第3章

Thesuncameupinthatblueskylikeacurse，andhungtheretillnightcametocomforttheblisteringearth。Andonemorningaterriblethinghappened。Anniewasstandingoutofdoorsintheshadeofthosemiserablelittleoaks，ironing，whensuddenlyablastofairstruckherintheface，whichmadeherlookupstartled。Foramomentshethought，perhaps，therewasafirenearinthegrass。Buttherewasnone。

Anotherblastcame，hotterthistime，andfifteenminuteslaterthatwindwassweep-

ingstraightacrosstheplain，burningandblasting。Anniewentinthehousetofinishherironing，andwasworkingthere，whensheheardJim\'sfootsteponthedoor-sill。

Hecouldnotpalebecauseofthetan，buttherewasalookofagonyandofanger——

almostbrutishanger——inhiseyes。Thenhelooked，foramoment，atAnniestandingthereworkingpatiently，androckingthelittlecribwithonefoot，andhesatdownonthedoor-stepandburiedhisfaceinhisbrownarms。

Thewindblewforthreedays。Attheendofthattimeeveryearwaswitheredinthestalk。Thecorncropwasruined。

Butthereweretheothercropswhichmustbeattendedto，andJimwatchedthosewiththealertnessofadespairingman；andsoharvestcameagain，andagainthehousewasfilledwithmenwhotalkedtheircarelesstalk，andwhowerenotashamedtogorgewhilethisonewomancookedforthem。

Thebabylayonaquiltonthefloorinthecoolestpartofthekitchen。Anniefeditirregularly。Sometimesshealmostforgotit。Asforitswailing，shehadgrownsousedtoitthatshehardlyheardit，anymorethanshedidthetickingoftheclock。

Andyet，tighterthananythingelseinlife，wastheholdthatlittlethinghadonherheart-strings。Atnight，aftertheintermin-

ableworkhadbeenfinished——thoughinslovenlyfashion——shewouldtakeitupandcaressitwithfierceness，andwornasshewas，wouldbatheitandsootheit，andgiveitwarmmilkfromthebigtinpail。

"Laythechilddown，"Jimwouldsayimpatiently，whilethemenwouldtellhowtheirwivesalwaysputthebabiesonthebedandletthemcryiftheywantedto。

Anniesaidnothing，butshehushedthelittleonewithtendersongs。

Oneday，asusual，itlayonitsquiltwhileAnnieworked。Itwasaterriblybusymorning。Shehadrisenatfourtogetthewashingoutofthewaybeforethemengotonhand，andtherewereadozenloavesofbreadtobake，andthemealstoget，andthemilktoattendto，andthechickensandpigstofeed。Sooccupiedwasshethatsheneverwasabletotellhowlongshewasgonefromthebaby。Sheonlyknewthattheheatofherownbodywassogreatthatthebloodseemedtobepoundingatherears，andshestaggeredasshecrossedtheyard。Butwhenshewentatlastwithacupofmilktofeedthelittleone，itlaywithclenchedfistsandfixedeyes，andassheliftedit，alastconvulsionlaiditbackbreath-

less，anditshearthadceasedtobeat。

Annieranwithittoherroom，andtriedsuchremediesasshehad。Butnothingcouldkeepthechillfromcreepingoverthewastedlittleform，——noteventheheatoftheday，noteventhemother\'sagonizedembrace。Then，suddenly，Annielookedattheclock。Itwastimetogetthedinner。

Shelaidthepiteoustinyshapestraightonthebed，threwasheetoverit，andwentbacktothewelteringkitchentocookforthosemen，whocameatnoonandwhomustbefed——whomustbefed。

Whentheywereallseatedatthetable，Jimamongthem，andshehadservedthem，shesaid，standingattheheadofthetable，withherhandsonherhips:——

"Idon\'tsupposeanyofyouhavetimetodoanythingaboutit；butIthoughtyoumightliketoknowthatthebabyisdead。

Iwouldn\'tthinkofaskingyoutosparethehorses，forIknowtheyhavetorest。ButIthought，ifyoucouldmakeoutonacoldsupper，thatIwouldgotothetownforacoffin。”

Therewassatireinthevoicethatstungeventhroughthedullperceptionsofthesemen，andJimarosewithacryandwenttotheroomwherehisdeadbabylay。

AbouttwomonthsafterthisAnniein-

sistedthatshemustgohometoIllinois。

Jimprotestedinaway。

"Youknow，I\'dliketosendyou，"hesaid；"butIdon\'tseewherethemoneyistocomefrom。AndsinceI\'vegotthisnomination，IwanttorunaswellasIcan。

Myfriendsexpectmetodomybestforthem。It\'saduty，youknow，andnothingless，forafewmen，likeme，togetinthelegislature。We\'regoingtogetarailroadbillthroughthissessionthatwillstraightenoutagoodmanythings。Bepatientalittlelonger，Annie。”

"Iwanttogohome，"wastheonlyreplyhegot。"Youmustgetthemoney，someway，formetogohomewith。”

"Ihaven\'tpaidacentofinterestyet，"

hecriedangrily。"Idon\'tseewhatyoumeanbybeingsounreasonable!"

