Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-11-16

GAIL finished inside. Got a good
many things in, too. All the cribs1l be
up in time to hold the crop"
Glowing to live thar this winter?"
1t was Marshall Haynes turn to color
deeply, as he answered:
"Can't say. Reckon old Bitters'u
have to board me awhile"
eff I were Celebrity" exclaimed
Virginia, with the kind of smile which
is no smile at all, "I would make you
paint your house"
The flush in his face was fiery red, as
he suddenly turned to her father:
"By the way Did you take note of
the prairie fire, last night, northeast?
The sky was good and red
"'Way beyond the timber? Yes,
saw it. It'll burn out where it is, jest as
it alters does. 1t won't get across the
slough"
"Don't you be too sure of that, now.
I've mind to do some back-fring on
that side of my farm. A fred go through
my standing corn like it was dry grass.
"Reckon it would. 'Twon't come,
though, I've lived on the prairie more'n
ten years, and no fire ever come a-nigh
me-"
"I don't care to have one come too
nigh me till my corn's in CRIB"
"Come along, Virginia. Your
mother'l be lookin' for u.s..
"Good day." said Marsh.
"Good morning." said the two neigh
bors, almost in the same breath, and
Virginia added: /" You may tell Celebrity
Bitters, for me, we're going to town to-
morrow Ii she wants me to get the
things she spoke of, she'd better let me
know"
"I'u tell her. Palm Bitters'll be glad
of an errand to your house."
In two minutes more Virginias roam
mare was fairly dancing along the road,
while Marshall Hayne strobe fercely
down the slope in the opposite direction.
Virginia." remarked her father,
"why can't you treat Marsh Hayne a
leetle more neighborly. Thar isn't a
likelier young Teller on this prairie.
There's ALI sorts of real grit and push in
him. Look what he's done with that
thar farm 2"
"Most any man can handle quarter
section"
"Not the way he does. I've two whole
sections now, but he'll be ahead of me
fore long"
"May be So"
He amt onsociable neither. What
times he got to run around nowadays,
I'd like to know?"
"Nobody wants him to. F"
Virginia, how you hev sweated that
mare of yourn Looks like you'd ridden
her twenty miles instead of ten. What's
got into you and her this morning?'
She was very busy with her unruly
pet just then, and they were drawing
near the house, behind which rose the
tall ricks of unthreshed wheat. 1t was
pleasant home for that day and region.
The out-buildings were good. There
were even orchards and garden, and in
front of the house an attempt at shrub
berry.
The sole heiress of all that comfort,
with SO many broad acres around it,
hardly needed Virginia's uncommon
beauty of face and form to make her the
acknowledged "belle Of Crawfords
Prairie. y That she was SO, however.
and was disposed to assert her suprem-
acy, was known to every living thing or
person under or near that hospitable
roof, her father and mother excepted.
A somewhat stately, gray-haired dame
awaited their coming in the doorway,
with brief, matronly greeting:
Virginia, if you're going to town to-
morrow you've heaps to do to-day. Pears
Like everybody was clearin' out at the
same time"
"Jest exactly as well, mother" calmly
responded her husband.
"We can lock the house up"
"We jest can. And we can throw the
key in the well. Then, if any teller
wants to get III. he can jest crawl through
the winder."
Many a dwelling on the prairie, in
those days, was ignorant of lock or key,
and well accustomed to take care of it.
self, but Crawford's contained more to
tempt unlawful intrusion than did some
others.
There was cloud upon Virginia's face
when she followed her mother into the
house, although she did not hear her
father mutter:
eff I was Marsh Hayne, now, I
wouldn't let any girl treat me the way
she's treated him. He's a right down
good Teller. He's heap too good for
CELEBRITY Bitters.
Perhaps; but he was delivering Vir-
glnia' s message at that very moment, and
she may have guessed as much.
1t had sent him to hold a somewhat
animated conversation with a young
woman who did not at all resemble the
belle of Crawford Prairie, but who ap-
peared very fully to appreciate her
present company. She was not so tall
as Virginia, but she was nearly as hand
some in her own way, and her black eyes
flashed under her full eyebrows with as
clear a warning of a strong will behind
them as came from Virginla's own. In
truth, the blue-grey eyes were the softer
and the pleasanter to look upon.
"Going to town, is she? I'm obleeged
to her for sendin' me word. Palmer,
he's agoin' off down the timber after
dark. can't leave home this evening.
Pears like it wasn't to do me any sort of
good to have her go"