The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
MINERVA BLUNT;
A Yuletide in the Far
M ELLA HIGeINsON.

sHShAAN ~ ~ ~ bhlikb VIZ W. Wa
A-ourlin' my hair to a orisp with a red hot iron
primpH My-ol What's the use in primpin'
soH II Doug Hodges comes home with your
paw TO spend Christmas he'll be apt to md out
your hair don't curl of itself. Mercy, child
Yum didn't git a good curl on that one at the
back o. your neck. Yuh might as we'll dot
right while you're a-doin' It. I'd Ian II 1
couldn't curl my hair evener 'en that an OK
pectin' q beau to come an spend Christmas!
Take an give me them tonRs."
Minerva handed her mother tho curling iron
with a sigh of mingled relief and exhaustion.
She was a slim. sallow-complexioned girl,
with large, irregular features. She had a little.
weak stoop which made her shoulder. blades
stand out sharply. Her eyes. alone. were
beautiful; they were large and brown. with
golden glints in their velvet depths. They
were wholly out of harmony with her sickly
face and poor figure.
Her mother gave her head q sharp push and
Il dropped forward in limp Obedience on her
long neck.
''There!' said her mother. In tho vigorous
tone with which she would have said. SOL!
10 a COW. Bend the back Of your neck ous
hos I can cit the tonrs around this look"
Tho girl stretched her neck further. In a fu-
ellie attempt to perform THE impossible feat.
'Oh. my. there! Don't stick your neck out
that way or your head IL roll of In the cellar"
exclaimed her mother. with a sigh of impa-
tiente. Yuh never can do things like other
girls. There's Lily Belle Mcnamara now-why
can't you pattern after her q little2 Her hairs
always curled Jest rs pretty at the back o. her
head g on the forehead. She don't stick out
her shoulder blades the way you do yours.
neither. 1t makes a body feel oIul to see yuh
st ed over so! Lily Belle Mcnamara holds
hel elf up like an arrer; everybody looks when
she goes up the aisls at meetin'. She always
looks just as neat as n new tin pan. too. l see
her once Jest after she'd wed out a big redish
bed. an My.o! She didn't have q speck o. dirt
on her. Look-ee! there goes the minister. all
primped up in his best, with his chin clean
shaved! ] bet he's a-goin' down to see the
Widow Peters. l bet."
Mrs. Bunt gave the iron a jerk. releasing o
Bmall. bobby curl on the back OF Minerals
Bonded neck. Two strides took her TO the win
dow. She pulled the green shade cautiously
aside and peered out. Her skin wrinkled up
around her narrowed eyes.
Yes. Stree" she announced. triumphantly.
q moment later. If he amt. yuh may shoot
mei Turned right down the Northeast dag
onal, as bold as brass. without so much as
lookin' around to see 4 anybody see him. He
must DO pushed. His wife amt dead a year
an him with his chin shaved up that way! l
bet the mournin' bands off o. his hat already.
] reckon that's where he's a-goin' to dinner to.
morrow. ! asst him here. an he said he had An
invite ahead o. me. She must OF asst him the
minute he got back from his Wife's fun'rall l
beo her n the Rialty in Seattle the other day.
a-buyin' q lavender dress!'
I'D like to have I lavender Dress" pooke up
Minerva suddenly. with a little quaver.
"A-lavender-dress. For PHYS sake. What
do you want of a lavender dress. completed
like yuh?"
II don't see why not"
Yah don't see why not. aigh? WY. you'd
leok like sole leather"
There was n Filence. Another little bobby
curl nestled beside the first on Minerals neck.
Presently she said. and there was a break In
her thin voice. as Of tears. WHAT do yuh
think I'd look best in. then. map
wy. / do know She reflected with
thoughtful eyes. Let's see." She burst out
Laughing suddenly in comfortable mirth. III
yuh want fax. Minervy. I do know IS there's
any best to yuh. The Lord didn't do overly
much fer yuh in the way o. looks. Lily Belle
McNa-"
Il guess IL you're done curlin' up my lair.
ma. I'll take an get the caves up" said Miner
va. There was a hurt look on her face.
All right. It's high time. Wastin' your
time so. a-curlin' your hair. LILY Belle"
NAAhSA ' I" ltppOe u ~ III thiAe ~
The door. she coughed as she went.
The Bunt ranch was on one of the large isl.
ands OF Puget Sound. The boats came up
through a long blue arm that almost divided
the island. 1t was n beautiful thing to SEQ
their coming In; the white line of smoke wind
ing around the fired crests of the smaller ISL
Rnds. and later the glisteninR curves of the
boats themselves, as they came throbbing up
the narrow water avenue. floored with blue and
,e:led with blue. and walled with sombre green.
Here and there rich fruit and vegetable farms
Iloped down to the water from their dark for
est background. They were green with clover
and fall-sown wheat, although It was the day
before Christmas.
Minerva threw a shawl over her head to
protect her new curls from the ravages of the
salt wind. and ran down the narrow path to
the pasture. There had been no heavy frosts
yet. and the young brakes were bravely put
ting mp their curved heads, pushing the moist
earth into little cones around them. The
willows. were hanging out their silver tassels:
the Wild eglantine was in leaf. In damp places
the skunk cabbage had spread anew its broad
leaves. from whose velvet depths would later on
reach beautiful golden hands bearing pale. early
torches In their followed palms.
1t was sunset. and all the little Rayly clad
running clouds were Jumping ropes of many
COLOR. which were being turned slowly by in
visible hands across the west.
Minerva stopped by a sheltered bank and
plucked a handful of ~''spring Beauties" Poor
littlo pale things" she said. They've come
too early: the frost or the rainll kill 'em sr=o."
She pinned them on her breast and went
On. She let do wn the bars and the calves
bAme leaping through from the pasture. She
stood for a few moments looking down the
blue arm. with a soft light In her eyes. Then
. faint trail of smoke drifted slowly into Wow.
She started from her leaning posture, and a rich
glow burned over her face.
She put up the bars with trembling hands
and FASTENED home; little hammers were
pounding away like mad in her temples.
1t was q full hour before the boat Rlided In
% tho Blunt pier-which had been most fear
fully and wonderfully fashioned out of
~rhakes."
Minerva was assisting to prepare supper.
HAS he come with your pa?' asked her
mother, entering the kitchen suddenly. for in
those days there was only one The" on earth.
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