"Youmustgetthemoney，someway，"

shereiterated。

Hedidnotspeaktoherforaweek，ex-

ceptwhenhewasobligedto。Butshedidnotseemtomind；andhegaveherthemoney。Hetookhertothetraininthelittlewagonthathadmetherwhenshefirstcame。Atthestation，somewomenweregossipingexcitedly，andAnnieaskedwhattheyweresaying。

"It\'sMis\'Dundy，"theysaid。"She\'sbeensenttoth\'insaneasylumatLincoln。

She\'sgonestarkmad。Allshesaidonthewayoutwas，\'Th\'butterwon\'tcome!Th\'

butterwon\'tcome!\'"Thentheylaughedalittle——astrangelaugh；andAnniethoughtofadrinking-songshehadonceheard，"Here\'stothenextwhodies。”

TendaysafterthisJimgotaletterfromher。"Iamnevercomingback，Jim，"itsaid。"Itishopeless。Idon\'tthinkI

wouldmindstandingstilltobeshotdowniftherewasanygoodinit。ButI\'mnotgoingbacktheretoworkharderthananyslaveforthosemoney-loanersandtherail-

roads。Iguesstheycanallgetalongwith-

outme。AndIamsureIcangetalongwithoutthem。Idonotthinkthiswillmakeyoufeelverybad。Youhaven\'tseemedtonoticemeverymuchlatelywhenI\'vebeenaround，andIdonotthinkyouwillnoticeverymuchwhenIamgone。Iknowwhatthismeans。IknowIambreakingmywordwhenIleaveyou。Butremember，itisnotyouIleave，butthesoil，Jim!I

willnotbeitsslaveanylonger。Ifyoucaretocomeformehere，andliveanotherlife——butno，therewouldbenouse。Ourlove，likeourtoil，hasbeeneatenupbythoserapaciousacres。Letussaygood-

by。”

Jimsatallnightwiththisletterinhishand。Sometimeshedozedheavilyinhischair。Buthedidnotgotobed；andthenextmorninghehitcheduphishorsesandrodetotown。Hewenttothebankwhichheldhisnotes。

"I\'llconfessjudgmentassoonasyoulike，"hesaid。"It\'sallupwithme。”

Itwasdoneasquicklyasthelawwouldallow。Andthethingsinthehouseweresoldbyauction。Allthefarmersweretherewiththeirwives。Itmadequiteanoutingforthem。Jimmovedaroundimpassively，andchatted，nowandthen，withsomeofthemenaboutwhatthehorsesoughttobring。

Theauctioneerwasacleverfellow。Be-

tweentheputtingupofthearticles，hesangcomicsongs，andthefunnierthesong，thelivelierthebiddingthatfollowed。Thehorsesbroughtadecentprice，andthema-

chineryadisappointingone；andthen，afteradelicioussnatchaboutNellwhorodethesway-backedmareatthecountyfair，hegotdowntothefurniture，——thefurniturewhichJimhadboughtwhenhewasexpect-

ingAnnie。

Jimwaswalkingaroundwithhishandsinhispockets，lookingunconcerned，and，asthefurniturebegantogooff，hecameandsatdowninthemidstofit。Everyonenoticedhisindifference。Someofthemsaidthatafterallhecouldn\'thavebeenveryambitious。Hedidn\'tseemtotakehisfailuremuchtoheart。Everyonewasconcentratingattentiononthecooking-

stove，whenJimleanedforward，quickly，overalittlewickerwork-stand。

Therewasabitofunfinishedsewingthere，anditfelloutasheliftedthecover。Itwasababy\'slinenshirt。Jimletitlie，andthenliftedfromitsreceptacleasilverthimble。

Heputitinhisvest-pocket。

Thecampaigncameonshortlyafterthis，andJimLancywasdefeated。"I\'mgoingtoOmaha，"saidhetothestation-master，"andI\'vegotjustenoughtobuyaticketwith。There\'sakindofsatisfactioningiv-

ingthelastcentIhavetotherailroads。”

Twomonthslater，a"plaindrunk"wasregisteredatthestationinNebraska\'sme-

tropolis。Whentheysearchedhimtheyfoundnothinginhispocketsbutasilverthimble，andJoeBenson，thepolicemanwhohadbroughtinthe"drunk，"gaveittothematron，withhiscompliments。Butshe，whennoonenoticed，wentsoftlytowherethemanwassleeping，andslippeditbackintohispocket，withasigh。Forsheknewsomehow——aswomendoknowthings——thathehadnotstolenthatthimble。

