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-