Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-09-30
SALLY PATTERSON.

From a peak Of the Alleghanies one
can see the town Of Harburg, built
upon a hill and almost surrounded by
a river that is famous In song. In the
days when a canal connected these
with IA railroad which crossed the
mountains Harburg was a place Of in.
p~ortance.
OF its gay society Sally Donne!ly was
the belle. She was tall and slender.
Her bright eyes. rich complexion, ready
wit and graceful manner made her the
most attractive young wolnan in the
town. Her teeth were very white, and
she being a brunette used them in smile
and laugh with startling effect.
One evening at a ball John Patter-
sou was introduced to her. He was a
civil engineer. stationed at Harburg,
and he was handsome and his ability
to master a difficult problem in mathe-
mates was wonderful. but he could no
more have figured TO a nicely on an
estimate of u woman than he could
have told what the moons back is
made of. Like all men os his kind he
fell in love without calculation. Sally
Donnelly simply bewitched him. He
loved her with such devotion that his
wooing was irresistible, and to the
establishment of the gossips of Har.
burg il was soon announced that John
and Sally were engaged.
Gossips would not believe she would
marry him. Sally Donnelly had led
society to regard her rs a person with
out heart. and no one thought her
serious in engaging herself 10 John Pat
terson. However. they were 500 mar.
ried, and moved into a brick house at
the foot of Main street. From his porch
John could see the packets com ON
the canal and the trains 90 out on the
railroad. In his residence. called by
the people of Harburg the big brick"
Sally entertained lavish!y Her recep.
tons were the grande,t llarburg had
seen, and she was courted by every.
body. Her extravaganza was freely
commented upon, but her
were supposed to be great, for John
Patterson was believed to be rich.
Some happy years passed. and then
same a cloud upon John Patterson's
His house was big, his wife
beautiful. and he was seemingly sue.
eessful in hi, business. but the voices
that sounded in his dwelling were alien.
He wished that children of his. born in
his house. shouted in it, halls, frolick.
ed in its parlors and gladdened the
feasts in its dining Ii would
have made him laugh to see "A child Of
his break a piece Of china that ali the
housewives in lIarburg coveted. But
his wish was not gratiiiel. and the cloud
ON his brow grew blacker.
And IN the shadow on his brow cam
a wrinkle, but his wife needed neither
wrinkle nor cloud. She was enyrosSed
with the preparations for a reception
that was to be magnificent. At night
abe lay awake designing her toilet.
which she meant should be a marvel.
She asked her husband to draw a curve
for the drapery of the skirt of her dress.
and he ~obligingly made one of sharp
d~eclivity. She thanked him, but did
not use il.
ut is too precipitous. she said.
'Perhaps not. he replied.
It was not, If considered a prophecy,
for there is a swiftness in law process
that is startling: like the presto Of a
magician it works its changes sud
denly.
A week or more after her reception
Mrs. Patterson was returning" some
calls. She learned that her reception
had been IA great success. 1t had
taught Iarburg society the value Of
flowers in house decoration. As for her
toilet il was pronounced "A miracle.
From listening TO such iiattery Mrs.
Patterson returned to her home with
radiant face and sparkling eyes. She
alighted from her carriage nimbly rs a
bird. and looking at the steps ran up
them like n young girl. When she
grasped the door knob she noticed a
handful tackled on the panel. Angrily
she tore 1t down, and without looking
at it crumpled it in her hand to throw
Il on the pavement. Then her sense Of
neatness prevailed upon her to take the
sheet Of paper into the house to throw
II In the waste basket.
She paused a moment in the parlor.
There, Oh the scene of her recent social
success. she was softened. Her anger
melted away, and curiosity led her to
open the paper, probably the lampoon
Of some envious person who had boldly
tackled il on her door. As she ran her
eyes over the page the text began to
grow confused. and she could scarcely
read IL. She was able, however, to
learn from It that her household goods
were for sale, having been seized by
the sheriff.
John" she impulsively called; and
then she remembered that he had gone
over the mountains 10 survey n tract