THEequinoctiallineitselfisnotmoreimaginarythanthelinewhichdividedtheestatesofthethreeJohns。TheherdsofthethreeJohnsroamedatwill，andnibbledtheshortgrassfarandnearwithoutletorhindrance；andthethreeJohnsthem-

selveswereutterlyindifferentastoboun-

darylines。Eachofthemhadfiledhisapplicationattheofficeofthegovernmentland-agent；eachwasengagedinthetedioustaskof"provingup；"andeachownedone-thirdoftheL-shapedcabinwhichstoodatthepointwherethethreeranchestouched。

Thehundredandsixtyacreswhichwouldhavecompletedthisquadranglehadnotyetbeen"takenup。”

ThethreeJohnswerenotanxioustohaveaneighbor。Indeed，theyhadmadeuptheirmindsthatifoneappearedonthatadjoining"hun\'erdan\'sixty，"itwouldgohardwithhim。Fortheydidnotdealinjusticeverymuch——thethreeJohns。Theyconsiderediteffete。ItbelongedintheEastalongwithotheroutgrownsupersti-

tions。Andtheyhadgivenitoutwidelythatitwouldbehealthierforlandapplicantstogivethemelbow-room。Ittookagoodmanymilesofsunburntprairietoaffordelbow-roomforthethreeJohns。

TheymetbyaccidentinHamiltonattheland-office。JohnHenderson，freshfromCincinnati，manifestlyunusedtothewaysofthecountry，lookedatJohnGillispiewithalurkingsmile。Gillispieworeasombrero，fresh，white，andexpansive。Hisbootshadhighheels，andwereofelegantleatherandfinelyarchedattheinstep。Hiscorduroysdisappearedinthemhalf-wayupthethigh。

Abouthiswaistasashofblueheldalacedshirtofthesamecolorinplace。Hender-

sonpuffedathiscigarette，andcontinuedtolookatriflequizzical。

SuddenlyGillispiewalkeduptohimandsaid，inavoiceofcompletesuavity，"Damnyeh，smokeapipe!"

"Eh？"saidHenderson，stupidly。

"Smokeapipe，"saidtheother。"Thatthingyouhaveisbadforyourcomplexion。”

"Icantakecareofmycomplexion，"saidHenderson，firmly。

Thetwolookedeachotherstraightintheeye。

"Youdon\'tgoonsmokingthatthingtillyouhaveapologizedforthatgrinyouhadonyourphizamomentago。”

"IlaughwhenIplease，andIsmokewhatIplease，"saidHenderson，hotly，hisfaceflamingasherealizedthathewasinforhisfirst"row。”

Thatwashowitbegan。Howitwouldhaveendedisnotknown——probablytherewouldhavebeenonlyoneJohn——ifithadnotbeenforthealmostmiraculousappear-

anceatthismomentofthethirdJohn。Forjustthenthetwobelligerentsfoundthem-

selvesprostrate，theirpistolsonlyhalf-cocked，andbetweenthemstoodamanallgnarledandsquat，likeoneofthosewind-tornoakswhichgrowonthearidheights。Hewasnoolderthantheothers，butthelinesinhisfaceweredeep，andhislargemouthtwitchedashesaid:——

"Holdonhere，yehfools!There\'stoomuchbloodinyoutospill。You\'llspileth\'floor，andwastegoodstuff。Weneedbloodouthere!"

Gillispiebouncedtohisfeet。Hendersonarosesuspiciously，keepinghiseyesonhisassailants。

"Oh，getup!"criedtheintercessor。

"Wedon\'tshootmenhereaboutstilltheygitontheirfeetinfightin\'trim。”

"Whatdoyouknowaboutwhatwedohere？"interruptedGillispie。"ThisisthefirsttimeIeversawyouaround。”

"That\'sso，"theotheradmitted。"I\'mjustdownfromMontana。Cametotakeupaquartersection。WhereIcomefromwegivemenashow，an\'Ithoughtperhapsyehdidth\'samehere。”

"Why，yes，"admittedGillispie，"wedo。

ButIdon\'twantfolkstolaughtoomuch——notwhenI\'maround——unlesstheytellmewhatthejokeis。Iwasjustmentioningittothegentleman，"headded，dryly。

"SoIsaw，"saidtheother；"you\'rekindaemphaticinyerremarks。Yehoughttogivethegentlemanachancetogitusedtothewaysofth\'country。He\'llbeastoughasth\'restofusifyou\'llgivehimachance。

Ikinseeitinhim。”

"Thankyou，"saidHenderson。"I\'mgladyoudomejustice。Iwishyouwouldn\'tletdaylightthroughmetillI\'vehadachancetogetmyquartersection。I\'mgoingtobeoneofyou，eitherasalivemanoracorpse。ButIpreferahundredandsixtyacresoflandtosixfeetofit。”

