Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-02-21

him sign it on property deeds. Nc
Namar explained to Lincoln that he
was of a good but impoverished family
In the east and he had come west to
make his fortune. He had taken the
name Mcneil so that his family
would not know where he was and so
could not write asking him for money
until he made enough to return to
them in triumph
$4,000 in five years in his general
store and in the buying and selling
Of land. Lincoln accepted his explana-
ton. He felt that 1t wasn't important.
The important thing was that Ann
Rutledge was engaged to him and
could be no more than a friend to
Lincoln. She remained warmly that
until the latter part Of 1888 when
McNamar sold out his store and hold
join his family after promising Ann
he would return and marry her.
He had not returned by the begin
ming Of 1885. Only few vague and
unsatisfactory letters had come from
him. And in 1885, Ann wrote him a
letter breaking their engagement and
betrothed herself to Lincoln.
In that year. Lincoln had been
elected for the first time to the Illinois
legislature and had gone to Vandalia,
then the state capital, to take up his
duties. But when the legislature fin
tshed its session, he returned to New
Salem to find that James Rutledge had
lost his tavern and taken his family
to farm on Sand Ridge. So Lincoln
formed the habit of riding out from
New Salem to the farm four and five
nights a week.
The spring Of 1885 was their perfect
year. They spoke of plans for educat-
ing both of them. Ann was to 90 to
the Female Academy at Jacksonville
and he was to get college education
Then they would be married. Ann told
him that spring that their moments
together were golden. She would always
remember them.
That August, she took to her bed
with burning fever. The doctor came
and could not help her. At his sugges-
ton, they sent for Lincoln. He rode
out from New Salem to Sand Ridge
farm his horse at a gallop. They let
him In and went away and he and
Ann were together. He knew that she
hand in his big strong ones and tried
to tell her she would get well. She
smiled at him and sent him away.
Two days later, she was dead.
They buried her in the Concord
burying ground seven miles away and
Lincoln remained at the grave. mute
and dull-eyed. A week later, they
found him wandering in the woods
along the Sangamon river and friends
at New Salem tried to keep him with
them. That fall, he disappeared again
and they found him lying beside the
grave. his arm spread across it. When
they lifted him. he mumbled. The
rain and the storm shan't beat on her
grave" 1t was a month after that he
moved away from New Salem and into !
Vandalia.
The memory Of Ann Rutledge
brought back the old agony and his |
feet went to the floor and he leaned
over and wrung his big hands. Unac-
countably, the word. "1nterlude" came
into his mind and automatically he
remembered the dictionary definition:
An action or event considered as COM
ing between others Of greater length |
or importance" Ann Rutledge and her |
death was the greatest event in his life.
Nothing had happened since to COM
pare with 1t. II it were to be anything |
resembling it in bitterness, he hoped
to God nothing ever would. But he
was now In q position where an inter-
Jude could happen to him . some
thing coming after Ann Rutledge and
before another event Of greater length
or importance.
His eyes were wandering ..hsently
over the public square IS his mind was
occupied with his thoughts. Absently.
be saw two women come out the mont
the square. Ahsently. h watched than