The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-08
CHAPTER II.
BLANCHE.

alone
CHAPTER IL
BLANCHE.
Blanche and stroIled about the door yard.
The gate was half open--its normal condition
and proper one as indicative of the easy,
happy-go-lucky disposition of the parent Sef
tons Capt Tommy, the father, ran a sloop
to New York His real home was on that
craft, and it was a saving among the vii
layers that he could pilot her through Long
Island sound and the East river with his
eyes shut His daughters ade frequent
trips with him to the city. The ''old man"
was most at home when it blew and blew
hard, to the CONSERVATION Of Mary and
Phoebe, who would inplore him at such
times to put in at some of the sound harbors
on the north shore of Long Island But no
wind blew too hard for Blanche, though so
far as outward seeming went hers was an
equal placidity in storm or calm As a boy,
/ had looked upon Blanche as one of the
colder girlsn-girls already treading the
shore of womanhood, and girls soon to con-
summate the great aim and end Of life-as
life was regarded i'll our village-matri-
mony
Recently, I'had timidly ventured Blanche
some attentions, and was pleased and sur
prised to find that she had accepted them
with apparent pleasure. She had a queenly
way with her. Ia my own private col
ioquies, which | never talked to any one, l
called her the "Empress;r and often, as
saw her walking the street, did l lament
that such a face and form should ever be-
come worn and wasted with the labors aud
cares of the everyday commonplace life
about u.s.
Blanche is the mum of our family was
Mother Sefton's frequent remark She
seemed to stand in some awe of this daugh-
ter. Blanche was not imperious or arrogant:
yet something about her kept every one at
the distance she desired to keep them It
was not so much what she said or did, but
something she made you feel; and rebel
against it as much as You might, you could
not break through the barriers she chose to
put up at any distance she pleased
For this treason Blanche was not a gen
eral favorite People said she was ''stuck
up" and put on airs. Her real offense
lay in her keeping her own counsel She did
not tell all she knew regularly every day to
half dozen friends, leaving with each one
the idea that they We're honored with her
special confidence.
l had admired this girl all my life When
say "all my life" mean the life of boy
who worships queen at distance-the boy
of fifteen, who sees that queen surrounded by
older cou,tiers. This had seen-felt is the
better word-when I was navigating mud
puddles barefooted and barelegged Her
world seemed as one never to be reached by
me.
Yet within the last year an unprecedented
acquaintance and friendship had grown up
between myself and Blanche Seton How it
commenced l could hardly tell found my
self talking with her on subjects which
seemed of little interest to my other com
panions. / was surprised to find that could
talk with her at all had imagined that the
thought ard conversation of these 'grown-up
young women" lay on topics could not com
prehend. All women over certain age
seemed as possessors of some secret not vet
revealed to me.
We walked for some time in silence
through the main street of the village, its
sidewalks shaded by the great sycamores,
reached the outskirts, crossed the bridge
leading over Pond creek, and reached a
wooded promontory jutting into the Cove
The moon shed glittering, tremulous mark
far over the beautiful expanse of water, and
he katydids were filling the warm August
night with their calls 1t was one of the en-
hanted nights Of our North American sum
,ner.
''Well, John, said Blanche, you are go
ing away with the rest. What are you going
iorF'
81 don't know" 1 replied, and don't
care"
'Do you. really want to goY" she asked
Il do and don't There's no home for
me here That's why leave it,
But you win come home rich and take
care of your mother, and marry"
Marry, marry, marrym | exclaimed i'm
patiently at seems to me that's all people
think Of in this world
She laughed in her own pleasant way and
said. ''why, John, you take gloomy view
Of things tonight You need cheering up.
What a pity I'm not going to California with
you"
''What pity you are not" I ventured at
last to say, and / said it very seriously;
had little idea of badinage or saying daring
things in spor.tive way Finally | added,
"Would you go if you couldF
s SI would" she replied decisively Her
manner and bearing seemed suddenly to
change
''What! all by yourself in the Ann Mary
Ann, with seventy men on boardF
STd go all by myself in the Ann Mary Ann
with 500 men on board.
'eWhy,. what do yea want to go forF
ITO see the world, she replied. Wasn't
it made for women as well as mengn
81 suppose so, was my rather doubtful
reply. "But what would you do in Cali
forniaP'
'rd find something to do. See here,
John,n said she, with an access Of energy;
''here's thousands of men and boys going
there from all parts of the country. Don't
you think you'll nssd women! Who is to do
your cooking and washing and mendingF
Its Just the mistake you're all making not
taking women along with You Why, women
viii be worth their weight in gold out there.
Do you think you can live without themi II
was able I'd send out two or three on shares
myself, Just as Judge Gardner is sending
that thiek-headed Bill Roper, with the idea
that Roper viii ever send a cent back. Now.
if had my way I'd fit out Louisa Bird and
Mary Talmadge and Sophronia Stebbins,
bright, lively girls, who have hands to work
with and wits in their heads and I'd go my
self along with them
Well said I, after a pause, 81 think,
Blanche, that you and / ought TO change
places. You to go, to stay behind
John, certainly think we ought. Any
way, wish had your chance. I've got the
fever as bad as any Of you-much worse
than you l plan it all out in my mintt
sometimes, how III disguise myself as a man
Ia boy, rather and serve as cabin boy on
some ship bound out there. But there are
other ways of getting there, added she, re-
fectively. Then, resuming her former tome
she added: I'D 60 to take care of you, too
accompanying the remark with one OF her
smiles, which left one in complete doubt as TO
the sentiment which prompted it.
ssYou think, then, need some one to take
care of meTn asked
ssYes; do, indeed You're fit now only
for victim You trust everybody who
smiles on you, believe everybody who
speaks fair, and would give your head
away, If you could, to any one who asked
for it
sWelI, l sid, showing possibly in my
tone some anhoyance, you're frank enough,
anyway. Why don't you call me goose and
be done with itF
Forgive me, John, said the girl, her mar
ner suddenly shading to tenderness know
its not pleasant for y0u to hear this don't
want to pain You. But yoare going away
going out in the world among men, hard
cold, merciisss men yes, and women too
wolves who'll devour yon alive
She advanced and laid her hand on ms
shoulder The m0venlsnt seemed almost IN
consciously done, nor bad ever before seen
hsr ahow Rseh Ealing For m0nnsut her ~