"There，now!"triumphantlycriedthesquatman。"Didn\'tItellyeh？Givehimashow!\'Tain\'tnofaultofhisthathe\'satenderfoot。He\'llgetoverthat。”

Gillispieshookhandswithfirstoneandthentheotherofthemen。"It\'sasquaredealfromthison，"hesaid。"Comeandhaveadrink。”

That\'showtheymet——JohnHenderson，JohnGillispie，andJohnWaite。Andaweeklatertheywereputtingupashantytogetherforcommonuse，whichoverlappedeachoftheirreservations，andsatisfiedthelawwithitssociablesubterfuge。

Thelifewasn\'tbad，Hendersondecided；

andheadoptedallthewaysofthecountryinanastonishinglyshortspaceoftime。

Therewasafreedomaboutitallwhichwascertainlycomplete。Thethreealternatedinthenightwatch。Onceaweekoneofthemwenttotownforprovisions。Theywerenotgoodatthemakingofbread，sotheycontentedthemselveswithhotcakes。

Thentherewassaltporkforastaple，andprunes。Theysleptinstraw-linedbunks，withwarmblanketsforacovering。Theymadeapointofbringingreading-matterbackfromtowneveryweek，andtherewerealwayscardstofallbackon，andWaitesangsongsforthemwithnaturaldramatictalent。

Nevertheless，inspiteoftheircontent-

ment，noneofthemwassorrywhentheopportunityofferedforgoingtotown。

Therewasalwaysabitofstirringgossiptobepickedup，andnowandthentherewasa"show"atthe"opera-house，"inwhich，itisalmostunnecessarytosay，nooperahadeverbeensung。Thentherewasthehotel，atwhichonenotonlygotgoodfare，butachatwiththethreedaughtersofJimO\'Neal，theproprietor——girlswiththeacci-

dentoftwoIrishparents，whowere，not-

withstanding，astypicallyAmericanastheywellcouldbe。Ahalf-hour\'stalkwiththesecheerfulyoungwomenwasallthemoretobedesiredforthereasonthatwithinridingdistanceofthethreeJohns\'ranchtherewereonlytwootherwomen。OnewasMinervaFitch，whohadgoneoutfromMichiganaccompaniedbyanoil-stoveandaknowl-

edgeoftheEnglishgrammar，withtheintentionofteachingschool，butwhohadbeenunabletocarrythesegoodintentionsintoexecutionforthereasonthattherewerenochildrentoteach，——atleast，nonebutBow-leggedJoe。Hewasasadlittlefellow，wholookedlikeaprairie-dog，andwhohadverymuchthesamesortofanoutlookonlife。

TheotherwomanwasthebriskandefficientwifeofMr。BillDeems，of"Missourah。”

Mr。Deemshadneverinhislifedoneany-

thing，notevensomuchasbringinabasketofbuffalochipstosupplythescantyfire。

Thatistosay，hehaddonenothingstrictlyutilitarian。Yethefilledhisplace。Hewasthemostaccomplishedstory-tellerinthewholevalley，andthisaccomplishmentofhiswasheldinashighesteemastheimprovisa-

tionsofaWelshminstrelwereamonghisreverencingpeople。Hiswifealonedepre-

catedhisskill，andinterruptedhisspiritednarrativeswithsarcasticallusionsconcerningtheemptycupboard，andthe"stateofherback，"towhich，assheconfidedtoanywhowouldlisten，"therewasnotaragfittowear。”

Thesetwoladieshadnot，asmaybesurmised，anyparticularattractionforJohnHenderson。Truthtotell，HendersonhadnotcomeWestwiththeintentionoflik-

ingwomen，butratherwithadetermina-

tiontoseeandthinkaslittleofthemaspossible。Yeteventhemostconfirmedmisogynistmustadmitthatitisagoodthingtoseeawomannowandthen，andforthisreasonHendersonfounditamusingtoconversewiththeamiableMissesO\'Neal。

Attwenty-fiveonecannotbeunyieldinginone\'savoidanceofthesex。

Henderson，withhisponyatafinelope，wasonhiswaytotownoneday，inthatcomfortableframeofmindadducedbyanabsenceofanyideaswhatever，whenhesuddenlybecameconsciousofashiverthatseemedtorunfromhislegstothepony，andbackagain。Theanimalgaveastartledleap，andliftedhisears。Therewasastir-

ringinthecoarsegrasses；thesky，whichamomentbeforehadbeenlikesapphire，dulledwithanindescribablegrayness。

