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Show AN EARLY DAKOTA STORY. The Moccasin Ranch: a Ftory of Dakota. By Hamlin Garland. Published by Harper Har-per and Brothers. New York. This is a story of tho early settlement settle-ment of the prairie scetiou in Dakota. Burke and his vital, strong young wife arc found on their way to locate on their claim. Bailey and Rivers, partners part-ners in a store and land agency; business, busi-ness, are along. Mrs. Burko is riding wilh Bivers in a light wagon, while Ihe others toil along with freight and household utensils. This story brings Rivers and Mrs. Burke into very cIomj companionship, and they becomo intimate inti-mate friends; too intimate Later on, Mrs. liiirke finds occasion to contrast bitterly her former life in Illinois wilh the dreary wnste and tierce blizzards of the now region; but Rivers is always al-ways at hand lo console her. The final scene between Mrs. Burko and her husband hus-band when, with tho provisions nearly all gone, he starts off to a neighbor's for some flour they had borrowed from them, is bitter and contentious on her part. Hi vers comes along to take Mrs. Burke away. She has long been practically his wife, and she goes, but they are obliged by the stress of the blizzard to put iu at tho store, and find Bailey f.horo. and some strong scoucs are enacted. The story closes bv Jlivcrs going away with the woman, and Burke out in the blizzard in quest, of food for her and for himself. It is a sordid sort of a Eton', with a half ending. We should learn later on how Rivers aud Mrs. Burke come out in their sinful sin-ful elopement. Perhaps the artistic way would be to 1-H Burko perish in tho blizzard in time to allow Rivers and Mrs. Burke to get married before the birth of their child. Tt, is a very uns'itisfactory story, revolting to road, but doubtless it could be matched not seldom in actual life. |