Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-02-21

missy find fault, MOSSie no stay,
said the Wa5a ,ch squaw ''Mossie go
way"
Go them said 10, with cheeks
flushed with righteous Indignation; Il
can wash better than that myself.
And | won't have thief about the
premises. "
So 10 herself had taken the helm, and
conquered Fate.
As she rubbed and rinsed away in
the checkered shadow of the leaves,
still darker shadow fell upon the stunt
ed grass.
A man, riding by on black horse,
with hrna4-brimmed sombrero. and a
pack strapped to his saddle, had drawn
the rein.
II am in luck he said, curling his
prancing horse; ''look here, my good
girl, you are the first washerwoman /
have come across since | left Salt Lake
City. Here are my clothes, and here is
something to pay you for the trouble.
[ shall be back here in a week. | am
going up to the White Nine"
Before she could answer, he had
flung the bundle through the grape
leaves-a little gold piece had fallen at
her feet and he was gone.
10 looked at the clothes, then she
picked up the quarter-eagle, and ran
back with white dripping arms, to the
sunshiny steps where old Philo was
basking, in sort of semi-lethargy.
Father" she said, what shall |
do? a stranger wants me to wash his
clothes. And see, he has paid me in
advance! A quarter-eagler
Wash EN- said Philo, CURLY.
10 Redeemed.
Il am not washerwoman, said
she, "like old Mossie, or Chung Sin,
the Chinaman."
''P'r'aps he's some poor creetur with
no women-folks to do for him." said
Philo. I'd wash his clothes, 10, eff l
was you. We all ought to help one an
other, says the Good Book. You
needn't to take the money, unless you
please"
II didn't think of that" said 10,
softening.
She washed the shirts and stockings,
put her best polish on the collars, and
mended the rents and tears with arts
tic neatness. Then she put the clothes
into a neat flat parcel with the gold
piece wrapped in an old envelope on
the top, just outside the grape arbOur,
at the weeks end.
That afternoon the parcel was gone,
but the gold piece was left.
Il shall have to keep it after all, :"
said 10. "But | won't spend it. I'll
put q ribbon through this little TRAN
gular hole in it, and wear it for lock-
ct. Perhaps it will bring good luck.
1t certainly did, for within ten days
q message arrived for her to come
down to Salt Lake City.
Her aunt from the east was there en-
route for San Francisco, and wanted to
take 10 with her.
''The child ought to sec something
of the world" said she. Let me
keep her for little while"
but what will father do without
me?' said 10, loyal to her duty
through everything.
cpl jog along somehow, said
Philo, assuming a courage that he was
far from feeling. 80 shall have a
chance"
'.And I'll bring her back in three
MONTHS" said Aunt Abigail, who was
a rich widow who could we'll afford to
indulge herself in an expensive freak
like this.
"By the way" said the old lady, "a
gentleman who came out from Chicago
with me has just bought a mine some
where in the Wahsatch range. The
White Nine they call it,
10 opened her eyes.
''Whv, that isn't three days ride from
us, said she. just up the mountain
side We shall be neighbors.
us that your idea of neighbors
here?" said Aunt Abigail. 'Three
days apart"
''Oh, we don't think anything of dis
tances in the Wahsatch Mountains, "
said 10. Sonnet mes it will be DAYS
and days that we don't see anybody"
Still, 10 did not put two and two to-
gether. Until Aunt Abigail had
bought her a new ready-made suit of
travelling grey at the Zion Cooperative
Association Store, and a plumed hat
which became her dark beauty rarely,
and they were seated in the parlor car.
And then they were joined by a tall
gentleman, whom her aunt introduced
OS Mr.. Murray.
10 blushed to the roots of her curly
hair. 1t was the very gipsy-browed
cavalier who had flung the goid-piece
to her.
Evidently, however, his apprehen-
sions were less quick than hers. In
stinct guided her, and she said moth
ING.
He was the pleasantest of travelling
companions. And TO 10, who had
come down from the solitary lodges of
the Wahsatch Mountains, it seemed as
if new and beautiful world, both in
side and outside her heart were bios
soming out.
But the acme of her happiness was
not reached until they sat one after
neon togesherton the low broad balcony
of the Cliff house at San Francisco,
watching the white breakers Of the Pa
citic, while Aunt Abigail, at a little dis
lance, was trying 10 count the seals on
Seal Rock through double-barrelled
! COaTa-OrlocS