The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1891-05-13

CHAPTER ].
INTRODUCES JUDITH.
People used to say it was almost duty
for Colonel Henry Merriweather Page t.
marry second time. A motherless boy
might do well enough, but when it came tG
a girl growing up altogether among darkeys
and men, it was absolutely blood-curdling
The poor chik was really dressed in man
ner that was almost indecent. and it had
even been said there the informant gen
orally put an impressive hand in one-but-
toned lisle-thread glove upon the arm of the
person to be enlightened) that she actually
used bad lauguage-in fact, swore, as she
heard her father do.
1t was perfectly true that she rarely put
IN an appearance at church. and when she
did participate in the hebdominal GevotiOns
of Brownsville parish, she was won't to
clatter up the central aisle in short and
gatherless habit, which was extremely
shocking TO the taste of the congregation.
She wore boots, moreover, and it was
rumored a spur on occasions. Her greatest
offense, probably. was her mode of dress
ing her hair, or rather of leaving it to dress
itself She had small, shapely head clasped
closely from brow to throat by heavy red
brown curls.
Colonel Pages pew was the most con-
spicuous IN the pretty sandstone church !;
and the nape of his daughters handsome
neck, exposed IN all its chignonless effrout-
cry of Sabbath, was a never-ending
source of displeasure to the outraged
R-ownsvillians-
Had not St Paul expressed himself
clearly. not to say strongly, on this very
subject: Was not a woman's piety almost
as surely TO be measured by the length of
her hair as the age of horse told by the
length Of his nippers. Could young lady
fly in the face not only of tradition, but of
the Scripture. in this fashion, and yet be
all that is required of young ladies by a
country parish, Not SO. The rector's wife
went alone in her state carry all to remon-
strate with Miss Page upon this very sub
ject.
She waited for some forty minutes, and
when at last her hostess entered, 1t was not
in a neat magenta-coloredp aduasoy, neither
q black or salt and pepper barege, trimmed
with braid and pearl buttons, as was then
deemed the thing, but shade Of that godly
woman, Mrs. Colonel" Henry Merri-
weather Page-ln blue flannel waist, an
old homespun skirt pinned up about her boy
ishly straight Lips, and muddy boots that
lett apparent impressions on the req velvet
carpet of Il DRAWN room.
When Mrs. Nelson. after much dextrous
maneuvering, had finally led the converse
ton. by what she considered master
stroke, up TO the moot question, Miss Page
had replied merely by running a slight
brown hand through the offensive locks and
saving:
why do wear it this ways Oh! like
1t, and dad likes 1t, and Dick" then. with
sudden oblique glance of her bright red
brown eyes: 81 shall always wear it so,
even when / am married.
"You seem to have no doubt on that
score" the rector's wife had replied, in
voice which was dryer than the smile
that accompanied it. Mrs. Nelson had
what might be termed a wellirrigated
mouth. pray. is 1t to be soon!"
Miss Page had laughed at this, Ainging
one blue-fanneled arm over the chair in
which she sat sideways, and Mrs. Nelson
had shuddered both at the laugh and gest-
ure, which she found unpleasantly in keep
ing with their owners cropped locks.
"Dear me, no! Goodness, no! l should
mink mott" the delinquent had replied,