The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-05-15
Wild Becky.

vrN IOIhS Vi itllllNiAAS "SAS fNo' ~
over and above the new organ in their
"meetin' house." it was the Millville
boarding school, which capped the very
topmost pinnacle of their village a
light set upon hill, which shed its lit
erary radiance over the whole place.
Cynthia Adams was the only day
scholar {; but she was the Squire's daugh-
ter. and it was a matter of course that
her schooling should be something be-
yond that of the rest of the village girls.
One day, as the scholars were hanging
over the school-yard fence, or sitting In
groups on the stone steps waiting for
the school-bell to ring, they heard man
with lusty pair of lungs shouting,
"Gee, haw, git mp thar p in voice so
loud that it threatened TO shake the
hills.
0That is one of old Millers whispers,
l do believe" laughed Cynthia. Hes
farmer about here, with a roaring
voice. Such queer fellow as he is, to
be sure / wish you girls could see
him"
81 wish | might, answered fun-loving
Mile King. "Does he live far from
here4"
"His house is way down blythe edge
of the town, beyond the pine woods !;
they call the place Biscuit City"
"Whyl Because they have so many
biscuits there q asked dozen voices at
once.
CYNTHIA shook her head.
81 guess it is because they don't have
them" she said perhaps they wish
they did, and so call it that. All |
really know about it is that there does
NOS cem to be any one there to cook
much, any way for Farmer Miller lives
alone With his granddaughter, a girl
about our age
Couldn't she make biscuitsi' per-
sisted Mile, unwilling to give up the
idea that they abounded in Biscuit City.
Becky I'd like to see anything de-
cent that Wild Becky could make. No
one in the village will have anything to
do with her, for she's such wild,
harum-scarum thing, and so green, to-
that you'd mistake her for grass, just as
likely as not.
Cynthia stopped abruptly, for the
"Geehaws'' sounded nearer every mo-
ment, and now pair of oxen came lum.
bering over the brow of the hill, fol
lowed by rickety hay car, at the end
of which was poised bare-headed young
person in a cloud of dust Her ample
bonnet swung from the top of one Of
the poles which formed the sides of the
cart, evidently for the purpose of prov
ing to passers-by that she possessed the
article, though she did not choose to
wear it. She looked up at it rather
wistfully, however, as her companion,
Farmer Miller, with laundering excla-
nations, drove the cart up to the school
house gate.
"Pile out, Becky" he roared, land
we'll soon fix it up with 'em here.
Don't be skeered, gal Be you the
echoolmarm
The question was addressed to Miss
Peters, the principal, who at this juno
ture came politely forward.
uaNtn MQcu ldIllA III S.'iA 3
ma'am," he continued, ''but I'm bouna
that my gal here shall have as good a
chance as the rest of EN- She's good
gal, Becky is, only trife wild like, and
needs settling bit. I'm better hand
at settling bills than lively young crea-
lures like this one, so, if you'll tend to
one, I'll tend to t'other;" and niing
the poor girl over, tumbling her bonnet
after her, he was halfway down the
hill before Wild Becky had made up
her mind whether she would be settled
or not.
1t was very disagreeable standing
there, with all the girls staring at her
she thought; and glancing shyly Out
from under her long lashes, her eyes
rested gladly on the familiar features Of
the Squire's daughter
"How do, Cynthiai' she said, noddin:
in such a civil way that it surprised her
self. go.
Cynthia looked blankly into her fac
moment without making the slightes
sign of recognition, then wheeling
around on her heels, she turned he
back squarely upon her
A litter went around the yard; ever,