Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-09-21
MiseeIIaurous
The Romance Of Madrono Hollow.
RN HRrr HAETE

(Frofa p@ Aiidn,ie M,afaiy (0r .Ssgsember'
The latch on the garden gate Of the
Folinsbec Ranch clicked twice The
satc itself was so much in shadow that
.ovcly night. that odd man Folinsbee.
sitting on his porch. could distinguish
nothing but tail white hat. and be-
side il few fiuttering ribbons, under
the pines that marked the entrance.
Whether because of this fact. or that
he considered sufficient time had
elapsed since the clicking OF the latch
tor more positive disclosure. | do not
know but after few moments hesi-
tation, lie quietly laid aside his pipe
and walked slowly down the winding
path toward the gate. At the Ceano-
thus hedge he stopped and listened.
There was not much To hear. The
hat was saying 10 the ribbons that it
was fine night, and remarking gener
ally upon the clear outline of the
Sierras against the blue-black sky. The
| ribbons. 1t so appeared. had admired
this all the way home. and asked the
! hat If il had even seen anything half
50 lovely as the moonlight on the sum
init: The hat never had it recalled
| some lovely nights in the South in
\ Alabama, Tin the Sonth in Ahlabama,
was the way the old man heard it, (but
then there were other things that made
this night seem pleasant. The ribbons
could not possibly conceive what the
hat could be thinking about. AT this
| point there was q pause OF which MIR.
Folinsbee availed himself 10 walk very
grimly and craunchly down the gravel
walk toward the gate. Then the hat
was lifted. and disappeared in the
shadow, and Mr.. Foiinsbee confronted
| only the half-fColish half-mi ischievons,
! out wholly pretty face of his daughter.
1t was afterward known to Madrono
Hollow that sharp words passed be-
tween Miss Jo' and the Old man, and
that the latter coupled the names OF
one Culpepper Starbottle and his uncle,
! Colonel Starbottle, with certain un-
complimentary epithets. and that Miss
10 retaliated sharply. Her father $
blood before her fathers face boiled
up and proved her truly of his race,
quoted the blacksmith, who leaned to-
ward the noble verse of Byron. she
saw the old mans bluff and raised
| him. was the director comment OF the
college-bred Masters.
Meanwhile the subject of these
animadversions proceeded slowly along
the road to point where the Foiins-
bee mansion came iii view,-a long,
narrow. white building, unpretentious,
vet superior to its nelghbors, and bear
ing some evidence of taste a1d refine
ment in the vines that clambered over
its porch, in its French windows, and
the white muslin curtains. that Keep
out the fierce California sun by day
and we're now touched with silver In
the gracious moonlight. Culpepper
leaned against the low fence, and gazed
long and earnestly at the building
Then the moonlight vanished ghost,
ike from one of the windows, ma
terial glow took its place, and a girlisl
figure, holding candle, drew the Whit
curtains together. To Culpepper i
was a vestal virgin standing before
hallowed shrine; to the prOsai'
observer l fear it was only a falr-halreo
young woman, whose wicked blacl
ewes shone with unfillal warmth. How
, belt, when the figure had disappeared
lie stepped brlskly into the moonligh
of the high road. Here he took OF hi
distinguished hat to wipe his forehead
and the moon shOne full upon III
face.
1t was not an unprepossessing one
, albeit q trifle too thin and iank An
bilious to be altogether pleasant. In
cheekbones were prominent, and tn