Thencamealittlesingingafaroff，asiffromadistantconvocationofcicadæ；，andbeforeHendersoncouldguesswhatitmeant，acloudofdustwasuponhim，blindingandbewildering，prickingwithsharpparticlesateyesandnostrils。Theponywasanuglyfellow，andwhenHendersonfelthimputhisforefeettogether，heknewwhatthatmeant，andbracedhimselfforthestruggle。Butitwasuseless；hehadnotyetacquiredtheknackofstayingonthebackofabuckingbronco，andthenextmomenthewasontheground，andaroundhimwhirledthatsaffronchaosofdust。Thetemperatureloweredeverymoment。Hendersonin-

stinctivelyfeltthatthiswasbutthebegin-

ningofthestorm。Hepickedhimselfupwithoutuselessregretsforhispony，andmadehiswayon。

Thesaffronhueturnedtoblackness，andthenoutofthemurkshotalivinggreenballoffire，andploughedintotheearth。

Thensheetsofwater，thatseemedtocomesimultaneouslyfromearthandsky，swepttheprairie，andinthemidstofitstruggledHenderson，weakasalittlechild，halfbereftofsensebythestrangenumbnessofheadanddullnessofeye。Anotherofthosegreenballsfellandburst，asitactuallyappearedtohim，beforehishorrifiedeyes，andthebellowandblareoftheexplosionmadehimcryoutinamadnessoffrightandphysicalpain。Intheilluminationhehadseenacabinonlyafewfeetinfrontofhim，andtowardithemadefrantically，withanani-

mal\'sinstinctivedesireforshelter。

Thedoordidnotyieldatoncetohispressure，andinthepanicofhisfearhethrewhisweightagainstit。Therewasacryfromwithin，afall，andHendersonflunghimselfinthecabinandclosedthedoor。

Intheduskofthestormhesawawomanhalfprostrate。Itwasshewhomhehadpushedfromthedoor。Hecaughtthehookinitsstaple，andturnedtoraiseher。Shewasnottremblingasmuchashe，but，likehimself，shewasdizzywiththeshockofthelightning。InthemidstofalltheclamorHendersonheardashrillcrying，andlookingtowardthesideoftheroom，hedimlyperceivedthreetinyformscrouchedinoneofthebunks。Thewomantookthesmallestofthechildreninherarms，andkissedandsoothedit；andHenderson，afterhehadthrownablanketatthebottomofthedoortokeepoutthedriftingrain，satwithhisbacktoit，bracingitagainstthewind，lestthefrailstapleshouldgiveway。

Hemanagedsomewaytoreachoutandlayholdoftheotherlittleones，andgottheminhisarms，——aboy，sotinyheseemedhardlyhuman，andagirlsomewhatsturdier。

Theycuddledinhisarms，andclutchedhisclotheswiththeirfranticlittlehands，andthethreesatsowhiletheearthandtheheavensseemedtobemeetinginangrycombat。

Andbackandforth，backandforth，inthedimnessswayedthebodyofthewoman，hushingherbabe。

Almostassuddenlyasthedarknesshadfallen，itlifted。Thelightningceasedtothreaten，andalmostfrolicked，——littleway-

wardflashesofwhiteandyellowdancinginmid-air。Thewindwailedlessfrequently，likeachildwhosobsinitssleep。AndatlastHendersoncouldmakehisvoiceheard。

"Isthereanythingtobuildafirewith？"

heshouted。"Thechildrenareshiver-

ingso。”

Thewomanpointedtoabasketofbuffalochipsinthecorner，andhewrappedhislittlecompanionsupinablanketwhilehemadeafireinthecooking-stove。Thebabywassleepingbythistime，andthewomanbegantidyingthecabin，andwhenthefirewasburningbrightly，sheputsomecoffeeon。

"IwishIhadsomeclothestoofferyou，"

shesaid，whenthewindhadsubsidedsuffi-

cientlytomaketalkingpossible。"I\'mafraidyou\'llhavetoletthemgetdryonyou。”

"Oh，that\'sofnoconsequenceatall!

We\'reluckytogetoffwithourlives。I

neversawanythingsoterrible。Fancy!

halfanhouragoitwassummer；nowitiswinter!"

"Itseemsrathersuddenwhenyou\'renotusedtoit，"thewomanadmitted。"I\'velivedintheWestsixyearsnow；youcan\'tfrightenmeanymore。Weneverdieoutherebeforeourtimecomes。”

"YouseemtoknowthatIhaven\'tbeenherelong，"saidHenderson，withsomechagrin。

"Yes，"admittedthewoman；"youhavetheear-marksofamanfromtheEast。”

Shewasatallwoman，withlargeblueeyes，andaremarkablequantityofyellowhairbraidedontopofherhead。Hergownwasofcalico，ofsuchapatternasawidowmightwear。

"Ihaven\'tbeenoutoftownaweekyet，"

shesaid。"We\'renothalfsettled。Nothavinganyonetohelpmakesitharder；

andthebabyisratherfretful。”

"Butyou\'renotalonewithalltheselittlecodgers？"criedHenderson，indismay。

Thewomanturnedtowardhimwithasortofdefiance。"Yes，Iam，"shesaid；"andI\'masstrongasahorse，andImeantogetthroughallright。Herewerethethreechildreninmyarms，youmaysay，andnowaytogetinacent。Iwasn\'tgoingtostanditjusttopleaseotherfolk。Isaid，letthemtalkiftheywantto，butI\'mgoingtoholddownaclaim，andbeaccumulatingsomethingwhilethechildrenaregettingupabit。Oh，I\'mnotafraid!"

