Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-07-08
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Love and Hair Dye.

Keturah was leaning over the pair of
bars which divided the back garden
from the meadow which wound past
the maplc-swamp.up to the lonely sheep
pasture. Apparently, she was watch
ing motherly hen turkey conduct her
downy brood through the high timothy
grass: but in reality she was wrestling
with fate.
Its perfectly ridiculous! said ket-
urah. There never Was in all this
! world a girl with half as ug hair as
! mine. If it hadn't been for that hair,
l might have had the chance of being
married half dozen times, instead Of
drudging on here, with my father
scoldlng because don't accomplish
more housework, and my stepmother
deluging me with good advice. Oh,
dear, oh, dear! ! would pluck it out
by the roots, if 1t would do any good
And she seized the luckless red-gold
tresses, handful in each grasp, as if
she fain would have twltched them out
of her head.
But what very silly thing that
would be" said Barbara Decfer, who
sat on stump Of a tree, hulling the
rich garden Strawberries, which she had
lust gathered from the sunny beds un-
der the stone wall. why on earth
don't you dye it?'
why don't I-what?' said Keturah,
looking around in sheer amazement.
Dye it, repeated Barbara, popping
particularly bright ripe sphere of
scarlet into her mouth. It's what
Mrs. preller's city boarder did when |
was help there last summer. She WAS
as gray as Il badger, Miss Perkins was,
and vet her hair shone like Il crow
tail-feathers. I seen her putin on
the dyc once, when was scrubbin the
hall ol-cloths, and it was as easy as
you please. OF course black dye won't
sui, you, but there's plenty Of colors
would.
Keturahs eyes gistened.
oh, Barbara. said she, do you think
| could
Think | don't think nothin about
it, said Barbara, hinging mildewed
berry at a squirrel, on the fence. I'm
sure of it. You can get the stuff al
Mill & Tweezer's. I've seen it many
time in their glass showcases, and
Just ut this moment, however, Mrs
Hitchings. Keturah's stepmother, wa!
heard shrilly in9ulring from the back
door, whether she Was to be kep
waiting all day long, with the preserv'
ing kettle over the fire for them straw
berries?'
Barbara jumped up and fled. Ketu
rah stood still, meditatlng over the dis
closure that she had Just heard.
She went down the path to certain
crystal-clear spring, into whose depth:
she had often gazed to look for tradi
tional rings displayed by the fairies tt
those who are about to find their true
lovers. .r
1t was her favorite MIR or, and jus
at this period or the suny, summer da,
1t was clearer than any sheet of look
ing glass.
'Horrld.' said Keturah, grlmaoing a
copper-red h,rnish of her hair re-
nected below.
But just then some languid move
ment Of the deep, stif waters focused
the sun $ rays in a sort Of circle; for /
: second 1t seemed us if a ring of gol'
shone far down, and then disappeared
Keturah's eyes spalkled, and ,Ae
heart beat rapidly.
The fairies wedding ring, she gasp
ed. / saw it with my own eyes. But
: of course, nothing will ever come OF
as long as my hair is such hldeous-
hdeous color. | will get it dyed.
And, IN her mental CONSCIOUSNESS;
4 she remembered that Harry Boyce, VIII
went to college with her brother Sim
con, would be there that very week,an
that Harry had once said, what
pretty girl that little Kitty was.
But, of course, he conldn t hav
= noticed my hair, thought Ketural1
n mournfully. 1T doesn't show SO awful
" bad when | sit in corner where I,
If pretty dark. It's the sunshine tina
e brings il out such an intense carro
: color. | will dve it!'
So that very evening, in the friendl
indistinctness of the purple twlllsh
: Keturah crept down to Mill & Tweez
ers, and waited patiently for an ol
farmer to buy an ounce of Paris gree
for potato bugs, and his daughter
~ u