The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-26
THE OUTLANDfSHLADI

& mile beyond the fishing village, as you
follow the'road that climbs inland up the
coomb, the two tall kills to right and sleft
diverge 80 make room for a third, set like
Gwedge in the throat of the vale. Here
the road branches into two, with sign
post at the angle; and between the sign
Postand the gray scarp Of the hill there
lies an acre Of waste ground that the
STREAMS have turned into. a marsh. This
is Loose heels. Long before learned the
names meaning, in the days when I trod
the lower road with slate and satcheI to
and from the village school, this spot was
a favorite Of m{ne-bQ6 chiefly in July,
when the monkey flower was out and the
marsh afane with it.
There was spell in that yellow blossom
with the wicked blood red spots that held
me its mere slave. Also the finest grew in
desperate places. So that, day after day,
when July came round n1y mother would
cry shame on my small clothes. and my
father take exercise upon them, and all
the month / went tinghng. They were
pledged to break me of it," but they
never did Now they ere dead, and the
wers-Nhe flowers last always, as Victor
Hugo says. When after many years / re-
visited theval ley, the stream had carried
the seeds half a mile below Loose heels,
and painted its banks with monkey bios
SONS all the wsy. But the finest, was
glad to SEQ, still inhabited the marsh.
Now tits rare to End this plant growing
wild, for IN fact it is a garden flower
And its history here is connected with
bit of mud wall, ruined and covered with
moses and ragwort, that still pushed up
from the swamp ground when l knew it,
and had once been part of a cottage, How
q cottage came here, and how its inhabi-
tants entered and wesst out, are questions
past guessing; for the marsh bemmed 1t in
on three sides, and the fourth is slope of
hill fit to break your back. But there was
the wall, and here is the story.
One morning, near the close of the last
century. a small child came running down
TO the village with news that the cottage,
which for ten years had stood empty, was
let; there IVES smoke coming out at the
chimney and an outlandish lady walking
IN the garden. Being catechised he added
that the lady wore bassOmy bows in her
cap, and had nccosted him in a heather
tongue that caused him to flee inconti-
pensly, fearing worse things. This being
told, bSp women, rulers of their homes,
sent their husbands up the valley to spy,
who found the boy had spoken truth.
SDoke was curling from the chimney
and in the garden the lady was still NOV
ing Gbout-a small, yellow creature, with
D wrinkled but pleasant face, white curls
Rnd piercing black eyes. She wore black
gown, cut low in the neck, a white kerr
Chief, and bsssomy Tor purpIish) bows in
her cap, as the child had stated. Just at
present she was busy with a spade, and
showed an ankle passing neat for her age
as she turned up the neglected mold.
When the men plucked up gsllaptry
enough to offer their services she smiled
and thanlsed them in broken English, but
said that her small forces would serve.
So they went back to their wives; and
their wives, recollecting that the cottage
formed part of the gIebe, went off to in
Guire Of PEARSON North. '.thRn whom," as
the tablet to his memory relates, none
was better to osstigste the manners of the
ege," de was a hurly, hard riC&ng ruftian,
and the tale of his great fight with. Gypsy
Ben III LaunCeSson streets Is yet told on the
country side.
Parson North wanted TO know if he
couldn't let his cottage to an invalid lady
and her sister without consulting every
washInouth in the parish.
cav, so there's two.' said one of them,
holding her bead. But tell US, parson
Gesr, If ties fifty for two unmaSed women
to come traJsesiHg down IN po'shay at
dead O. night, when all modest flesh be in
their bed gowns"
Upon this the parsons language became
not merely violent, but grossly indehcate,
after the fashion of those days He closed
his peroration 10y slanming the front door
on his visitors, and they went down the
hin ''blushing Us they said all'Over at his
Intrinsic words.
So nothing more was known Of the
strangers But it SEas noticed thai Parson
North, when he passed the cotUageon his
way to meet or market, would pull up his
mare, and if the outlandish lady were
working IN the garden would dot his hat
respectfully.
Bon jour, Mamzelle Henriette'-ehis
was ALI the French the pcrson knew. And