Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-07-02


Yet when she went home there was
something different in Marcia's face
from anything that had ever been there
before; and ii nobody paid enough heed
to observe it, nevertheless the fact was
true that the hoyden girl had vanished,
and /, grave and active woman had
taken her place--a woman who never
allowed herself to be still long
enough to think. She asked for no
more distress, she never put ribbon
near her; she brushed the kink out Of
her hair rs we'll as she could, and said
to herself it was of no use for her to
try and look anything but fright, with
one eye hunting up the other the way
hers was--an alusion to slight cast in
Ter eye that was not at all unbecoming
on the whole; of course nobody would
think of falling in love with a Cyclops,
and Of course nobody could help loving
such rose and lily piece of beauty as
Bess. She was sure, she thought, she
was glad that Bess was happy, but, for
all, she cried sadly about it. Yet, after
any of these secret crying spells, she
fought her battle with herself all the
more furiously; and although it wrung
her heart, she would insist upon talking
about Philip, and suffer Bessie to sing
his praises on every occasion that offer
ed, and fear and trembling all the while
lest voice or face surrendered, and took
all his small kindnesses as n matter of
course.
The winter wore away at last, and
h,ro,, ,.,ht haya { In Il,
their behalf her selfdenial, and the
money. or rather the eggs, that she had
spent, all repaid in the glossy look OF
her hens, with their red combs and
their nests full of eggs. Those who are
in search of anything can always find it,
and she had secured, in one way and
another, eggs of many of the choicest
breeds, the hatchings had all turned
out well, and the result was great
flock of some of the finest looking birds
in the country, among which n troop Of
black PolanaerS went about shaking
their full white crests, and hardly able
to see out of their eyes. "l'm sure
they're fine" said Marcia. "And as
I'm never going to marry, and shall
have, to earn my living in some way, I'll
earn it this way" And she then an
nounced that she was going 10 contri-
butte to the noultry show in the city,
and waited for some opposition.
But they had done with opposing
Marcia, in the matter of hens, in that
house. "They treat me with the silent
contempt | Deserve" she said, lightly.
But she bribed Tom to help her manu-.
factule II set of coops, bribed him with
a promise that Bessie should bake him
u box of cookies to take away with
him; for he had begun his study OF
M odcino, while Phil, who thought the
learned professions already full was
looking in vain for something to do in
which TO start himself in life. "Poor
fellow!' thought Marcia over and over
again, iii he only could get something
to do, then the engagement could be
announced, and by-andby they could
be married" 1t seemed as though she
herself would be easier when it was
over. But there was no prospect of it,
and Pills outlook was dark enough at
present. She mean toask him lat some
favorable time, why he didn't go out to
Colorado, and, after Re had made
home there, send for Bessie. She fam
cied that, after all, the best thing for her
would be not to be obliged to witness
their happiness at last:
But when Marcia hsd emptied the
better part of her hennery into the
great poultry show, she felt it necessary
to go and look after he's interests there,
and she sold enough O. the common
stock left at home to pay the expenses
of herself and Bessie ir the city. Her
mother burst into tiers with the thought
of the vulgar pursuits O her daughters;
and they lett Emily first wipiDg her
mothers eyes and then making her an
egg-nogg from the proceeds of the vul-
garity.
1t was fine thing that show, as
Marcia said, trusting Bessie could make
out what she said in the riot of the
chandeliers, each rivaling his unseen
opponent. "Just hear the rumpus
those roosters keep upl' she cried
And what with the cackling of the
geese, and the quacking of the ducks,
the gobbllng OF the turkeys, the chatter
Of the guinea-fowl, he cooling of the
pigeons, and the screams Of the pea
cocks, the rumpus vas that of Pande-
monum itself But, except for the I'M
slightly coops, it was rather beautiful
Pandemonium-'the fuge Brahmas with
their fluff of snowy feathers like so
many article owls, the jet and shining
Crove-cocurs, the silver spangled Ham
burgs fine as silk-cltd court ladies, the
Cochins with the G oss Of dark green
enamel of the dark ness of their plumes,
the superb red Game, the crested, ruff
fled, and bearded SuItans, and the little
Bantams more important than the