Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1894-03-30

had at first half suffocated her seemed
to be some stimulating aroma Of crea-
ton that filed the narrow green aisles,
and now impaired strange vigor and
excitement to her as she walked along.
Meantime her guide was not conversa-
tionally idle Now, no doubt she had
never seen anything like this before? It
was the ordinary wheat, only it was
grown on adobe soil-the richest in the
valley. These stalks, she could see her.
self, were ten and twelve feet high. That
was the trouble, they all ran too much
to stalk. though the grain yield was
"suthen pow'ful." She could tell that
to her friends, for he reckoned she was
the only young lady that had ever
walked under such growth. Perhaps
she was new to Californy? He thought
SO from the start Well, this was Cali
forny, and this was not the least Of the
ways it could clay over" every other
country on Gods yearth. Many folks
thought it was the gold and the climate;
but she could see for herself what it
could do with wheat. He wondered if
her brother had ever told her of it. No?
The stranger wasn't her brother-nor
cousin-nor company-no. only the
hired driver from San Jose hotel,
who was takin' her over to Maj
Randolph's. Yes, he knew the old
major; the ranch was a pretty place.
nigh onto three miles further ON. Now
that he knew the driver was no relation
of hers, he didn't mind telling her that
the buggy was a "rather old consarn"
and the driver didn't know his business.
Yes, it might be fixed up so as to take
her over to the majors. There was one
of their own men-a young fellow--who
could do anything that could be done
with wood and iron-a reg'lar genius
and he'd tackle it. 1t might take an
hour, but she'd find it quite cool waiting
in the shanty. 1t was rough place,
for they only camped out there during
the season to look after the crop, and
lived at their own homes the rest of the
time. Was she going to stay long at
the majors? He noticed she had not
brought her trunk with her. Had she
known the majors wife long? Perhaps
she thought of settling in the neighbor-
hood?
All this naive, good humored question
ing-so often cruelty misunderstood as
mere vulgar curiosity, but as often the
courteous instinct of simple. unaffected
people to entertain the stranger by in
viting him to talk of what concerns him
self rather than their ownselves-was
nevertheless, fear, met only by mono
syllables from the young lady or an i'm
patient question in return. She scarcely
raised her eyes to the broad, jean shirted
back that preceded her through the
grain until the man abruptly ceased
talking and his manner, without losing
its half paternal courtesy, became grav-
er. She was beginning to be conscious
of her incivility and was idly trying to
think of something to say when lie ex-
claimed, with slight air of relief. Here
we are, and the shanty suddenly ap-
peared before them.
1t certainly was very rough-a mere
shell of implanted boards that scarcely
rose above the level of the surrounding
grain, and few yards distant was invisi-
BILE. Its slightly sloping roof, already
warped and shrunken into long assures
that permitted glimpses of the steel blue
sky above. was evidently intended only |
as a shelter from the cloudless sun in |
those two months of rainless days and |
dewless nights when it was inhabited. |
Through the open doors and windows
she could see row of "bunks," or rude |
sleeping berths, against the walls, |
furnished with coarse mattresses and |
blankets AS the young girl halted, the
man, with an instinct of delicacy, hurried |
forward, entered the shanty, and drag
ging a rude bench to the doorway, |
placed it so that she could sit beneath |
the shade of the roof, yet with her back
to these domestic revelations. Two or
three men who had been apparently
lounging there rose quickly and unob-
trusively withdrew. Herguide brought
her tin cup of deliciously cool water,
exchanged few hurried words with his
companions, and then disappeared with
them, leaving her alone.
Her first sense of relief from their
company was, fear, stronger than any
other feeling. After hurried glance
around the deserted apartment she arose,
shook out her dress and mantle, and then
going into the darkest corner supported
herself with one hand against the wall,
while with the other she drew off one
by one her slippers from her slim, strip
ed stockinged feet, shook and blew out
the dust that had penetrated within and
put them on again. Then perceiving a
triangular fragment of looking glass
nailed against the wall, she settled the
strings of her bonnet by the aid of its
reflection, patted the fringe of brown
hair on her forehead with her separated
five fingers, as if playing an imaginary
tune on her brow, and came back with
abstraction to the doorway.
Everything was quiet and her seclu-
sion seemed unbroken. A smile played
for an instant in the soft shadows of her
eyes and mouth as she recalled the
abrupt withdrawal of the men. Then
her mouth Strengthened and her brows
slightly bent. 1t was certainly very un-
in them to go off in that way.
Good heavens! couldn't they have
stayed around-without talking? Surely
it didn't require four men to go and
bring up that wagon" She picked up
her parasol from the bench with an i'm
patient little jerk. Then she held out
aer ungloved hand into the hot sun.
shine beyond the door with the gesture
'he would have used had it been raining,
md withdrew it as quickly-her hand
quite scorched in the burning rays. +:
Nevertheless, after another impatient
pause she desperately put up her parasol
md stepped from the shanty.
Presently she was conscious of a faint
'ound of hammering not far away.