The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-08-19
BELLA's GLOVE.
story of u California Watering Plac

True story of q California Watering Place
"Well, girls. what shall we do to-
dayP"
1t was on the broad piazza of the
Baden-Baden Springs, n OF tho sum-
mer hostclries in the Santa Cruz noun
tains. Not n man to be scen-the long
piazza was a vista Of skirts. At one
end sat the m~atrons, either doing some
one of those numberless things called
..fancy-work." or else retailing their
household troubles. At the other sat
the young ladies', some with novels in
their laps. some idle. They were gaz-
ing listlcssly across the garden to the
disuscd croquet ground.
No one said, Lets play crOquet."
No, indeed, there had been q pitched
battle on the crOquet ground the day
before. Miss Helen Winn had re-
marked that she named no names, but
when a person was wired she did not
think it fair for her to nov her ball
when the others were not looking.
Upon this Miss Tillie Robertson had
burst into tears. and said that Miss
Winn was 40 hateful thing" Miss
Carrie Bnnner, partner to her of the
tears, Immediately laid down her NAL
let with great dignity, and Ostentatious-
Is escorted Miss Robertson from the
ground, saying, There now, Tillie."
"Never mind them," ETC., all Of which
was inexpressibly goading to the other
side.
BY way of showing the two seceders
how unnecessary they were, two other
ladies took their places, and the game
for a while was conducted in the smooth
est manner. and the conversation in
sugared tones. From the fact, how
ever, that they came home in four diff
ferent directions, it is supposed that
something went wrong. John, whose
duty it was to put away the mallets
and balls after ladies used the ground,
related on his return TO the Kitchen,
that he '.fOund them there mallets
scattered all over creation, Jest where
them gals flung 'em when the game
bust up"
No, although they had all ''made up"
since, the influences upon the whole
were not favorable to that game which
stirs the feminine soul SO deeply. BY
the way, was the woman ever born
who would not cheat ut crOquet If she
got a chancep
well, girls. what shall we do to-
dayp" 1t was Bella Chester who spoke.
Now Bella had not been mixed up in
the quarrel of the day before. II there
was one thing she did not care for. it
VAS croquet without gentlemen. 1t is
unnecessary. then, to tell you that she
was coquettish. But she was pretty,
too. was Bella-bewitchingly pretty.
And yet she vas not SO pretty that
other women did not like her, for they
did. There are two kinds Of pretty
m
Lets 90 to the springs" said Helen
VIM, 'and watch them bOttling the
waters"
.'Pshaw! said Bella, ''there's only an
old man and a boy there. Girls" she
went on, II have an idea. How far Is
it from here to Santa Maria COllegep'
ssAbout six miles," said Helen.
"Then I'll tell you what let's do.
Well have the rockaway team hitched
up, and get JOhn to drive us over
there. IFS vacation time now, and the
students have gone. Wen have the
monks show us all over the buildings,
the mission church, and everything"
They're not mOnks," said Carrie
Bunner, with an air of wisdom miss
Bunner was a CathOlic,) ''they are
fatherS."
".Well, I'd like to know what the diff
ference it," said Miss Bella, briskly.
"I-don't-know." said Miss Carrie.
weakening; but you must call them
fathers anyway"
..Pll call them anything they like"
said Miss Bella. ''But come girls-lsts
go and get ready"
In fifteen minutes five of the girls
were all ready. They had simply pnt
on immense straw hats and very ugly
busters. Their gloves were Veterans;
their shoes substantial, but not beauti-
full. In short, they were attired as
sensible girls should be for q ride over
q California road in summer.
But the minutes passed, and Bella
did not come. John chewed tobacco,
and sOOthcd his impatient horses ss they
licked the flies from, of their backs
and paved the ground. John was
never impatient. A sweet and tender
rcstfulness filled his soul when he was
waiting for ladies. He had driven
around watering places for many years,
had John.
At last she came. A simultaneous
cry arose.
why. what evor has kept you so
| longp"
Suddenly Helen exclaimed: swell,
I declared! II that girl hasn't gone and
| changed her dressr"
Eyes, and fixed her hair!"
"And put on a clean pair of glOvesr'
'.And changed her bOOts!"
It-was all true. Miss Bella had en-
| deavorcd to shrOud these treasons In
| her duster and hat, but it vas usel ess.
| She was indeed a pretty sight, as she
| stood there, with one dainty foot upon
| tho step. Even John was moved. He
reflectively spat on the nigh side. and
made room for her to sit by him. Miss
Bella sprang into the seat. John was
better than nothing. And q they spun
along the road, she laughed at his we'll
worn stories, admired his skill as q
| driver, and when he turned to look al
her would drop her eyes. And JohnP
| Well, he chewed tobacco. IT'S won
derfully soothing. in any form, is the
maligned weed.
AT last the little town was reached,
and John dashed up to the college gates
in style. The ladies descended, crossed
the wide and dreary-loOking campus,
and applied for permission to see the
old mission church and the collegSe
buildings. II was granted them. ano
an olive-skinned Italian priest was de-
tailed TO show them " the place. dc
was gentle and courteous in manner
handsome in face, and there was o Ger
tain dignity about him which impressed
even the giddy Bella at first. But moi
for long. -
They passed into the old mission
church. with its quaint statues and Gu