Inspiteofthisboldassertionofbravery，therewasasortofbreakinhervoice。Shewasputtingdishesonthetableasshetalked，andturnedsomehamintheskillet，andgotthechildrenupbeforethefire，anddroppedsomeeggsinwater，——allwitharapiditythatbewilderedHenderson。

"Howlonghaveyoubeenalone？"heasked，softly。

"Threemonthsbeforebabywasborn，andhe\'sfivemonthsoldnow。I——I——youthinkIcangetonhere，don\'tyou？Therewasnothingelsetodo。”

Shewasfoldinganotherblanketoverthesleepingbabynow，andtheactionbroughttoherguesttherecollectionofathousandtendermomentsofhisdimlyrememberedyouth。

"You\'llgetonifwehaveanythingtodowithit，"hecried，suppressinganoathwithdifficulty，justfrompureemotion。

AndhetoldheraboutthethreeJohns\'

ranch，andfounditwasonlythreemilesdistant，andthatbothwereonthesameroad；onlyhercabin，havingbeenputupduringthepastweek，hadofcoursebeenunknowntohim。Soitendedinasortofcompactthattheyweretohelpeachotherinsuchwaysastheycould。Meanwhilethefiregotgenial，andthecoffeefilledthecabinwithitscomfortablescent，andallofthematetogetherquitemerrily，Hendersoncut-

tingupthehamfortheyoungsters；andhetoldhowhechancedtocomeout；andsheentertainedhimwithstoriesofwhatshethoughtatfirstwhenshewasbroughtabridetoHamilton，theadjacentvillage，andconvulsedhimwithstoriesofthepeople，whomshesawwithhumorouseyes。

Hendersonmarvelledhowshecouldinthosefewminuteshaverescuedthecabinfromthedesolationinwhichthestormhadplungedit。Outofthewindowhecouldseethestrickengrassesdrippingcoldmoist-

ure，andtheskystillangrilyplungingfor-

wardlikeadisturbedsea。Notatreeorahousebroketheview。Thedesolationofitsweptoverhimasitneverhadbefore。Butwithinthelittleoneswerechatteringtothemselvesinoddbabydialect，andthemotherwaslaughingwiththem。

"Womenaren\'talwaysuseless，"shesaid，atparting；"andyoutellyourchumsthatwhentheygethungryforasliceofhome-

madebreadtheycangetithere。Andthenexttimetheygoby，Iwantthemtostopinandlookatthechildren。It\'lldothemgood。Theymaythinktheywon\'tenjoythemselves，buttheywill。”

"Oh，I\'llanswerforthat!"criedhe，shakinghandswithher。"I\'lltellthemwehavejusttherightsortofaneighbor。”

"Thankyou，"saidshe，heartily。"AndyoumaytellthemthathernameisCathe-

rineFord。”

Onceathome，hetoldhisstory。

"H\'m!"saidGillispie，"IguessI\'llhavetogototownmyselfto-morrow。”

Hendersonlookedathimblackly。"She\'sawomanalone，Gillispie，"saidhe，severely，"tryingtomakeherwaywithhandicaps——"

"Shetup，can\'tye，yedarnedfool？"

roaredGillispie。"Whatdoyehtakemefur？"

Waitewasputtingonhisrubbercoatpreparatorytogoingoutforhisnightwiththecattle。"Guessyou\'remakin\'amistake，myboy，"hesaid，gently。"Thereain\'tnodangerofanywomanbein\'treatedrudeintheseparts。”

"Iknowit，byJove!"criedHenderson，inquickcontriteness。

"Allright，"gruntedGillispie，intacitacceptanceofthisapology。"Iguessyouthoughtyouwasincivilizedparts。”

TwodaysafterthisWaitecameinlatetohissupper。"Well，Iseenher，"heannounced。

"Oh!didyou？"criedHenderson，know-

ingperfectlywellwhomhemeant。"Whatwasshedoing？"

"Killin\'snakes，b\'gosh!Shesaysth\'

baby\'scrazyfurum，an\'soshetakesaroun\'

ahoeonhershoulderwherevershegoes，an\'whensheseesasnake，shehasitoutwith\'imthenan\'there。Isaysto\'er，\'Yerdon\'texpec\'t\'gitallth\'snakesoutenthisherecountry，d\'yeh？\'\'Well，\'shesays，\'I\'masgoodamanasSt。Patrickanyday。\'

