Evening star., 1896-12-19
Written for Tha Evening Star.

Written for Tae Evening Star
..Minervy, M.nervy. Tuh got them caves
up%
'.No'm-not yet"
We'll cIear out High time. It's time
fer your paw to be back from town. I'd
he ashamed. To go a-puttin things OFF
So an a-curiin your hair to a crisp with
red-hot ironi Pdmp? My-O. What's the
t,se In prlmpin' 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 a
good curl on that one a; the back O your
neck. Yuh might We'll dot risnt while
you're a-doin' it. I'd lafr If i couldn't Curl
my hair evener n that. an exp,ctin'
beau TO come an spend Christmas Take
aa' give me them tongS
Minerva handed fer mother the curling
iron with a sigh of mingled relief and ex-
haustior. Sne was d slim. sallow-corlplex-
iOned girl, with large, irregular features.
She had 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 vel
vet depths. They wers wholly out of har-
mony with her sickly :ace and poor figure.
Her mother gave ner head sharp push
and it dropped forward in limp obedience
on her long neck.
--Ttara"- sail her mother. in III. yisor-
o;ss tone with which she would have said
So to a COW. Bend the back of your
Hs.k out SOS 1 can git The ;ongs around
this lock
Ta4 girl =tret-nnI her neck further, in a
futile attcmpt 10 perform this Impossible
feat.
= h. my. there. Don't stick your neck
out that way OF your head ii rGii OF in
The cellar" exclaimed ner mother, with
~gn Of inpati-n.e. ''Yuh never can do
tlilsIg~ like other girls. There's Lilly Belle
Mcnamara now-why can't yuh pattern at
t-r her a little? Her hair 5 always curled
JtSt pretty at the back her mead
on the forehead. She don't stick out ner
slide blades the way you do yours.
neither. II makes body feel offul 10 see
yuh STOPPED over sot Lily Belle Mcnamara
ho.is herself up Ike an arrer, everybody
looks when she goes up the aisle a meetIn.
She always looks Jest as neat is a new
tia Pan, too. l see ner Gncc jest after she d
wei out big rediSh-bed, an My-Oi She
d.IG't have Il speck o dir, on her. L0ok-ee'
IGvTe gees the minister. all primped up in
his best with his chin clean shaved, L bet
EaS goin' down to see tire Widow Peters.
| t-t.'
Mrs. Bunt gave the iron jerk, reIeas-
i:is, a small bobby curl the back of
Nj. erya's bonded neck. Two strides took
E-r u the window. She pulled the green
shade cautiously aside and peered out. Her
SKIN wr.nkled Up around her narrowed
eyes.
Yes. Stree" she announced, trium-
Ir.Ltly, a moment later. If he amt, yuh
Ia,,y shoot ne, Turned right down the
- Jrtht asst Diagonal. as bold as brass, with
out 50 much as lOokin' around to see I
any body him He must be pushed. His
lie amt dead a year-an' him with his
Ci.u shaved up that way! l bet the mo;irn-
il bands off o his hat Already. L reckon
that's where he's a-goin' to dinner tomor-
row L asst him here, an he said he had an
invite ahead o me. Size must of asst him
III, minute he got back from his wife'S
fln'rai: see her n the Rialty in Seattle,
TIE ether day. a-buyin' a lavender dressn'
I'D like to have lavender dress spoke
up Minerva, suddenly, with a Ettle quaNer.
"A-laveader-dress. Fer PHYS sake,
What do yuh want of a lavender dress,
CO.nPlec ted like yGu?''
i don't see why not.
''Yuh don't sea why not. digh? Wy, you d
look like sOle-ieather.
There was d silence. Another little bob
by curl nestled beside the first Miner
vas Eeck- Presently she said tand there
VS. a break in her thin voice as of tears).
What io you think Id look best in then,
ma
wy, l do know. She reflecscd with
tIyughtful eyes. Let's see She burst
Uyt laughing suddenly in comfortable nirth.
If yuh want fax. M!Hervy. / 90 knows
there's any best to yuh. The Lord cdn't
do overly much fer yuh in the way y looks.
Lily Belle McNa-"
Il guess. if you're done :urlia' up my
hair. I'll take an get 1he caves up
said Minerva. There was hurt look On
her face.
All right. It's high time Was-in' your
time so. a-curiin' your hair, Lily Belle
Minerva slipped out of the room and
closed the door. She cOUghed as she went
The HuEt ranch was on one of the large
Islands of Puget sound. The boats came
mp through a long blue arm that almost
divided the island. 1t was a beautiful thing
To see-their coming in; the white lire Of