The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-20
Minervy! Minervy. Yuh got them caves


"Nom-not yet"
well. clear out High time. It's time
fer your paw to be back from town. I'd
be ashamed. To be a-puttin' things off
SO. am a-curlin' my hair to a crisp with
red-hot iron Primp? My-O! What's the
use in primpin' SO? If Doug Hodges
comes home with your paw to spend
Christmas he'll be apt to find out your
hair don't curl of itself. Mercy, child!
Yuh didn't git good curl on that one at
the back O. your neck. Yuh might as
well dot right while you're a-doin' it.
I'd laff if / couldn't curl my hair evener
n that, an expectin' beau to come an
spend Christmasi Take an give me them
longs"
Minerva handed her mother the curl
ing-iran with a sigh of mingled relief and
exhaustion. She was 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 silky face and poor figure.
Her mother gave her head sharp
push and Il dropped forward in limp
obedience ON her long neck.
'sTherer said her mother, in the vigor-
Gus tone with which she would have said,
ESQ., to a cow. bend the back of your
neck out SOS | can git the tongs around
this lock-"
"Oh, my, there! Don't stick your neck
out that way or your head II roll off in
the cellar" exclaimed her mother, with
a sigh of impotence. "4uh never can
do things like other girls. There's Lily
Belle Mcnamara now--why can't yuh
pattern after her little? Her hair s
always 'curled jest as pretty at the back
o. her head s on the forehead. She don't
stick out her shoulder blades the way
you do yours, neither. 1t makes body
feel offul to see yuh stopped over so!
Lily Belle Mcnamara holds herself up
like an arrer; everybody looks when she
goes up the aisle at meetin'. She always
looks Jest as neat as a new tin pin, too.
/ see her once jest after she'd wed out
big redish-bed an My-O! She didn't have
a speck o dirt on her. Look-ee! there
goes the minister, all primped up in his
best, with his chin clean shaved! l bet
he's a-goin' down to see the widow Peters
/ bet
Mrs. Blunt gave the iron jerk, releas-
ing small bobby curl on the back OF
Minerals Bonded neck. Two strides took
her to the window. She pulled the green
shade cautiously aside and peered out.
Her skin wrinkled up around her mar
rowed eyes.
Yes, sir-eev' she announced, trium-
phantly, moment later. If he amt.
yuh many shoot me! Turned right down
the Noreast Diagonal. as bold as brass,
without so much as lookin' around to
see 4 anybody see him. He must be
pushed. His wife amt dead year
an him with his chin shaved UP that
way. / bet the mournin' bands off o
his hat a ready. | reckon that's where
he's a-goin' to dinner tomorrow. | asst
him here, an he said he had an invite
ahead o. me. She musc-ef asst him the
minute he got back from his wife's fun
rail- see her n the Rally in Seattle, the
other day, a-buyin' a lavender Dress
sd like to have lavender dress
spoke up Minerva, suddenly, with little
quaver.
'A-lavender-dress For PHYS sake!
What do yuh want of a Lavender dress,
Completed like you?"
II don't see why not.
"Yuh don't see why not, ajsh? WY,
you'd look like sole-leather.'
There was a silence. Another little
bobby curl nestled beside the first on
Minerals neck. Presently, she said,
(and there was break in her thin voice.
as Of tears. What do yuh think I'd look
best in. then, mar
II !, h. A. {<l l.
thoughtful eyes Lets see." She burst
out laughing. suddenly in comfortable
mirth. If yuh want fax, Minerva,
do know IS there's any best to yuh. The
Lord didn't do overly ,nuch fer yuh in
the way o. looks. Lily Belle McNa-"
II guess, if you're done curlin' up my
hair, me, I'll take an get the caves up"
said Minerva. There was a hurt look
on her face.
"All right. It's high time. Wastin'
your time so, a-curiin' your hair! Lily
Belize
Minerva slipped out of the room and
closed the door. She coughed as she
went.
The Blunt ranch was on one OF the
large islands of Puget Sound. The boats
came up through a long blue arm that
almost divided the island. 1t was a
beautiful thing to see-their coming in;
the white line Of smoke winding around
the fired crests of the smaller islands,
and later the glistening curves of the
boats themselves, as they came throb-
bling up the narrow water-ayenue, floor
ed with blue and ceiled with blue and
walled with sombre green. Here and
there rich fruit and vegetable farms
sloped down to the water from their dark
forest background. They were green
with clover and fall-sown wheat, al
though it was the day before Christmas.
Minerva threw shawl over her head
to protect her new curls from the ravages
of the salt wind, and ran down the mar
row path to the pasture. There had
been no heavy frosts yet, and the young
brakes were brayely putting up their
curved heads, pushing the moist earth
into little cones around them. The will
lows were hanging out their silver tas-
sells; the wild Byzantine 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, ear