pots on the range.
land when she threw back the iron
ido0r to feed more coal the hot glow
lfrom within danced In reflection along
1.-THE bright row Of utensils hanging
krom the wall. and even sought out
1.-THE brass plate on the cream separa-
jtor at the. far end Of the big room.
Through the screen door came the mo-
lnotonously redundant clio a
- - clank Of the windmill. and a
keen ear might have caught the light
splash Of water a. It fell In the wood
len horse troughs from the iron nozzle
of the pump.
Mary stuck fork In q potato to as
certain II the bone" was all gone,
meanwhile shielding her face from the
steam with the pot lid, held aloft in
an aproned hand. Having satisfied
herself that the meal was making sat
isfactory progress, she stepped to the
door and sent a quick look across the
helds. to where streak Of black
smoke was scrawled along the sky.
'Beulah" she called, turning to-
ward the interior part of the house.
Come, Beulah, set the table. They're
coming from the field"
In moment q girl Of twenty. plain
Ily attired In q neat calico dress, en-
tered the kitchen. She was fresh and
beautiful as her mother had been that
first summer In the sod house on the
bench. and something In her appear
ance suggested that with her mothers
beauty and fine sensibility she had in
lherited the indomitable spirit which
had made John Harris one Of the most
prosperous farmers In the district. She
moved in An easy. unconscious grace
Iof self-reliance-a reliance that must
be Just q little Irritating to men Of
! old-fashioned notions concerning wom-
ans dependence on the Steiner sex
drew the long wooden table. with its
covering Of white oil cloth, into the
center Of the kitchen, and began plac-
ling the dishes in position.
The scraping Of heavy boots on the
pillow share nailed to the block at the
door, and John Harris, followed by
Allan and the hired man, Jim. walked
into the kitchen. The farmers frame
was heavier than in his younger days,
and his hair, too, was streaked with
gray, but every muscle Ia his great
body seemed to bulge with strength.
His face was brown with the prairie
sun and wind of Is summers, and
lines Of worry and care had cut their
tracings about the mouth and eyes.
Beside him stood Allan, his only son,
straighter and lither of figure. but al
most equally powerful. The younger
man was. indeed, n replica of the old
er, and although they had their dis
agreements. constant association had
developed a fine comradeship. and, on