The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-04-02

Ny latest experience is to be caught
in the delicate iiiamentS of a genuine
Texas idyl.
had heard Of my heroine long be-
fore | saw her, rs undisputcd belle of
the whole Dry Fork country, where
she held regal state. like the cruel
princess in the fairy tale, sending away
suitor after suitor and champion after
champion deSpoiIed, not of his head.
but of his heart. and with several
inches taken off the stature of his con-
ccit.
The family name was Drake; Teene
was atfeCtiouatcly known among her
admirers as the duck the ranch was
''the duck-pond," and whenever an.
other unfortunate went down to
worship at her shrine. he was facetous-
ly referred TO rs having gone duck
hunting.
She was rs rule engaged to three or
four of the best looking and most
promising Young shcepmen of the re-
gioH, and carried things il general
with HIGH hand All this had pre-
disposed me to think slightly of the
girl as Il poor, shallow creature, tritling
with and rejecting men who We're too
good for her only to crafty Eer vanity
and love of conquest.
But perhaps the thing tuat preju-
diced me most against her was her
failure to fail victim to the charms
OF Johnnie Sherwood.
johnnie and | are great friends. l
met him at balls, where he was the
best dancer; at round-upS, where he
was the finest rider and roper, and he
camped with our party many 4 night
A handsome, bIack-eyed boy of p,
Just feet, with fine, square shoulders
and weIl-knit figure. beautiful black
hair, curling fiat against his round.
cOmely head, glowing eyes, a satiny
check, fresh and warm; nice, we'll
cut chin, with 4 dimpIe set little to
one side of il; good mouth, with
youthful mustache above it, and the
finest white teeth possible.
Face and figure were quite hand
some ordinarily; but when the eyes
shonc the dimpIe deepened and the
white teeth flashed in the bubbling,
mellow, spontaneous laugh that came
So naturally from the fine deep chest.
you hastily laid aside all Judgment ard
surrendered your heart.
never heard so captivating a laugh.
There was virtue there was pietv in
it. 1t was swectcr than reason, better
than wisdom. You felt sense of per-
sOnal and atTectionate gratitude to bim,
rs though lie had made You 4 special
gilt OF it.
Aud those two were swccthcarts
once; indeed. Johnnie had been Gu
gagged to Tccnie. ''all by hinself,"
when no one else was and the matter
WAS regarded as qHjte serious.
There was, rs might have been ex-
pected between two such hcart-hreak-
ers. smash; mutual recriminations
were indulged in. At the hottest Of
the quarrel, smarting beneath n sense
Of Injustice tiH~iing ut remcmbranceS
of the aiIronts she had put upon him,
Johnnie came one day upon 4 maverick
and made so innocent 4 thing as Il
vcarliug calf the vehicle Of his resent
mcnt. Ii wus Il delicate bit of Il cow
boy rcDartce, an example OF pure Tex
rs Wit to catch it up, and brand it all
over its helpless bovine side in great,
sprawliug letters DUCK"
When the capcriug bommot present
ed itself before Tecnie's indignant
ewes she waXed very wroth indeed, and
told her biz brothers. but on the ready
offer to wipe up the ground with
the author she weakened, and advised
the whole family that they treat him
with silent which they were
doing when | went there.
When | came to spend Il week at the
Three Ccdars ranch aud see her daily
with her mother and her little brothers
and sisters, | found her quite different
from what | had imagined. and was
constrained 10 like the girl despite my
diSapproval Of some of her methods.
She was good daughter, Il kind sister
and the blithest, most irrepressible JOY
Gus creature, with Il frank, engaging
hovishncSS of manner that l never
found in any other girl, and | soon
came to the conclusion that if she was
vain and tickle it was the fault of the
foolish men who hung about her and
ministered to her vanity.
She rode finely. and was as passion
etely fond OF it rs |.
She appeared unaware of the six or
eight Years difference in our ages,
/ the wide disSimilarity of our history,
4 training. environments. and probable
aims and ambitions. aud made of me
a regular chum aud coniidante, SEEM
( inc 10 think it no fault of mine that |
| had been city born and bred; that at
( heart, and given a fair show, / was las
/ good man rs herself.
/ used to talk to Teeuie q good deal
about Johnnie, dwelling warmly on
his good qualities aud his winning
WAYS.
She was always ready to argue with
me on the subject, protesting to find
I him the most hideous aud disagreeabie
/ OF murtals. When l ceased she would
/ so on at some length herself, applying
+ % him all her feminine epithetS of
lerogation, Sueering especially at his
/ c0nceit.
1 Perhaps a mere masculine bat might
have been deceived by the appearance
Of frank sincerity with which she
| '.slan@cd' him. but. rs Sister Peacock
I