Sheisajollyone，Henderson。Shetukmeinan\'showedmeth\'kids，andgivemealoafofgingerbreadtobringhome。Hereitis；see？"

"Hu!"saidGillispie。"I\'mnotinit。”

Butforallofhisscornhewasnotaboveeatingthegingerbread。

Itwasgardeningtime，andthethreeJohnswereputtingineverysparemomentinthelittlepalingmadeofwillowtwigsbehindthehouse。Itwaslittleenoughtimetheyhad，though，forthecattlewerenewtoeachotherandtothecountry，andtheywerehardtomanage。ItwasgenerallyconcededthatWaitehadageniusforherd-

ing，andhecouldtakethe"mad"outofafractiousanimalinawaythattheotherslookedonaslittlelessthansuperhuman。

Thusitwasthatoneday，whentheclayhadbeenwellturned，andtheseedsarrangedonthekitchentable，andallthingspreparedforanafternoonofbusyplanting，thatWaiteandHenderson，whowereneededoutwiththecattle，feltnolittleirritationattheinex-

plicableabsenceofGillispie，whowastolookafterthegarden。Itwasquitenight-

fallwhenheatlastreturned。Supperwasready，althoughithadbeenGillispie\'sturntoprepareit。

Hendersonwassorefromhissaddle，andcrossathavingtodomorethanhisshareofthework。"Damnyeh!"hecried，asGillispieappeared。"Whereyehbeen？"

"Makinggarden，"respondedGillispie，slowly。

"Makinggarden!"Hendersonindulgedinsomemoreharmlessoaths。

JustthenGillispiedrewfromunderhiscoatalargeandfriendlylookingapple-pie。

"Yes，"hesaid，withemphasis；"I\'vebina-makin\'gardenfurMis\'Ford。”

AndsoitcameaboutthatthethreeJohnsknewherandservedher，andthatsheneverhadaneedthattheywerenotreadytosupplyiftheycould。Notoneofthemwouldhavethoughtofgoingtotownwith-

outstoppingtoinquirewhatwasneededatthevillage。AsforCatherineFord，shewasfightingherwaywithnativepluckandmaternalunselfishness。Ifshehadfearedsolitudeshedidnotsufferfromit。Theactivityofherlifestifledherfreshsorrow。

Shewaspleasantlyexcitedbytherumorsthatarailroadwassoontobebuiltneartheplace，whichwouldraisethevalueoftheclaimshewas"holdingdown"manythou-

sanddollars。

Itismarvelloushowsorrowshrinkswhenoneisveryhealthyandverymuchoccupied。

Althoughpovertywasherclosecompanion，Catherinehadnothoughtofitinthisprim-

itivemannerofliving。Shehadcomeoutthere，withtheindependenceanddetermi-

nationofaWesternwoman，forthepurposeoflivingattheleastpossibleexpense，andmakingthemostshecouldwhilethebabywas"gettingoutofherarms。”Thatprocesshasitspleasures，whicheverymotherfeelsinspiteofburdens，andthemindishappilydulledbynature\'smercifulprovision。Withalittlechildtuggingatthebreast，careandfretvanish，notbecauseofthehappinesssomuchasbecauseofacertainmammalcomplacency，whichisnotatallintellectual，butservesitspurposebetterthanthepro-

foundestmethodofreasoning。

Sowithoutanyveryunbearablemiseryatherrecentwidowhood，thishealthyyoungwomanworkedinfieldandhouse，caredforherlittleones，milkedthetwocowsoutinthecorral，sewed，sang，rode，baked，andwashappyforverywholesomeness。Some-

timesshereproachedherselfthatshewasnotmoremiserable，rememberingthatlonggravebackintheunkemptlittleprairiecemetery，andshesatdowntocoaxhersorrowintoproperprominence。Butthebabycooingatherfromitsbunk，thelowofthecattlefromthecorralbegginghertorelievetheirheavybags，thefamiliarcallofoneofherneighborsfromwithout，eventheburningskyofthesummerdawns，brokethespellofthisconjuredsorrow，andinspiteofherselfshewasagainaveryheartyandhappyyoungwoman。Besides，ifonehasalikingforcomedy，itisimpossibletobedullonaNebraskaprairie。Thepeopleareamerrierdivertissementthanthetheatrewithitshackneyedstories。CatherineFordlaughedagooddeal，andshetookthethreeJohnsintoherconfidence，andtheylaughedwithher。TherewasMinervaFitch，whoinsistedoncomingovertotellCatherinehowtoraiseherchildren，andwhowasalmostoffendedthatthechildrenwouldn\'tdieofsunstrokewhenshepredicted。AndtherewasBobAckerman，whohadinflam-

matoryrheumatismandaPast，andwhoconfidedthelattertoMrs。Fordwhileshedoctoredtheformerwithhomoeopathicmedicines。Andtherewereallthestrangevisionarieswhocameoutprospecting，andquitenaturallydriftedtoMrs。Ford\'scabinforameal，andpaidherincomplimentsofapeculiarlyWesterntype。AndtherewerethethreeJohnsthemselves。Catherinecon-

sidereditnotreasontolaughatthemalittle。

YetatWaiteshedidnotlaughmuch。

Therehadcometobesomethingpatheticintheconstantserviceherenderedher。Thebeginningofhismoreparticulardevotionhadstartedinaparticularway。Malariawasverybadinthecountry。Ithadcarriedoffsomeofthemostvigorousontheprairie，andtwicethatsummerCatherineherselfhadlaidoutthecoldformsofherneighborsonironing-boards，and，withtheassistanceofBillDeemsofMissourah，hadreadtheburialserviceoverthem。Shehadavertedseveralotherfatalrunsoffeverbythecon-

tentsofherlittlemedicine-case。Theseremediesshedealtoutwithanintelligencethatastonishedherpatients，untilitwaslearnedthatshewasstudyingmedicineatthetimethatshemetherlatehusband，andwaspersuadedtoassumetheresponsibilitiesofmatrimonyinsteadofthoseofthemedi-

calprofession。

Onedayinmidsummer，whenthesunwasfocussingitselfontherawpineboardsofhershanty，andCatherinehadtheshadesdrawnforcoolnessandthewater-pitcherswathedinwetrags，EastIndianfashion，sheheardthefamiliarhallooofWaitedowntheroad。Thisgreeting，whichwasusuallysenttoherfromthepointwherethedip-

pingroadlifteditselfintothefirstviewofthehouse，didnotcontainitsusualnoteofcheerfulness。Catherine，wipingherhandsonhercheckedapron，ranouttowaveawelcome；andWaite，hissquatbodylookingmoredistortedthanever，hishugeshoulderslurchingashewalked，camefairlyplung-

ingdownthehill。

"It\'sallupwithHenderson!"hecried，asCatherineapproached。"He\'sgotthemalery，an\'hesayshe\'sdyin\'。”

"That\'snosignhe\'sdying，becausehesaysso，"retortedCatherine。

"Hewantstoseeyeh，"pantedWaite，moppinghisbiguglyhead。"Ithinkhe\'sgotsomethin\'particulartosay。”

"Howlonghashebeendown？"

"Threedays；an\'yehwouldn\'tknow\'im。”

Thechildrenwereplayingontheflooratthatsideofthehousewhereitwasleasthot。Catherinepouredoutthreebowlsofmilk，andcutsomebread，meanwhiletellingKittyhowtofeedthebaby。

"She\'sasensiblething，isthelittledaughter，"saidCatherine，asshetiedonhersunbonnetandpackedalittlebasketwiththingsfromthecupboard。Shekissedthebabiestenderly，flungherhoe——heronlyweaponofdefence——overhershoulder，andthetwostartedoff。

Theydidnotspeak，fortheirthroatsweresoontooparched。Theprairiewasburnedbrownwiththesun；thegrassescurledasiftheyhadbeenonagridiron。Astrongwindwasblowing；butitbroughtnocom-

fort，foritwasheavywithascorchingheat。

Theskinsmartedandblisteredunderit，andtheeyesfeltasiftheywerefilledwithsand。

Thesunseemedtoswingbutalittlewayabovetheearth，andthoughtheskywasintensestblue，aroundaboutthisburningballtherewasahaloofcopper，asiftheveryetherwerebeingconsumedinyellowfire。

Waiteputsomebigburdock-leavesonCatherine\'sheadunderherbonnet，andnowandthenhetookabottleofwaterfromhispocketandmadeherswallowamouthful。

Shestaggeredoftenasshewalked，andtheroadwasblackbeforeher。Still，itwasnotverylongbeforetheoddlyshapedshackofthethreeJohnscameinsight；andashecaughtaglimpseofit，Waitequickenedhisfootsteps。

"Whatifheshouldbegone？"hesaid，underhisbreath。

"Oh，comeoff!"saidCatherine，angrily。

"He\'snotgone。Youmakemetired!"

Butshewastremblingwhenshestoppedjustbeforethedoortocomposeherselfforamoment。Indeed，shetrembledsoverymuchthatWaiteputouthissprawlinghandtosteadyher。Shegentlyfeltthepressuretightening，andWaitewhisperedinherear:

"IguessI\'dstandbyhimaswellasany-

body，excep\'you，Mis\'Ford。He\'sbeenmybes\'friend。ButIguessyoulikehimbetter，eh？"

Catherineraisedherfinger。ShecouldhearHenderson\'svoicewithin；itwaspitiablyquerulous。Hewashalfsittingupinhisbunk，andGillispiehadjusthandedhimaplateonwhichtwocakeswereswim-